Wednesday 21 May 2003
European companies leading in the take-up of ebusiness are more likely to engage on social and environmental issues, according to a MORI survey. The research was commissioned by Forum for the Future for the European Commission-funded project Digital Europe. For the survey, Corporate Social Responsibility practitioners and IT practitioners in large UK and Northern European companies were interviewed. This was to evaluate their ebusiness practices and performance in sustainable development, and then used statistical techniques such as factor analysis and cluster analysis to identify a link between the two.
Ebusiness has also had an impact on companies' communication with their external and internal stakeholders. Almost three in five (57%) companies use the internet to report on their social and environmental performance and more than two-fifths (44%) say ebusiness is very or fairly important in the measurement of their social and environmental performance.
Topline Results
- MORI interviewed a CSR practitioner and an ebusiness practitioner from each of 100 companies based in UK, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Ireland.
- Companies were from the top 1,000 UK companies by turnover, or were of a comparable size.
- Fieldwork was conducted by telephone between 8-24 July 2002.
- Base (unless otherwise stated): all companies (100)
- Percentages may not add up to 100% — this is due to rounding, exclusion of not stated, or multiple response answers.
- An asterisk represents percentages greater than 0 and less than 0.5
CSR Practitioner Section
Q1 Which of the following items does your company measure or monitor? You do not have to give me the actual figures, we are just interested in whether they are measured by the company.
| | Yes | No | Don't Know |
| | % | % | % |
| Its material use |
80 |
16 |
4 |
| Its energy use |
91 |
7 |
2 |
| Its water use |
79 |
19 |
2 |
| Its greenhouse gas emissions |
57 |
38 |
5 |
| The amount of waste it creates |
84 |
12 |
4 |
| Its recycling and/or product reuse |
83 |
14 |
3 |
| The miles travelled by its employees for commuting |
29 |
69 |
2 |
| The miles travelled by its employees for business |
75 |
22 |
3 |
| The level of employee satisfaction |
86 |
13 |
1 |
| The number of commercial vehicles it has |
74 |
20 |
6 |
| The amount of office space it uses |
80 |
16 |
4 |
| The proportion of people with disabilities it employs |
71 |
18 |
11 |
| The proportion of people from ethnic minorities it employs |
59 |
32 |
9 |
| The proportion of women it employs |
71 |
23 |
6 |
| Its suppliers' environmental and/or social performance |
63 |
34 |
3 |
| The proportion of its workforce using flexible working (that is, working from locations remote from the office, such as at home) |
60 |
32 |
8 |
And for each of these items, could you tell me whether levels have recently been increasing, decreasing or staying around the same in your company?
Base: All Who Measure / Monitor At Least Four Items At Q1
| | Base size | Increased | Decreased | Stayed the same | Don't know | Refused |
| | n | % | % | % | % | % |
| The efficiency of its material use |
(80) |
74 |
1 |
13 |
11 |
1 |
| Its energy efficiency |
(91) |
71 |
5 |
11 |
11 |
1 |
| The efficiency of its water use |
(79) |
61 |
4 |
24 |
10 |
1 |
| Its greenhouse gas emissions |
(57) |
7 |
60 |
19 |
12 |
2 |
| The amount of waste it creates |
(84) |
20 |
51 |
17 |
11 |
1 |
| The rate of recycling and / or product reuse |
(83) |
71 |
7 |
18 |
2 |
1 |
| The average mileage travelled by its employees for commuting |
(29) |
14 |
38 |
28 |
21 |
0 |
| The average mileage travelled by its employees for business |
(75) |
27 |
12 |
32 |
29 |
0 |
| The level of employee satisfaction |
(86) |
49 |
7 |
29 |
14 |
1 |
| The efficiency of use of its commercial vehicles |
(74) |
41 |
11 |
26 |
23 |
0 |
| The efficiency of its use of office space |
(80) |
60 |
8 |
23 |
9 |
1 |
| The proportion of people with disabilities it employs |
(71) |
11 |
3 |
45 |
39 |
1 |
| The proportion of people from ethnic minorities it employs |
(59) |
25 |
2 |
31 |
41 |
2 |
| The proportion of women it employs |
(71) |
42 |
0 |
28 |
28 |
1 |
| The proportion of its suppliers addressing their environmental and/or social performance |
(63) |
78 |
0 |
14 |
8 |
0 |
| The proportion of its workforce using flexible working (that is, working from locations remote from the office, such as at home) |
(60) |
70 |
5 |
17 |
8 |
0 |
I would now like to ask about ebusiness, that is the use of digital technologies in business activities, such as e-procurement, video-conferencing and company intranets.
