Ch. 3 - Ethics & Social Responsibility

LVMH is committed to creating diversity within the group. LVMH recognizes the influence they have on consumers; sparking a sense of pleasure solely equated from the imagery they use from luxury. They are aware they have a responsibility to act as an exemplary corporate citizen. Their practices "comply with the most exacting standards of integrity, responsibility and respect for all stakeholders, everyday and everywhere around the world." With this, they have created the following:

EllesVHM:
In November 2009, the LVMH group announced several noteworthy commitments:
- Increase the number of women on executive committees
- Ensure greater representation in succession plans for influential positions
- Develop networking actions through forums, allowing women at every level to exchange experiences with one another
- Establish a committee to support the development of women high potentials
The same year, LVMH reaffirmed its commitment to women with a striking photo exhibition that showcased the wealth and diversity of women and the work they do throughout the Group.

Internships and Equal Opportunity:
LVMH is a signatory of the International Global Pact, the French Diversity Charter, and the French Charter of Corporate Commitment for equal opportunity in Education.
These commitments are implemented with concrete measures by the Human Resources Departments of the Houses through a systematic review of recruitment practices in order to make the process more objective.

In partnership with the French association "Nos Quartiers ont des Talents", an equal opportunity advocate, Group companies sponsor young graduates from underserved areas.
LVMH is a signatory of the "Apprenticeship Charter", and has expanded its internship programs to help more young people complete their degrees. The Group welcomed over 500 interns in France in 2008.

Equal Opportunity for People with Disabilities:
LVMH's proactive initiatives to encourage employment of people with disabilities reflect priorities at the human, business and managerial levels. To coordinate and energize this commitment, the LVMH "Handicap Mission" was created in 2007.
With the active involvement of over 30 Group companies, this structure acts as a powerful driver to promote the employment of people with disabilities.
The "Handicap Mission" provides operational support for Human Resources managers to facilitate the hiring and long-term employment of people with disabilities. It also expands sourcing relationships with sheltered workshops.

In 2008 LVMH signed an agreement with AGEFIPH, a French agency for employment of workers with disabilities. The Group has made firm commitments covering integration, e-recruitment, training and career development for people with disabilities.
The Handicap Mission has notably worked with Guerlain and the Spa Guerlain on the Champs-Elysées, developing a two-fold initiative. Employees receive disability awareness training and Spa staff get special training in welcoming customers with disabilities.

In April 2011, Bernard Arnault, chairman of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, traveled to Washington to receive the Corporate Citizenship award from the Woodrow Wilson International Center of Scholars. The tribute was to commemorate Arnault's work with the company. He received a high praise from President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, in addition to a video toast from Marc Jacobs and performance by U2. In an article written by Women's Wear Daily they stated:

"In his acceptance speech, Arnault underscored the importance of social responsibility and a strong moral code to the success of his business of luxury and fine living. As WWD reports, Arnault said:"

“Tonight, you do not just honor me. What you honor with this special award is a commitment of more than 80,000 people with a unique ambition to delight the world, to beautify our universe and to inspire the spirit of our times. Included in these today is the idea that corporations are also citizens with social responsibilities, a concept that I think of as distinctly American. I’m proud to say that we have adopted this principle at LVMH and we apply it not just at home in France, but around the world.”

As I mentioned in the Strategic Planning section, the damage control Arnault underwent to preserve the Dior brand did not go unnoticed. In the article by WWD, they added:

"It is perhaps with that dedication to responsibility that Arnault handled the controversy surrounding John Galliano's anti-semitic rants caught on video: The company fired the Dior designer swiftly and definitively, despite the industry's infatuation with the designer's talent."

LVMH continues to recognize their roll in society. They are aware they have a social and corporate responsibility to act as an exemplary corporate citizen. Using this to their advantage they continue to create jobs, encourage diversity, give back, and mostly, respect the influence they have as a company.