Companies that want to cultivate a reputation for being innovative, customer-focused, responsible, trustworthy and dedicated to improving lives actively must engage in good corporate citizenship.
Many leading medical device companies have established their dedication to being a good corporate citizen through a variety of economic, educational, ethical and philanthropic activities.
The following examples are designed to help activate—or expand—your medical device company’s corporate stewardship and secure your good reputation in 2013 and beyond.
Employee Engagement
The team members that make up your organization are the heart of your company’s success. And their community involvement—especially if it’s on behalf of your company—is what moves your organization’s corporate stewardship from an internal value system to an external reputation.
What’s more, a recent study shows that employees support this philosophy as well.
According to a report issued by Net Impact, a San Francisco, Calif.-based non-profit that strives to achieve positive social change and improvement through business, employees who have the opportunity to make a direct social and environmental impact through their job report higher satisfaction levels (by a ratio of 2:1) than those who don’t.
In fact, the report, “Talent Report 2012: What Workers Want,” outlined how 53 percent of workers surveyed in the study stated that a job where they can make an impact is essential to their happiness. So, what might employee civic engagement look like for a medical device company? Here are some ideas inspired by what other companies are doing:
Blood drives. At one company, a few employees got together after a coworker’s son was diagnosed with leukemia. They hosted a blood drive in his honor and provided breakfast for everyone who donated blood. The drive was so successful that the company has continued it every year.
Walks/runs. The employees at a manufacturer of orthopedic prosthetics participate as a team in their community’s annual walk/run for disabled veterans.
Volunteer website. Another medtech leader launched a website that allows employees to create personal profile pages where they can log volunteer hours; document volunteer events and invite others to participate; research and track charities of interest; and access information on company-sponsored community programs. As a result, more than 6,450 employees created personal pages and logged nearly 17,000 volunteer hours in the first months following the site launch through activities such as meal distribution, clothing drives, and local park and beach cleanups.
Companies that encourage socially responsible employee engagement open themselves to myriad new relationships and opportunities. They also cultivate a productive work culture that’s engaged and inspired to make a positive difference in their community.
Social Sponsorships
Cultivating good corporate citizenship is also about sponsoring community-building initiatives.
For example, since 2000, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) has collaborated with industry partners to build playgrounds so children with and without disabilities can play safely together. Sponsors can donate financially to the effort and also are encouraged to participate in the actual building of the playground.
Last year’s AAOS playground build was at a community center in San Francisco’s Telegraph Hill neighborhood. Participants included AAOS annual meeting attendees, medical industry sponsors, staff from KaBOOM! (a national non-profit dedicated to saving play for America’s children by creating great play spaces through the participation and leadership of communities) and local neighborhood residents.
At this year’s annual AAOS gathering, orthopedic manufacturers, along with hundreds of meeting attendees, industry supporters and community volunteers, gathered on Tuesday, March 19, for another playground build at Faith Community of Saint Sabina in Chicago, Ill.
“This will be the academy’s second Safe and Accessible Playground build in the Chicago area,” said Kayee Ip, AAOS’ media relations specialist. “Thanks to all the industry sponsors and volunteers, we’ll be able to build a safe, accessible playground for the children of Chicago’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood.”
Sponsoring community-building initiatives—both financially and as a participant—fosters goodwill and reflects positively on your company. It’s also a fun way for employees of the sponsoring companies to come together, informally network, and align with industry partners who also value corporate social responsibility.
Community Connections
In most communities where medical device companies reside, opportunities abound to foster mutually beneficial relationships with community partners.
A banner from last year’s playground-building project in San Francisco, Calif., during the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons annual meeting. It’s an example of how good corporate citizenship not only fosters goodwill in the community, but also inspires employees. Photo courtesy of Pro-Dex Inc. |
If a student is a match for an internship or an open employment position, their fresh perspectives can help a medical device company solve problems and stay abreast of new technology and trends being taught at the university. In addition, the students benefit by getting hands-on, real-world experience that they can apply to enhance their studies and future careers.
Many larger universities also have well-established surgical education centers. Connecting with these surgical centers offers a medical device company the opportunity to interact directly with surgeons. The medical device company can receive true feedback from the surgeons about what they look for when procuring a medical device, and the surgeons get the opportunity to communicate what elements of the manufacturers’ device works for them and what doesn’t.
The surgeons also are able to gain access to prototypes and acquire a better understanding of what goes into the development of a surgical device. In addition, access to the leading-edge technology coming out of the university enables the medical device company to develop more relevant devices that help the doctors improve patient outcomes.
Connecting with community partners and putting forth a strategic effort to contribute to their progress positions your medical device company as a reputable strategic partner that’s dedicated to giving back to their community.
Responsibility in the Marketplace
Medical device companies are in the business of helping people and improving healthcare outcomes. But in the day-to-day effort to deliver safe, reliable and economical medical devices that adhere to regulatory and quality control requirements, efficient manufacturing processes, and speed to market expectations, it can be easy to lose sight of the big picture.
By promoting and actively engaging in community stewardship, medical device companies help keep their mission and visions at the forefront. At the same time, they also demonstrate to the marketplace that they are committed to operating responsibly in all facets where their business intersects with society.
Factors to consider when implementing or expanding good corporate citizenship initiatives:
1. Vital signs. Check the pulse of your company. What resonates within your company’s culture? What issues or organizations do they care about supporting?
2. Peer influence. Look at what peers are doing. Are there opportunities to align with them?
3. Budget. Is there room in your budget to sponsor events or community-building activities? If not, consider establishing a Corporate Citizenship committee to brainstorm and coordinate free community-building initiatives such as canned-food drives, a once-a-month volunteer day, or an adopt-a-charity initiative.
4. Recognition. How will you recognize your employees and your company’s good corporate citizenship? Consider using your corporate newsletter, blog posts, and annual report to highlight your community involvement activities. And remember to include pictures.
Tricia Rodewald is the director of Marketing & Strategic Alliances for Pro-Dex Inc., a publicly traded Irvine, Calif.-based company that develops and manufactures powered surgical devices for world-class medical device OEMs.