Q3 In which ways, if any, do you think ebusiness has enabled your company to improve its social and environmental performance?
| | % |
| Easier / faster communication |
20 |
| Reduces the amount of paper used |
20 |
| Reduces the need to travel |
17 |
| Increased our efficiency |
13 |
| Saves time |
10 |
| Use of video conferencing |
9 |
| Other |
13 |
| None / no answer |
28 |
| Don't know |
11 |
Q4 You said earlier that in your company has increased / decreased in the last few years. To what extent, if at all, would you say that ebusiness has contributed to this change in your company? Would you say … ?
| | Base size | A great deal | A fair amount | Not very much | Not at all | Don't Know |
| | n | % | % | % | % | % |
| The efficiency of its material use |
(60) |
7 |
20 |
35 |
35 |
3 |
| Its energy efficiency |
(70) |
9 |
16 |
39 |
30 |
7 |
| The efficiency of its water use |
(51) |
6 |
8 |
24 |
57 |
6 |
| Its greenhouse gas emissions |
(38) |
11 |
11 |
13 |
50 |
16 |
| The amount of waste it creates |
(60) |
3 |
28 |
33 |
28 |
7 |
| The rate of recycling and/or product reuse |
(65) |
8 |
23 |
31 |
35 |
3 |
| The average mileage travelled by its employees for commuting |
(15) |
0 |
7 |
47 |
47 |
0 |
| The average mileage travelled by its employees for business |
(29) |
3 |
31 |
34 |
31 |
0 |
| The level of employee satisfaction |
(48) |
10 |
27 |
35 |
23 |
4 |
| The efficiency of use of its commercial vehicles |
(38) |
3 |
18 |
42 |
29 |
8 |
| The efficiency of its use of office space |
(54) |
9 |
30 |
33 |
22 |
6 |
| The proportion of people with disabilities it employs |
(10) |
20 |
10 |
10 |
50 |
10 |
| The proportion of people from ethnic minorities it employs |
(16) |
6 |
0 |
13 |
81 |
0 |
| The proportion of women it employs |
(30) |
0 |
17 |
27 |
50 |
7 |
| The proportion of its suppliers addressing their environmental and/or social performance |
(49) |
4 |
20 |
35 |
31 |
10 |
| The proportion of its workforce using flexible working (that is, working from locations remote from the office, such as at home) |
(45) |
27 |
42 |
13 |
16 |
2 |
Q5 To what extent would you say ebusiness is used in your company's communication with the following stakeholder groups? For example, this might be through the use of the internet, extranets or online databases. Would you say a great deal, a fair amount, not very much or not at all?
| | A great deal | A fair amount | Not a lot | Not at all | Don't Know | N/A |
| | % | % | % | % | % | % |
| Customers |
31 |
46 |
15 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
| Employees |
52 |
31 |
9 |
6 |
1 |
1 |
| Shareholders |
17 |
20 |
20 |
19 |
14 |
10 |
| Suppliers |
28 |
42 |
21 |
5 |
3 |
1 |
| Subsidiary companies, different sites or parts of your operations |
40 |
28 |
14 |
6 |
4 |
8 |
| Trade unions |
6 |
16 |
21 |
27 |
13 |
17 |
| Government |
4 |
23 |
32 |
23 |
9 |
9 |
| NGOs (Non-governmental organisations, e.g. not-for-profit bodies working for a cause) |
8 |
26 |
27 |
22 |
10 |
7 |
| The media |
16 |
44 |
23 |
10 |
4 |
3 |
| The local community in which your company operates (e.g. residents local to your sites) |
8 |
12 |
33 |
20 |
9 |
18 |
Q6 And in general, would you say that the use of ebusiness has increased, decreased or had no effect on the quality of communication with your stakeholders? And is that significantly or slightly?
