Case study: Grupa Żywiec Social Report

“It is important for us to put ourselves in the position of the stakeholders, to understand what their expectations are.”

Justyna Piszczeck  CSR Manager,  Grupa Żywiec,  Poland


Grupa Żywiec Social Report –
building a stakeholder approach

Increasingly, consumers and corporate stakeholders around the world are demanding more credible, accurate and transparent information from companies. In response to this global trend, Grupa Żywiec – Heineken’s operating company in Poland – published its first-ever Social Report in 2007, offering detailed information on the company’s structure, its vision and values, as well as a wide range of social responsibility projects initiated by the company.

“This type of publication is quite unique for Poland, as many companies do not actively report this kind of information,” says Justyna Piszczeck, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager at Grupa Żywiec. “Last year, only around twenty of such reports were published in Poland. Grupa Żywiec bases all its activities on the three fundamental values shared across the Heineken Group: respect for people and the environment in which we operate, a passion for the quality of our products and the enjoyment we bring to life through the activities we support. The publication of our Social Report demonstrates, on the basis of concrete examples, that the company’s actions are in line with its policies.”

The Grupa Żywiec Social Report took about five months to compile. A crucial step in the production process was defining the objectives of the publication and determining what type of content would be included. “It was vitally important for us to put ourselves in the position of the stakeholders, to understand what their expectations might be,” Piszczeck continues. “As a result, our report focuses on tangible, measurable activities which have been implemented in the past, initiatives which clearly demonstrate our commitment to the environment in which we operate. Grupa Żywiec is determined not only to be a market leader in terms of its business objectives; the company wants to set an example for other enterprises in terms of its relations with the customers, business partners, employees and shareholders.”