Social
& Ethical Accountability Model (SEAM)
continued
The model
An
organisation carrying out its business interacts and forms
relationships with other organisations and with other people. These
relationships are often complex and may be confused.
The type
of relationship varies depending on the type of business being
carried out. For example the retailer's relationship with a regular
customer will be different to their relationship with say, a
visiting tourist.
 These relationships can be major or
minor, complex or simple, permanent or temporary, and all variations
in between. These relationships are two way, and can be
multi-faceted.
Four quadrants form the model, into which all
internal and external relationships can be placed. The quadrants are
consumer, supplier, employee and owner.
The complex nature of
the relationships between these quadrants means that a person or
organisation can be in one or more of these types of the
relationships at the one time.
For example a member of a
trading co-operative can be a consumer of goods, a supplier of
produce and a part owner of the co-operative.
To enable a
greater understanding of the nature of the relationship, a model
known as a Relationship Map has been developed. This shows the
interaction between the parties, and allows a dissection to occur
and the complex streams to be analysed.
The four principles of SEAM
The
Social and Ethical Accountability Model (SEAM) is based on the
following principles.
Identity
The identity of an
organisation is different to the identity of its owners.
When
more than one person is involved in an organisation, the
organisation becomes an entity in its own right, and assumes
characteristics that are different to the sum of the
individuals.
Values
The key stakeholders
determine the nature and scale of an organisations
impact.
All organisations have a set of values that drive
their behaviour. These values are not always shared and not always
documented, but a set of values is always practiced.
Impact
An organisation has
values, and those values, through the organisations culture, direct
its behaviour.
While the major impacts of an organisation are
often through their products and services, they have many other ways
of affecting their relationships with their
stakeholders.
Determination
An organisation
impacts society (directly or indirectly) in more ways than through
its products and services.
Control of an organisation's
impact is vested with the key stakeholders by virtue of the
decisions they choose to make, choose not to make, or of which they
have no knowledge.
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