Base: All Saying A Great Deal/Fair Amount (70)
| | % |
| Significantly increased |
60 |
| Slightly increased |
26 |
| No effect |
7 |
| Slightly decreased |
0 |
| Significantly decreased |
0 |
| Don't know |
7 |
Q7 And how important would you say ebusiness is in how your company measures its social and environmental performance? Would you say … ?
| | % |
| Very important |
12 |
| Fairly important |
32 |
| Neither |
24 |
| Fairly unimportant |
21 |
| Very unimportant |
7 |
| Don't know |
4 |
Q8 And how important would you say ebusiness is in collating the information on your company's social and environmental performance that is collected by different sites, divisions or parts of the business? Would you say … ?
| | % |
| Very important |
19 |
| Fairly important |
32 |
| Neither |
25 |
| Fairly unimportant |
16 |
| Very unimportant |
6 |
| Don't know |
2 |
Q9 Does your company publish a report on its social and/or environmental performance, either as a separate document or as part of the Annual Report?
| | % |
| Yes — separate social / environmental report |
24 |
| Yes — social and environmental report integrated with Annual Report |
52 |
| No — do not currently produce social / environmental report |
21 |
| Don't know |
3 |
Q10 Does your company publish this social/environmental report online?
Base: Yes (76)
| | % |
| Yes — online only |
8 |
| Yes — both online and offline |
67 |
| No — offline only |
21 |
| Don't know |
4 |
Q11 Does your company publish any other additional information about its social or environmental performance on your website?
| | % |
| Yes |
46 |
| No |
46 |
| Don't know |
8 |
IT Practitioner Section
Q12 I would like to ask about ebusiness, that is the use of digital technologies in business activities, such as e-procurement, video-conferencing and company intranets.
| | % |
| Ebusiness is not used at all |
4 |
| Ebusiness is not used very much |
11 |
| Ebusiness is used a fair amount |
30 |
| Ebusiness is used a great deal |
40 |
| Ebusiness is fully integrated |
15 |
| Don't know |
0 |
Q13 To what extent does your company use each of the following ebusiness applications, if at all, in its relations with suppliers? Would you say a great deal, a fair amount, not very much or not at all?
| | Not at all | Not very much | A fair amount | A great deal | Don't Know |
| | % | % | % | % | % |
| E-procurement |
19 |
28 |
38 |
11 |
4 |
| Exchanges / e-marketplaces |
33 |
32 |
22 |
10 |
3 |
| Ebusiness in order scheduling and tracking |
17 |
30 |
36 |
12 |
5 |
| Electronic payments |
15 |
4 |
14 |
64 |
3 |
| Ebusiness in inventory management |
19 |
23 |
34 |
16 |
8 |
| Use of shared online spaces for collaborative working |
33 |
37 |
16 |
8 |
6 |
Q14 To what extent does your company use each of the following ebusiness applications, if at all, in its relations with customers? Would you say a great deal, a fair amount, not very much or not at all?
| | Not at all | Not very much | A fair amount | A great deal | Don't Know |
| | % | % | % | % | % |
| Market segmentation using customer databases, etc. |
11 |
14 |
41 |
29 |
5 |
| e-CRM (customer relationship management) |
26 |
42 |
17 |
13 |
2 |
| Ebusiness in the processing of orders |
20 |
32 |
26 |
16 |
6 |
| Ebusiness in the tracking of orders |
28 |
27 |
22 |
18 |
5 |
| Ebusiness in billing / invoicing |
28 |
25 |
23 |
17 |
7 |
| Electronic payments |
15 |
3 |
18 |
59 |
5 |
| Exchanges / e-marketplaces |
15 |
31 |
31 |
18 |
5 |
| Online product information |
7 |
9 |
19 |
62 |
3 |
| Videoconferencing |
22 |
22 |
29 |
23 |
4 |
| Ebusiness in customer services |
29 |
40 |
17 |
11 |
3 |
| Ebusiness in project management |
29 |
33 |
22 |
8 |
8 |
| Ebusiness in a fully-integrated customer contact system |
30 |
42 |
14 |
8 |
6 |
Q15 To what extent does your company use each of the following ebusiness applications, if at all, in its relations with employees? Would you say a great deal, a fair amount, not very much or not at all?
