Free «UnitedHealth Group» Essay Paper

The paradigm of the organizations’ working activities has dramatically changed during the last decades. The matter is that modern businesses are far from dealing solely with the commercial sector. On the contrary, great attention is paid to the issues of environmental and social responsibility that are included into the companies’ business plans and strategies. The statistics show that consideration of the social responsibility is an important for the organizations’ success and prosperity. It is a right step toward the involvement of more customers, expansion of commercial activities, and contribution to the social welfare and environmental protection. In other words, social responsibility programs are new and efficient methods of conducting business, which provide both the company and the surroundings with plenty of benefits.

Social responsibility programs are also marks of the social consciousness and ethical awareness. They witness the readiness of the whole society to consider not only personal profits, but also the general well-being. One of such organizations, which conducts social responsibility programs annually, is the UnitedHealth Group. This company serves as a brilliant example of combing commercial and socially-oriented activities for the sake of the humanity and nature. Interestingly, such an approach helped the company to gain the worldwide popularity and special relevance in its sphere.

Founded in 1977, UnitedHealth Group has undergone a long way toward success. Having started as a small organization, nowadays UnitedHealth Group is one of the most famous and powerful companies in the sphere of managed health care (Terhune 2012). It is specialized in providing different health care services and items with the main purpose of enabling people to live longer and healthier lives. UnitedHealth Group leads global policies, which involve nearly 85 million clients in more than 125 countries. The main aim of the company is to deliver quality, affordable and opportune services. Without doubts, experience management and proper business strategies allow UnitedHealth Group to accomplish this mission.

Starting from 2010, the incomes of UnitedHealth Group continue to increase steadily. In 2011, the company admitted about $5.142 billion in its annual revenue. Such success can be explained by a variety of reasons. However, a great role should be paid to the social factor. Thus, UnitedHealth Group has become the winner in the nominations of “the best health plan provider”, as chosen by the clients.

First of all, it should be mentioned that the prosperity of UnitedHealth Group is explained by its social responsibility programs and orientation in the social sphere. Every year the company prepares its annual reports of social responsibility, which witnesses exclusive activities in the sphere of social and natural protection.

Thus, the company announces that plenty of its employees voluntarily participate in the socially important events and take part in the work of the charitable organizations. Moreover, UnitedHealth Group sponsors the annual cycling events, which help the injured veterans to recover both mentally and physically from the military experiences and traumas. In addition, the company strongly supports the retired US military personnel in the financial terms. In fact, it is noteworthy that the UnitedHealth Group provides great funding to the charitable organizations, which take care of the issues of housing and healthcare.

According to the 2013 report, the UnitedHealth Group has also considerably contributed to the reconstruction of the area struck by the Typhon Haiyan. Last year the company managed to provide approximately a quarter of a million dollars in order to hold the reconstruction works and help the injured people to recover after the disaster. The UnitedHealth Group is also known for its activities in the charitable organizations for children. Recently, the company was rewarded for its exclusive achievements and contributions into the spheres of treatment of diabetes, ADHD, leukemia, autism, speech disorders, and the Down syndrome.

Finally, the UnitedHealth Group finds itself responsible for providing people with the hope and desire to obtain their identity and fulfill their dreams. It struggles for the gender equality, emphasizes the importance of proper education, and encourages people to develop both professionally and socially.

Therefore, it can be seen that the UnitedHealth Group leads a diverse social responsibility program and orients on the general improvement of the living conditions for various groups of people. In my opinion, such a strategy remains beneficial for both the company and its clients. Firstly, the company should provide different kinds of courses or trainings with the main purpose of increasing the social consciousness toward the questions of social integrity, protection and improvement. Very often the UnitedHealth Group’s activities do not find proper feedback or comprehension. The company may change the situation by explaining the importance of its measures and actions taken for the sake of humanity and nature. Besides, such courses may perform great educational and informative functions and contribute to the development of the new attitudes to the environment and society.

Secondly, the UnitedHealth Group may coordinate its efforts with other companies and involve new organizations in the fulfillment of its missions. This step will amplify the positive consequences of different socially-oriented programs and projects and draw public attention to their prominence and significance. In addition, such cooperation will help to double the efforts and start some new projects, orienting on the help for the ill children or homeless people.

Finally, the UnitedHealth Group has supposedly enough capacities and abilities to install a good example for thousands of clients to follow. In such a way, the UnitedHealth Group can inaugurate the new culture and awareness toward the issues of environment and humanism. Its own organization and personnel can contribute to the formation of an eco-friendly and socially responsible image and reputation. Currently, the UnitedHealth Group is using the interviews with its employees as the methods of spreading the information about the benefits of social responsible programs and their impact on the development of the society.

To sum up, social responsibility is one of the essential aspects that modern companies and organizations have to deal with. It is a necessary unit of the new culture and treatment of the individuals and natural surroundings. Social responsibility presupposes the fulfilment of ethical principles, focus on the social needs, and stresses the sharp issues of the contemporary society. With the help of the social responsibility programs, companies become able to increase their commercial activities as well as promote the development of the better living conditions for different classes of people. The UnitedHealth Group is an example of such company, which takes care not only of the material issues, but also considers environmental and social outcomes.