Case study: How Biesse Group promotes ethical business conduct
Operating through 12 manufacturing facilities, 38 companies around the world and selected dealers, Biesse Group is a multinational leader in technology for the processing of wood, glass, stone, metal and technological materials. Biesse Group seeks to actively promote business ethics and integrity Tweet This! and ensure, in its operations, full compliance with national and international laws and regulations.
This case study is based on the 2019 Sustainability Report by Biesse Group published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ ESG/ sustainability reporting done responsibly means. Essentially, it means: a) identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment, economy and society, and b) measuring, managing and changing.
Abstract
Biesse Group is committed to responsible practices and ethical behaviour, maintaining, when conducting its business, the highest levels of integrity and ethical standards. In order to promote ethical business conduct Biesse Group took action to:
- implement a Code of Conduct
- combat corruption
- respect human rights
- adopt an Antitrust Code
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With this case study you will see:
- Which are the most important impacts (material issues) Biesse Group has identified;
- How Biesse Group proceeded with stakeholder engagement, and
- What actions were taken by Biesse Group to promote ethical business conduct
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What are the material issues the company has identified?
In its 2019 Sustainability Report Biesse Group identified a range of material issues, such as economic performance, employee health and safety, reliability, safety and constant innovation of products and services, customer relationship and customer satisfaction. Among these, promoting ethical business conduct stands out as a key material issue for Biesse Group.
Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) defines the Principle of Stakeholder Inclusiveness when identifying material issues (or a company’s most important impacts) as follows:
Stakeholders must be consulted in the process of identifying a company’s most important impacts and their reasonable expectations and interests must be taken into account. This is an important cornerstone for CSR / sustainability reporting done responsibly.
Key stakeholder groups Biesse Group engages with:
| Stakeholder Group | Method of engagement |
| Trade associations
| · Meetings · Focus groups · Round tables |
| Shareholders and investors | · General meetings of shareholders · Channels of dialogue used by the Group’s Investor Relations Officer · Company visits |
| Customers
| · Events / · Direct customer assistance channels (Biesse Service and Biesse Parts) · Company and manufacturing site (showroom) visits · Invitations to institutional events · Participation at trade fairs and organisation of demonstration events |
| Financial community | · Participation at events, conventions and conferences · Round tables |
| Employees and their families
| · Open day for employees and their families · Channels for the collection of reports of violations of Group regulations · Transparent corporate communication (Corporate intranet) · Round table discussions with unions |
| Suppliers and Trade partners | · Specific meetings · Round tables |
| Sector-specific media and magazines | · Interviews · Corporate presentations · Corporate events and trade fairs · Press conferences or workshops |
| Trade fair organisers | · Participation at trade fairs · Interviews and contacts |
| PA, government entities and control bodies | · Institutional round tables · Formal communications |
| Trade unions | · Periodic meetings · Round tables |
| Locality, local communities and NGOs | · Initiatives to engage with local communities · Dialogue with non-profit organisations for the payment of donations, contributions and sponsorships for sport and culture |
| Universities and research centres | · Workgroups and workshops with university students · Corporate presentations · Career days at partner universities · Partnerships with key universities and schools in Italy and abroad |
How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues
To identify and prioritise material topics Biesse Group engaged with its stakeholders through a survey.
What actions were taken by Biesse Group to promote ethical business conduct?
In its 2019 Sustainability Report Biesse Group reports that it took the following actions for promoting ethical business conduct:
- Implementing a Code of Conduct
- All Biesse Group’s business activities are conducted in line with the Group’s Code of Conduct, in order to ensure full compliance with regulations in force at local, national and international level. The Code of Conduct is the official document that sets out the ethical and behavioural values, commitments and responsibilities to be complied with in the conduct of business affairs by Group companies. Moreover, it governs the body of rights, duties and responsibilities that Biesse expressly assumes in dealings with parties with which it interacts in the conduct of its business activities. The Code of Conduct, together with other documents relating to business ethics and integrity, are available on the Group’s website.
- Combating corruption
- In order to promote and strengthen its commitment to counter corruption, Biesse Group has adopted an Anti-bribery Code of Conduct, which sets out the rules of conduct that all employees and other workers must observe in the conduct of business to ensure compliance with anti-corruption regulations in force. The Code, which has been distributed to all Group companies, has made it mandatory to apply the relevant principles and rules of conduct for the purpose of the reasonable prevention of active and passive and direct or indirect corruption offences involving Italian or foreign private or public persons. Specifically, the document sets out the rules of conduct to be observed in connection with various activities, such as:
- Dealings with the public administration
- Facilitation payments
- Loans to political parties
- Donations
- Sponsorships
- Gifts, presents, hospitality and entertainment
- Dealings with third parties
- As a sign of their commitment to the fight against corruption, in addition to the Code, the Group companies have specific procedures that set out the rules of conduct to safeguard against the risk of public sector corruption associated with state funding, hygiene and safety at work and taxation. Furthermore, as a safeguard against the risk of private bribery, these companies are subject to periodic audit cycles.
- Respecting human rights
- Biesse Group recognises the intrinsic value and rights of every person and is committed to guaranteeing the dignity and professional and personal development of its employees and other workers in the conduct of activities carried out in the name of or on behalf of the Group. For this reason, Biesse Group constantly seeks to ensure safe, fair and non-discriminatory workplaces, in compliance with the relevant national and international regulatory framework, and inspired by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaimed by the United Nations and by the fundamental International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions. In particular, Biesse Group rejects all forms of forced, compulsory or child labour and is committed to not establishing relationships with suppliers that directly or indirectly exploit and use child labour.
- Adopting an Antitrust Code
- Biesse Group has adopted an Antitrust Code to ensure compliance with legislation concerning competition and market protection in the various countries in which it operates. The document is a follow-up to the Code of Conduct and develops, in particular, the section relating to competitive practices, as well as providing guidelines on conduct and omissions that comply with or violate antitrust legislation. Biesse Group firmly believes in lively competition in the various business sectors in which it operates and its aim is to compete in a legitimate, loyal and ethical manner in full compliance with competition protection rules. The rules set out in the document are designed to contribute to correct competitive market dynamics, in order to strengthen competition and the economic efficiency of a free market.
Which GRI Standards and corresponding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been addressed?
The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:
1) Disclosure 205-3 Confirmed incidents of corruption and actions taken
2) Disclosure 206-1 Legal actions for anti-competitive behavior, anti-trust, and monopoly practices
3) Disclosure 412-1 Operations that have been subject to human rights reviews or impact assessments
Disclosure 205-3 Confirmed incidents of corruption and actions taken corresponds to:
- Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
- Targets: 16.5
Disclosure 206-1 Legal actions for anti-competitive behavior, anti-trust, and monopoly practices corresponds to:
- Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
- Targets: 16.3
Disclosure 412-1 Operations that have been subject to human rights reviews or impact assessments does not correspond to any SDG.
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References:
1) This case study is based on published information by Biesse Group, located at the link below. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the report’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original, please revert to the original on the Global Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Disclosure Database at the link:
http://database.globalreporting.org/
2) https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/
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