| | Not at all | Not very much | A fair amount | A great deal | Don't Know |
| | % | % | % | % | % |
| e-learning |
19 |
38 |
32 |
9 |
2 |
| Ebusiness in recruitment |
14 |
14 |
37 |
32 |
3 |
| Ebusiness in payroll and remuneration support |
49 |
25 |
12 |
7 |
7 |
| Ebusiness in expenses processing |
62 |
20 |
5 |
9 |
4 |
| Remote working (through remote access to company servers) |
7 |
24 |
36 |
32 |
1 |
| Ebusiness in car sharing arrangements |
90 |
5 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
| Intranet |
4 |
4 |
30 |
62 |
0 |
Q16 To what extent does your company use ebusiness applications, if at all, in the following areas? Would you say a great deal, a fair amount, not very much or not at all?
| | Not at all | Not very much | A fair amount | A great deal | Don't Know |
| | % | % | % | % | % |
| Production management |
44 |
29 |
15 |
8 |
4 |
| Energy management |
26 |
44 |
14 |
4 |
12 |
Q17 Approximately, what percentage of employees would you say are set up for remote working, that is have remote access to office computer systems?
| | % |
| 0% |
2 |
| 1-5% |
20 |
| 6-10% |
14 |
| 11-15% |
7 |
| 16-20% |
12 |
| 21-30% |
14 |
| 31-40% |
10 |
| 41-50% |
11 |
| 51-75% |
1 |
| 76-100% |
5 |
| Don't know |
4 |
Q18 Approximately, what percentage of employees would you say are involved in e-learning?
| | % |
| 0% |
21 |
| 1-5% |
17 |
| 6-10% |
9 |
| 11-20% |
6 |
| 21-30% |
7 |
| 31-40% |
4 |
| 41-50% |
6 |
| 51-75% |
3 |
| 76-100% |
18 |
| Don't know |
9 |
Q19 Approximately, what percentage of the total value of your sales would you say are made on-line?
| | % |
| 0% |
27 |
| 1-5% |
13 |
| 6-10% |
3 |
| 11-20% |
5 |
| 21-50% |
5 |
| 76-100% |
3 |
| Don't know |
44 |
Q20 Approximately, what percentage of the total number of purchases would you say are made on-line?
| | % |
| 0% |
23 |
| 1-5% |
10 |
| 6-10% |
4 |
| 11-20% |
4 |
| 21-30% |
3 |
| 31-50% |
5 |
| 76-100% |
1 |
| Don't know |
50 |
Q21 Has your company decentralised the geographical location of any of its activities in the last 10 years?
| | % |
| Yes |
31 |
| No |
61 |
| Don't know |
8 |
Q22 Which activities were decentralised? Was it … ?
Base: Yes (31)
| | % |
| Back-office activities |
77 |
| Production activities |
32 |
| Assembling activities |
19 |
| Management activities |
68 |
| Sales |
10 |
| Other |
19 |
| Don't know |
0 |
Q23 How much has ebusiness contributed to the decentralisation process for each of the following activities? Would you say a great deal, a fair amount, not very much or not at all?
Base: Each Mentioning Activity
| | Base size | Not at all | Not very much | A fair amount | A great deal | Don't Know |
| | n | % | % | % | % | % |
| Back-office activities |
(24) |
4 |
46 |
33 |
13 |
4 |
| Production activities |
(10) |
50 |
30 |
10 |
0 |
10 |
| Assembling activities |
(6) |
17 |
50 |
17 |
0 |
17 |
| Management activities |
(21) |
10 |
48 |
38 |
0 |
5 |
| Other |
(6) |
67 |
17 |
0 |
17 |
0 |
Q24 Principle activity:
| | % |
| Utilities |
6 |
| Mining / minerals / natural resources |
8 |
| Technology / media / telecoms |
8 |
| dot-com / internet |
0 |
| Construction |
3 |
| Manufacturing |
24 |
| Transport / distribution |
8 |
| Services / retailing |
15 |
| Financial / Banking |
14 |
| Other |
14 |
Q25 Number of employees in this country (including subsidiary companies):
| | % |
| 1-99 |
6 |
| 100-499 |
16 |
| 500-999 |
26 |
| 1000-1,999 |
11 |
| 2,000 — 4,999 |
26 |
| 5,000 — 14,999 |
14 |
| 15,000 — 24,999 |
0 |
| 25,000 — 49,999 |
1 |
| 50,000+ |
0 |
Q26 International operations:
| | % |
| Yes — European |
27 |
| Yes — worldwide |
50 |
| No |
23 |