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eBay Inc. is proving to be a company that delivers on its promises. With more than 33,000 employees worldwide, the e-commerce giant isn’t naïve about its two-decade span of influence on both society and the global economy. In its very first Social Innovation annual update, eBay Inc. successfully demonstrated its commitment following a series of goals set last June to fuel shareholder value and pursue a three-year, long-term series of objectives to create positive societal and environmental change.
“We’ve long believed in eBay Inc.’s capacity to drive both shareholder value and positive social and environmental change—it’s not just off to the side, it’s built into what we do every day,” said Lauren Moore, head of Global Social Innovation for eBay Inc. “Our Social Innovation efforts formalize this sense of purpose that’s been here from the start and provide a framework to understand our impact. And as shareholder value is increasingly measured in more ways than just purely financial gain, we believe our Social Innovation efforts will continue to position us for sustainable growth over the short and long term.”
The company has also encouraged environmental responsibility by lowering the impact of its shipping operations, promoting the use of sustainable packaging materials and optimizing modes of transportation within its shipping networks.
Another significant outcome of eBay Inc.'s Social Innovation efforts last year was the creation of its first company-wide Supplier Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, which requires suppliers to adhere to conduct that includes integrity in environmental, labor and human rights regulations.
Internally, eBay Inc’s goals are becoming intrinsic to the nature of its corporate culture. According to the report, 7,855 employees were engaged in at least one of the company's social innovation programs. Employees were engaged in a variety of skills-based volunteer activities in addition to providing critical community needs such as tree planting, park cleanups and building homes for families in need.
“While I’m excited by our progress to date, I’m most proud of our approach—using our unique business model to make meaningful, lasting progress in areas and in ways that make sense given our specific resources and focus as a company. I’m beginning to see more companies start to move in this direction and I hope we can be an inspiration for even more to do the same,” says Moore.
Learn more about eBay Inc’s approach to social innovation and their successes in 2013 by downloading its annual update here.
Image courtesy eBay, Inc.
Sherrell Dorsey is a social impact storyteller, social entrepreneur and advocate for environmental, social and economic equity in underserved communities. Sherrell speaks and writes frequently on the topics of sustainability, technology, and digital inclusion.