CIPS L5M2 Exam - Topic 5 Question 59 Discussion

Actual exam question for CIPS's L5M2 exam

Question #: 59
Topic #: 5

Company X is a large manufacturer of cosmetics and household products. It operates in 57 different countries and has large and complex supply chains. The brand's popularity is partly due to the cheap price of the products compared with its competitors and Company X has recently discovered that child labour has been used within its supply chain. In response to this Company X has donated a large amount of money to charity. What is this an example of?

Acorporate social responsibility

Bgreenwashing

Ctriple bottom line thinking

Dbusiness continuity planning

Show Suggested Answer

Suggested Answer: B

This is Greenwashing. Greenwashing is the process of using a good deed to cover up unethical responsibility. See p. 45. In this example Company X has thrown some money at a charity in order to cover up the fact it has child labour issues within the supply chain. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwashing

by Amber at Jul 11, 2025, 01:11 PM

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Delmy

7 months ago

Totally agree, it's just a PR move.

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Magda

7 months ago

Donating money doesn't fix the child labor issue.

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Mica

7 months ago

Company X operates in 57 countries.

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Belen

7 months ago

Wait, they found child labor? That's surprising!

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Micheline

7 months ago

Sounds like greenwashing to me!

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Billi

8 months ago

I remember discussing the triple bottom line in class, but I don't think that's the right fit here. It seems more focused on social responsibility.

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Loreta

8 months ago

This reminds me of a practice question we did on ethical business practices. I feel like the answer is A, but I’m a bit confused about the other options.

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Kati

8 months ago

I'm not so sure, but it could also be seen as greenwashing if they're just donating money to look good without making real changes.

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Alyce

8 months ago

I think this might be corporate social responsibility since they are trying to address a serious issue in their supply chain.

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Veronica

8 months ago

This is a good example of why it's important to understand the key definitions and differences between concepts like CSR, greenwashing, and triple bottom line. I'm going to review my notes on those topics before answering.

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Rosann

9 months ago

I'm a little confused by this question. The details about the company's cheap prices and complex supply chains don't seem directly relevant to the answer. I'll have to re-read the question carefully and think about which concept best fits the situation described.

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Trina

9 months ago

Okay, let me think this through step-by-step. The company discovered child labor in its supply chain and then donated to charity. That sounds like a corporate social responsibility initiative to address the issue. I'll go with option A.

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Jani

9 months ago

Hmm, I'm a bit unsure about this one. The question mentions child labor, which makes me think it could be about greenwashing or triple bottom line thinking as well. I'll have to carefully consider each option.

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Rosamond

9 months ago

This seems like a pretty straightforward question about corporate social responsibility. I'm confident I can identify the correct answer here.

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Rory

11 months ago

I see your point, Kristofer. It's important for Company X to address the root cause of the issue rather than just donating money.

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Kristofer

11 months ago

But could this also be seen as a form of greenwashing, trying to cover up their unethical practices?

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Carlee

11 months ago

Haha, business continuity planning? What, are they planning to just keep the child labor and hope no one finds out next time?

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Stephaine

10 months ago

C) triple bottom line thinking

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Inocencia

10 months ago

B) greenwashing

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Sherell

10 months ago

A) corporate social responsibility

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Terrilyn

10 months ago

A) corporate social responsibility

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Belen

11 months ago

I agree with Tori, Company X is trying to make up for using child labour.

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Tori

11 months ago

I think this is an example of corporate social responsibility.

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Kimi

11 months ago

Triple bottom line thinking? Maybe, but it seems more like they're just trying to salvage their reputation after getting caught using child labor.

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Ernie

11 months ago

A) corporate social responsibility

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Corrinne

11 months ago

Hmm, I'm not so sure. Donating money to charity feels a bit like greenwashing to me - a way to distract from the real issue rather than actually fixing it.

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Brynn

10 months ago

C) triple bottom line thinking

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Jeannetta

11 months ago

B) greenwashing

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Freeman

11 months ago

A) corporate social responsibility

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Becky

12 months ago

Definitely corporate social responsibility. Company X is taking action to address the issue of child labor in their supply chain, even if it's a bit late.

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Deonna

11 months ago

Definitely corporate social responsibility. Company X is taking action to address the issue of child labor in their supply chain, even if it's a bit late.

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Marjory

11 months ago

A) corporate social responsibility

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