Stakeholder Engagement
Toyota Australia's stakeholders are those groups that are affected by, or who affect, the company's operations.
The company's primary stakeholder groups are listed in the table below, along with their key areas of interest/concern and how Toyota Australia is responding to these issues.
| Stakeholder Group | Key Issues | Response and Engagement in 2010/11 |
|---|---|---|
| Employees | Employee satisfaction and job security | Working at Toyota, communication broadcasts and employment programs. |
| Career and professional development | Learning and development programs via Toyota Institute Australia. Read about our Employees. | |
| Customers | Customer service | Customer satisfaction surveys. |
| Product quality | Interaction via dealerships. | |
| Customer Experience Program. | ||
| Business Partners - Dealers | Effects of Great East Japan Earthquake and natural disasters in Australia | Dealer support during natural disasters. |
| Environmental impacts | Dealer Environmental Risk Audit Program and Toyota Environmental Dealership program. | |
| Ongoing development | Dealer training. | |
| Business Partners - Suppliers | Effects of Great East Japan Earthquake and reduced demand | Annual Supplier Conference. |
| Self-reliance | Supplier Development Programs. | |
| Community | Contribution to local community | Local and national community partnerships. |
| Community Sponsorships. | ||
| Government | Ongoing viability of Australian automotive market | Regular interaction on key issues such as production of next generation engine at Altona plant. |
| Written submissions including NPI, EEO and NGERS. | ||
| Toyota Motor Corporation | Efficient operations | Regular liaison on operating issues including product, quality, sales and marketing. |
Community Liaison Committee
Toyota Australia participated in a Community Liaison Committee under its Altona Environment Improvement Plan (EIP) between 2001 and 2009. With the replacement of the EIP by the Environment and Resource Efficiency Planning legislation in Victoria and Toyota Australia moving to its three-year Environment Action Plan, the need for a new approach to community liaison was identified.
In September 2010 Toyota Australia carried out a survey to gauge stakeholders' opinions on its approach and to identify key issues of concern (see below).
In early 2011 a new community liaison strategy was approved. The first step in this strategy is the development of sustainability reporting as a web resource. Further stages of the strategy will be progressively rolled out.
Stakeholder Engagement Survey
Toyota Australia engages with its stakeholders to inform, consult and involve them in Toyota's future plans. In 2010 the company conducted a survey on stakeholder perceptions of Toyota Australia's key issues. Stakeholder groups interviewed included suppliers, government, investors, non-governmental organisations and community representatives. The findings show that:
- 100% agree that Toyota Australia is a business committed to environmental best practice
- 65% ranked Toyota Australia number one automotive company for environmental performance
- 67% believed the uptake of electric vehicles would become mainstream in 10 years
- 75% wanted to hear more from Toyota Australia on its corporate and manufacturing environmental program
- 100% wanted to hear more about Toyota Australia's plans for future low emission vehicle technologies
- In addition to environmental performance, stakeholders think the following issues are important for Toyota: product quality, customer satisfaction, people management and effective governance systems.
The survey highlighted opportunities for improvement which the company is addressing. These opportunities include ensuring that the following issues are communicated more widely among key stakeholder groups:
- The direct and indirect economic impacts that Toyota Australia makes to Australia and to the nation's automotive industry
- The role of hybrid technology in a low carbon future and Toyota's investment in this technology
- Environmental initiatives from the manufacturing plant.
The company is committed to addressing this and has developed this online, interactive sustainability report for its FY11 performance to enable these messages to be communicated more widely.