Corporate Social Responsibility
“Minor Corporate Social Responsibility is blended into all Minor business decisions and day to day activities. It is a fundamental part of Minor’s DNA.
Minor’s CSR responsibility to all stakeholders is to deliver 100% satisfaction.
With this commitment, we believe in good corporate governance and transparency through high quality products and services.
We care for our employees and develop them as our greatest asset.
We voluntarily engage in community development at all our business locations.
We care for our local and global environment.
Our focus is to “Develop Human Capital at all levels”, because Corporate Social Responsibility is all about the quality of people.
Our employees manage our businesses with Minor Passion to achieve three objectives including “Profit, People, and Planet”.
We believe sustainable business development comes through our Minor CSR Philosophy:
“MY PEOPLE … MY PLANET … MINOR”
MY PEOPLE
We believe that “human capital” is the most important factor supporting national competitiveness and well-being. Minor works in partnership with various government agencies such as the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, the Ministry of Education, the National Council for Child and Youth Development, and the Office of The National Economic and Social Development Board in the development of national strategies and policies with a focus on “children & youth development”. We support “People Development” at all levels.
At the grassroots level, we help students in disadvantaged schools develop basic learning ability through a program called “Life Value, Life Style, and Life Skill.”
Our Wat Bot School Project is a program that Minor volunteers developed together with monks, teachers and students. Our support for this program ranges from building recreational areas to renovating dormitories and school facilities. We also partner with Non-Governmental Organizations (“NGOs”) and academic professionals to create programs that help children realize and develop their own potential through sports, music, art and agriculture.
At the Baannongkham School in Prachaup Khiri Khan province, we created a child friendly library and involved children in its design. This child learning center has become a model library as recognized by the Ministry of Education. We also support the development of English literacy and computer classes. This school received a number of awards for both English and IT literacy.
At the Huybong School in Utai Thani province, Minor volunteers spent one full day turning an old school into a modern learning center. Minor volunteers renovated kindergarten spaces and classrooms as well as the school hall, cafeteria and playground. We also provided computers and other equipment to enhance learning. The school is the only school in the area to meet Ministry of Education standards and it has won several awards for education quality and environment.
At the standard education level, we are committed to improving education quality and opportunity for underprivileged children.
Our Roy E. Heinecke Foundation supports less fortunate children of all ages throughout the country who have outstanding records of performance. Each year, the foundation gives scholarships to 449 students. These scholarships support their education from an early learning stage through graduation. In return, students are asked to support projects in their own communities. Since 2000, the foundation has supported thousands of children and many have graduated to earn professional degrees.
Our Book Club Campaign promotes children’s reading habits. For almost 10 years, Minor volunteers have worked with the Ministry of Education in developing child learning through reading. Teachers, parents and children are encouraged to read and together collect Book Club stamps. Once they collect enough stamps, they can win opportunities to eat for free at some of our restaurants. This year, 40,000 students from 200 schools participated in this campaign.
Our English Literacy Campaign with Time Life Books promotes children’s ability to communicate in English. We also work with schools throughout the country as volunteer teachers and we donate books.
At the university level and vocational school level, we provide technical scholarships and assistance for students interested in professional degrees. Our professional employees volunteer and teach in schools and universities.
Our Minor Student Working Program is more than 20 years old and it creates part-time job opportunities for students. Minor hires part-time employees and provides them with opportunities to participate in programs such as Talent Development and Skill Training. These programs focus on developing the skills students need to get jobs in the food and service industries. They also instill positive family and social values in children. We were the first company in Thailand to instigate this Part-Time Youth Employee System.
Our Co-Development Curriculum with Suan Dusit Rajabhat University encourages Minor professionals to work with teachers and share knowledge and best practices. In this program, Minor professionals volunteer to teach classes and students are given an opportunity earn class credit by working in one of our many restaurants, hotels or retail shops. Students gain hands on experience and a chance to participate in training programs and skill competitions. Every year, Minor volunteers help graduate students from Rajabhat Universities prepare themselves to join the work force through our University Exit Orientation program.
At the business level, people development is the central part of our own corporate/business strategy as we know that we must be a learning organization in order to succeed. Every year, we invest in people development through training courses, on-the-job training, academic road shows and talent competitions. We also provide our employees with opportunities to grow within the organization as well as opportunities to volunteer through company CSR programs.
Our Minor CSR Club is the platform where Minor employees are given opportunities to volunteer. Recently, we organized CSR Day to promote CSR Knowledge and the Minor CSR Club.
MY PLANET
We are working to promote greener behavior in our businesses and in our communities. This year, our hotels have won awards for environmental conservation such as Green Leaf and Green Globe.
With “sustainable development” in mind, the Minor Group cares deeply about the community and the environment. We encourage our employees and customers to be concerned about environmental protection through a “rethink, reduce, reuse and recycle” life style. We also continuously contribute to animal and wildlife conservation in ecosystems where we operate.
Environmental preservation at Anantara hotels: Our Anantara Hotel Group has a number of on-going environmental programs and is drawing up new strategies to conserve energy, reduce waste, boost wildlife and enhance its participation in local communities. All Anantara resorts have effective recycling, energy-conservation and waste management programs. Anantara also works with local communities to ensure that people visit in a way that considers the needs to the community and the environment. This year, Anantara will complete an audit of all the measures that are currently being undertaken at its resorts and identify new ways to preserve the environment.
