Analysis Of General Structure Of GRI 4 Based Reports

In this exercise, we chose three major GRI based reports of three Finnish big-brand companies as below:

• Finnair, a national aviation company in Finland
• Paulig, a manufacturing-coffee company in Finland
• Nokia, one of the most prominent Finnish companies in a telecommunication domain.

Through a brief look at these reports, there are several key points needed to take into consideration while mentioning about the general structures of the GRI 4 reporting style. To be precise, first and foremost, there is an introduction part commencing in each report. Apparently, this illustrates basic information of the companies about their brands, strategies and especially key industries those have been emphasizing and developing. CEO’s review is the following minor part and this is considered as the least important part, but it also clarifies how successful the operations of companies have been implementing in a previous period and what the future goals should be to gain new mighty achievements.

From our perspectives, one of the most crucial parts of the GNI 4-based reports is to demonstrate data and figures of sustainability based on different indexes, particularly, those regularly emphasize on performances of three key areas needed to take into consideration in a long-term development, environment; society and economic situation. Thanks to these indicators, not only these three Finnish companies but also many other ones are able to navigate potential risks existing in their operational processes and find out solutions to mitigate those completely. Then, the information of management systems within the organizations would be definitely illustrated in the GRI 4-based reports due to the fact that readers are able to catch insight understanding how the power decentralization of a board of directions till under-managed departments are as well as how effectively the companies co-operate and treat with their key stakeholders such as suppliers, shareholders, customers, etc.

Last but not least, there are two slightly minor critical parts that most of the GNI 4- based reports of many prominent global enterprises frequently encompass, GRI G4 content index and Assurance Report. Specifically, the former is considered as a table of contents related to the important standardized dimensions of the Global Reporting Initiative organization while the latter regularly indicates responsibilities of the organizations’ business practices by commitments to complying strictly with various principles and requirements enacted by many trust-worthy auditors who are responsible for providing basic frameworks to the companies towards sustainability alignments. To recapitulate, this description clarifies clearly the total structures of the GNI 4-based report. Nonetheless, a general key point of this reporting style is to demonstrate key performance indicators (KPI) of the companies’ operations regarding the main notable standards concentrated by the Global Reporting Initiative (GNI).

We would have to say that we preferred to read the Annual Report 2016 of the Finnair company due to numerous different reasons. First of all, based on the general structures mentioned previously, the company successfully illustrated its performance situations in different aspects by different certain sufficient information as well as indicators to clarify what their strengths ,weaknesses in the previous period and particularly, its final outcomes and business strategies towards the long-term development in the near future. Apparently, the report included numerous impressive charts, tables, data, statistics, images and references of crucial-role individuals in the company, helping the readers locate and catch insight understanding the performance indicators and how importantly those contributed to the common successes of the company. Besides, procedures of each figure were relatively clear and appropriately arranged, hence, we were able to gradually keep up with the information that the company put into this report. In a further point of view, due to suitable arrangements of the report’ structures, our group witnessed how the company’ operations had been conducted in compliance with the key principles of the Global Reporting Initiative. Precisely, Finnair set up the clear strategies and alignments towards the constantly sustainable responsibilities. Indeed, the company targeted concentrating on enhancing revenues and profits through a value-creation orientation. By this measure, the company endeavored to improve customer experiences when going on-board by leveraging quality of services, constantly predicting desires beforehand and seeking approaches to meet those needs promptly. Besides, expertise and know-how in the customer service field have been also increased day-by-day due to the increases of innovatively new training programs and recruiting methods, ensuring that internal factors had adequate abilities to avoid unexpected uncertainties. Moreover, digitalization was also a powerful tool that assists the company to enhance the customer services as well as compatibility of certain internal networking systems and facilities. Additionally, the company also paid high attention to megatrends, “The shift in economic and political power to Asia, Urbanization, Technological development and Sustainability”, which reflects how consumer behaviors of the company’s core customer groups have been changing, and considered these as key elements to create supportive fuels to promote the prime processes smoothly, effectively, and implement new business directions to adapt the increasingly regular changes of the market environments. Therefore, Finnair also knew that they should have innovated itself not only to comply with the particular organizational principles but also save the entire company out of obsolescence and losing market shares in an aviation industry. Furthermore, the company also seek the solutions to implement its business practices towards impact reductions of three major key areas of the GRI 4 model.

To be precise, in terms of the economical point of view, Finnair always strived to bring more values to its shareholders by increasing the number of dividends and regularly report the financial statements in transparency and assurance. It was reported that in 2016, the company had been recognized as a responsible taxpayer due to its sufficient figures of tax-paying clarification. With regards to the environmental issues, Finnair was responsible for reporting adequately its environmental impacts and had numerous approaches to protect environment such as replacement of flight fleets with less-fuel-consumption, constant developments of finding out new ways to reduce flight emissions and noises, regular campaigns of saving-energy purposes, etc. From the social perspective, Finnair organized regular meetings to communicate closely with suppliers and built the distinctive policies to align the suppliers’ performances towards sustainability as well. Moreover, within the company’s workplace, Finnair encouraged harmony, friendliness among members and has been providing subordinates with convenient facilities and the comprehensive policies to protect their rights, discrimination is highly prohibited in the Finnair’s culture.