Principle of Environmental Responsibility by the International Olympic Committee - Case Study Example

The paper 'Principle of Environmental Responsibility by the International Olympic Committee " is a good example of a management case study. Large events have the potential to bring about detrimental environmental effects on their hosting site and locality. An event like the FIFA world cup, the Olympics, and many non-sporting events bring a sudden influx of hundreds of thousands of people into one locality or country. In the last three decades, the events industry has been growing rapidly and attendance of events has also increased. Event organizers are now more aware of the potential negative effects of events on the environment. Organizers can however apply a number of measures to minimise the negative effects of the sheer numbers of people invading a place at once. The sheer size of events like the Olympics means that their potential negative effect on the environment is devastating. With many concerts, sporting events, and festivals exceeding fifty thousand attendants how they impact the environment has become an important consideration. It has come to be acknowledged that the cost of ignoring the environment while planning for events may be larger than any expenses incurred in incorporating environmental concerns in event planning.

Ethical sourcing of products used at events is another principle of business stewardship that event organizers should factor into their planning. Ethical sourcing is concerned with obtaining supplies from manufacturers who comply with human rights standards. Ethical sourcing and procurement mean that event organizers desist from dealing with suppliers who violate labour and safety standards, ignore environmental responsibility, or are not socially responsible. However, Ethical sourcing and procurement are meant to mainly protect vulnerable workers from exploitation during the manufacture of products used in events.

This paper deals with the application of the business stewardship principles of Environmental responsibility, and Ethical sourcing and procurement in the events industry. It first discusses the importance of applying the principle of Environmental responsibility in the events industry. Similarly, the second section outlines the importance of ethical sourcing and procurement when purchasing supplies for events. Thirdly, the paper analyzes the application of the principle of environmental responsibility by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It also analyzes the failure and successes of the ethical sourcing initiative at the London 2012 Olympics. It also outlines the effort of several football clubs in the UK to minimize the environmental footprints of their events.