Case study: How HP uses its technology, capital, and resources to create opportunities in underserved communities
Operating in 170 countries and territories around the globe, and believing that action should be taken to address key challenges facing humanity, including creating opportunities for everyone, HP tries to create opportunities in underserved communities Tweet This!, not least through capacity building, by means of a range of partnerships and collaborations, using its technology, capital, and resources.
This case study is based on the 2015 Sustainability Report by HP published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate that CSR/ sustainability reporting done responsibly is achieved by identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment and stakeholders and by measuring, managing and changing.
Partnering with governments, nonprofits and educational institutes to create opportunities – above all economic opportunities – in underserved communities, providing free skills courses and access to capital, is a key priority for HP. In order to use its technology, capital, and resources to create opportunities in underserved communities HP took action to:
- provide business and IT skills through e-learning
- collaborate to develop opportunities and skills in Myanmar
- provide access to capital for low-income entrepreneurs
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With this case study you will see:
- Which are the most important impacts (material issues) HP has identified;
- How HP proceeded with stakeholder engagement, and
- What actions were taken by HP to use its technology, capital, and resources to create opportunities in underserved communities
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What are the material issues the company has identified?
In its 2015 Sustainability Report HP identified a range of material issues, such as product life cycle management, labor practices in supply chain, privacy, product energy efficiency, anti-corruption, data and product security, responsible paper sourcing. Among these, using its technology, capital, and resources to create opportunities in underserved communities stands out as a key material issue for HP.
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 HP engages with:
| Stakeholder Group |
| Employees |
| Suppliers |
| Customers |
| Peer companies |
| Public policy makers |
| Industry bodies |
| Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) |
| Sector experts |
How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues
In 2015, to identify and prioritize material issues, develop its sustainability strategy and set goals, HP conducted a materiality assessment and, in collaboration with BSR, interviewed key stakeholders, taking into consideration the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) G4 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines.
What actions were taken by HP to use its technology, capital, and resources to create opportunities in underserved communities?
In its 2015 Sustainability Report HP reports that it took the following actions for using its technology, capital, and resources to create opportunities in underserved communities:
- Providing business and IT skills through e-learning
- HP’s global e-learning program, HP LIFE (Learning Initiative for Entrepreneurs), equips students, would-be entrepreneurs and small businesses with essential business and IT skills, free of charge. Offered in 7 languages and used in over 200 countries and territories, HP LIFE:
- has reached around 580,000 registered users
- includes a wide range of e-learning microcourses in marketing, finance, operations and other key business areas
- is accessible 24/7
- Collaborating to develop opportunities and skills in Myanmar
- HP, in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, BSR, and VinaCapital’s Lotus Impact fund, launched the ADEPT (Advancement and Development through Entrepreneurship Programs and Training) program in Myanmar, to provide, through ADEPT learning centers using HP technology, entrepreneurship opportunities and skills, as well as capacity building.
- Providing access to capital for low-income entrepreneurs
- Partnering with Kiva, a nonprofit microlender, the Hewlett-Packard Company Foundation launched the ‘Matter to a Million’ employee engagement program, enabling, by means of a $25 credit received, every Hewlett-Packard Company employee to support, through a loan, Kiva borrowers (small business owners, farmers, shopkeepers in over 80 countries). More than 152,000 Hewlett-Packard Company employees participated in the program, and over 345,000 loans were provided.
Which GRI indicators/Standards have been addressed?
The GRI indicator addressed in this case is: G4-EC8: Significant indirect economic impacts, including the extent of impacts and the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 203-2 Significant indirect economic impacts
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References:
1) This case study was compiled using published information by HP which is located at the link below. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses but 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 following link:
http://h20195.www2.hp.com/V2/GetDocument.aspx?docname=c05154920 (July 2016)
2) http://www.fbrh.co.uk/en/global-reporting-initiative-gri-g4-guidelines-download-page
3) https://g4.globalreporting.org/Pages/default.aspx
4) https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/
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