Our Golden Triangle Elephant Foundation in Chiang Rai: This ongoing project offers sanctuary to animals that were being used by poor families to beg on the streets of Thailand’s major cities. Since the ban on logging in Thailand came into effect in 1989, few Thai elephants and their owners (mahouts) have a legitimate purpose. When a mahout is persuaded to bring his elephant to our elephant camp in Chiang Rai, he is usually accompanied by his entire family. Life improves markedly for both the elephant and the family from the moment they arrive. The elephant gets a safe place to stay plus food, shelter and insurance. The mahout and his family get food, housing, medical insurance and schooling for the children. Earlier this year, our camp in Chiang Rai started a cottage industry so that the wives of the mahouts could also earn income. They weave ethnic textiles that are then sold at the hotel gift shop with the women keeping 100% of the profit.
We also organize an annual elephant polo event in Chiang Rai which raises funds that are used to support the health of elephants. The local community also benefits greatly from this event as it supports local tourism. In addition, elephant fodder is purchased regularly from local farmers (each elephant eats 10% of its body weight per day) and six local men have been recruited to train as mahouts.
Our Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation in Phuket provides support for the protection of sea turtles and the environment in which they live. By working closely with local communities, the foundation sponsors activities and events that increase the environmental awareness of tourists, government agencies and communities. We also support sea turtle research and a sea turtle hatchery near our hotels in Phuket. Every year, Minor invites students from schools in Phuket to learn about marine ecology as well as turtle and ocean reef conservation. We also organize several community activities such as Mai Khao Turtle Mini Marathon to raise funds to support the Phuket Marine Biological Center’s turtle rescue and rehabilitation program. We also organize Mai Khao Beach and Reef Cleaning Day which encourages the community, hotel guests, divers, children and Minor volunteers to pick up waste and garbage from the beach and underwater reefs. We also host the annual Turtle Release Event which releases young turtles back to the ocean.
MINOR
Our responsibilities as a corporate citizen are sincerely reflected in our actions and in everything we do. We are conscious of our responsibilities and factor them into all of our business decisions by requiring high standards, codes of conduct, monitoring systems and continuous improvement programs. In our view, corporate social responsibility extends beyond ad hoc philanthropy and is an integral part of our corporate values and corporate culture.
Since the Minor Group was established, we have set high standards for corporate governance while contributing to a variety of social development programs that focus on education, environment, health, and community development. Every business unit, restaurant, hotel, retail outlet and employee is encouraged to act and contribute as a good corporate citizen.
Volunteering is an important part of Minor culture. We encourage our employees to actively volunteer and support the communities where they serve. At the same time, our internal training programs are designed to remind them that our mission is to provide 100% satisfaction to all stakeholders including Customers, Shareholders, Employees, the Community, and the Environment.
Minor Founder’s Day, which occurs every June 4th, allows employees to take a day off to support the charity of their own choice. Every year, the Minor CSR Club selects a charity, a disadvantaged school or a community and encourages all Minor employees to spend a day working as a volunteer. We try to integrate a “Volunteer Spirit” to day to day work and all corporate events such as HR training, corporate outings, team building, marketing events, etc.
Many of Minor’s individual business units independently contribute to the communities where they operate. For example, The Coffee Club is a major supporter of the Children’s Hospitals of Australia. Our Four Seasons in Bangkok started Bangkok’s annual Terry Fox Run 14 years ago and combined with all of the other Four Seasons Resorts in Thailand to sponsor a Cancer Care Run to benefit the Queen Sirikit Center for Breast Cancer. Our Marriott Resorts incorporate our own corporate values and culture while also following Marriott’s own Spirit to Serve philosophy. All of our resorts and restaurants sponsor their own events and endeavor to support the communities where they operate.
Since 2007, we appointed a Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility and he is responsible for helping us better internalize good corporate values, formulate CSR as part of our long term strategy and enhance our abilities to promote sustainable development.
CSR and Sustainable Development in 2010
Performance and Recognition: This year, Minor was recognized in the area of CSR by several organizations and national events.
Among 475 leading listed companies in the Stock Exchange of Thailand, Minor was one of five companies with a market capitalization greater than Baht 10 billion to receive the Corporate Social Responsibility Award.
The American Chamber of Commerce awarded us with “AMCHAM Corporate Social Responsibility Excellence Recognition for 2010” for meeting business objectives and social needs while creating economic benefit and social gain.
In 2010, Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) selected Minor as the role model and presenter for their campaign “Go Green” and “Green Meeting” which promotes greener behavior among MICE businesses.
MINOR’s CSR Activities in 2010
Partnership and Collaboration: In 2010, Minor integrated the “Minor CSR Volunteer Spirit” into all business units in order to make a greater impact, and more importantly, to align the CSR activities across all business units.
Our Together with Love Campaign. In October 2010, Minor organized the “Together with Love” campaign in response to the worst flood disaster Thailand has seen in decades. More than 40 provinces were severely damaged and more than two million households and five million people were affected by the flooding. Minor Group responded quickly by supplying basic necessities and survival sets for affected people in remote communities. Minor Group’s employees volunteered, the company made direct financial donations and our restaurant outlets, hotels and lifestyle shops raised funding from customers, employees to help the flood victims. Minor employees volunteered to pack and deliver supplies through several disaster relief organizations. As part of our long term mission, this “Together with Love” campaign will be our symbol for providing direct help to people in need going forward.
Raising the Bar in CSR, Transforming Business in Thailand: In 2010, Minor partnered with like minded companies to encourage the general public, business community, government agencies and non-profit organizations to promote higher standards of social responsibility. This year, Minor, together with leading listed companies under the CSR Club of the Stock Exchange of Thailand, promoted a variety of CSR activities. In November, the CSR Club, and the Thai Listed Companies Association organized a “National CSR Event” to promote best practices in CSR and to share CSR knowledge and experience with other corporations.
We also take part in developing new national CSR policies. We promote CSR at country and ASEAN levels as a member of CSR committee, under the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security.
We will continue to participate in many of these on-going programs and events while participating in new initiatives that support the communities where we work.
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