Holiday Inn 2013 Annual Report Download - page 33

Commitment to responsible
business practices
Responsible business is part of IHG’s DNA and is at the heart of
everything we do. Doing the right thing in the right way enables us to
make a positive contribution to the communities where we operate and
gives us a competitive edge by enhancing and protecting the reputation
of our brands. It also ensures that we act in a manner which is mutually
beneficial for our business, and all of our stakeholders, employees,
guests, corporate customers and owners, who are also increasingly
considering whether the businesses they interact with, share their
values and act responsibly. It also helps us deliver profitable growth and
create shared value, thereby ensuring that we are preferred by guests,
employees and owners in the long term.
This is why, for us, our commitment to responsible business practices is
an essential part of our Disciplined Execution and underpins our strategy.
For IHG, responsible business comprises five key elements (explained
below), all of which assist us in seizing the opportunities behaving
responsibly gives us to innovate, protect the environment, creating job
opportunities and help foster community resilience. We therefore not only
have specific responsible business KPIs, but our responsible business
practices are also an important driver to both the Employee Engagement
and Guest HeartBeat KPIs.
Our KPIs are set out on pages 38 and 39.
The principal risks associated with Reputation and brand protection
are set out on pages 36 and 37.
Governance and leadership
Our Chairman, the Board and its Committees provide a strong leadership and
governance structure, promoting responsible business behaviours by maintaining
high standards of corporate governance, corporate responsibility, internal controls
and risk management and compliance with law and regulation.
Information on our Board and governance processes can be found on pages 56 to 73.
Trusted preferred brands
We ensure that we have a reputation for delivering a consistent and superior guest
experience, providing a safe and secure environment and proactively engaging with
our communities. Our brands are valuable assets and doing business responsibly
enhances their reputation, building trust and brandpreference.
Information on our brands can be found on pages 17 and 20 and information on our approach
towards health, safety and security can be found on page 35.
People
A core part of beinga responsible business is our commitment to ensuring that the
actions ofall those working at IHG maintain and enhance our trusted reputation by
operatingan ethical business. To help our people put this ethos into practice we
continually keep under reviewour internal programmes, policiesand training.
Information on our people strategy can be found on pages 21 to 23 and internal programmes,
policies and training on page 32.
Delivery
We have in place an effective system of internal controls and risk management to
identify, assess, prioritise and mitigate risks to our business, guests and employees
and enable us to achieve our shared objectives, which is an essential part of being a
responsible business.
Information on our risk management practices and systems of internal controls can be found on
pages 34 to 37 and 70.
Corporate Responsibility (CR)
Our three flagship CR programmes – IHG Green Engage, IHG Academy and IHG
Shelter in a Storm Programme – aim to proactively manage the environmental impacts
of our operations, to provide people skills and job opportunities in the communities
where we operate and to support our hotels, colleagues, guests and communities in
times of disaster.
Information on our approach to CR can be found on page 32.
Our responsible business
practicescomprise:
Strategic Report 31
OVERVIEW STRATEGIC REPORT GOVERNANCE
GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
PARENT COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION