Corporate Social Responsibility

1. An introduction to: Corporate Social Responsibility

2. Objectives for this session: At the end of this session, you should be able to identify and describe: • A definition for CSR • Reasons for having a CSR programme • Objections to CSR • What makes a CSR programme • How a CSR programme is communicated • Principles of reporting for CSR • Some alternative viewpoints on CSR

3. What is: Corporate Social Responsibility?

4. Also known as: Corporate Citizenship Corporate Responsibility Responsible Business

5. Definition: “Specifically, we see CSR as the voluntary actions that business can take, over and above compliance with minimum legal requirements, to address both its own competitive interests and the interests of wider society.” Source: www.csr.gov.uk

6. Why CSR? • Consumers & investors: growing expectation for organisations to behave responsibly • Consumer awareness: ‘Green’ and ‘Ethical’ consumerism • Legislation: H&S, EPA, Sustainability, Codes of Practice • Globalisation: Adoption of ‘Best Practice’, Consumer & Legal Acceptance.

7. Business advantages of CSR: Human Resources • Recruitment, retention and morale of Staff Risk Management • Investment in ‘ethical brand equity’ • ‘Greenwash’ effect? Brand Differentiation • As USP • Build brand loyalty • Reputation and brand attractiveness

8. Business advantages of CSR: Business Development • New markets, products and services Resources Management • Better management and conservation of strategic assets Stakeholder Management • Better internal and external relationships • Freedom of operation: reduce government, public, NGO intervention in organisation

9. Corporate Social Responsibility: adds value

10. Why not CSR? • May take management focus away from core business activity • May appear cosmetic – without genuine social benefit • May make organisation more vulnerable to revelation of bad / unethical business practice • A restriction to free trade?

11. Economist, Milton Friedman says: “The social responsibility of business is to increase its profits.” “What does it mean to say that "business" has responsibilities? Only people can have responsibilities.” “…in a free society there is one and only one social responsibility of business – to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within the rules of the game, which is to say, engages in open and free competition without deception or fraud."

12. Some of the most common ways in which CSR is demonstrated: • Specialist ‘adopted’ projects • Corporate charitable donations • Voluntary schemes for staff • Staff fundraising activities • Changes to organisational operations

13. The four components of CSR: • Economic • Legal • Ethical • Discretionary

14. Communicating Corporate Social Responsibility

15. General values statement • Organisations should develop a general values statement which reflects their stance towards CSR • This may form part of a more comprehensive Mission Statement • Should define ethical framework that guides the accomplishment of the overall mission of an organization within a society

16. Example: Organisational Focus JP Morgan Chase

17. Example: Environmental Focus Coca Cola

18. Example: Customer Focus Home Depot

19. Example: Employee Focus Johnson and Johnson

20. Example: Stakeholder Focus Credit Suisse United Technologies

21. Example: Social Focus Bristol-Myers Squibb

22. Reporting CSR: CSR projects may be administered and communicate achievements via: • A dedicated CSR section or department • The HR department • Business development section • Public Relations department • Directly via CEO and / or Board of Directors

23. Reporting Formats:The ‘Triple Bottom Line’ This means expanding the traditional reporting framework to take into account performance in terms of: • Social (People) • Environmental (Planet), as well as • Financial (Profit)

24. Reporting Formats:The ‘Triple Bottom Line’ • Concept developed by John Elkington in 1994 • Expects organisations to be responsible to ‘stakeholders’ interests rather than ‘shareholders’ profit • Related concepts: • Full-cost accounting • Social entrepreneurialism • Social and natural capital

25. Other sources for CSR reporting: ‘Sustainability Guidelines’ developed by the Global Reporting Initiative (www.globalreporting.org) SA800 certification developed by the international human rights organisation Social Accountability International. (www.sa-intl.org)

26. Other sources for CSR reporting: The Green Globe programme for ‘benchmarking, certification and performance improvement’, based on Agenda 21 proposals from the 1992 Rio Earth Summit (www.greenglobe.org) ISO 14000 international environmental management standards (www.14000.org)

27. Other sources for CSR reporting: The United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) framework and mechanism designed to encourage businesses to adopt CSR policies (www.unglobalcompact.org) The FTSE 4 Good Index – measures the performance of companies who meet globally recognised CSR standards. (www.ftse.com/Indices/FTSE4Good_Index_Series)

28. Alternative sources of information: www.corpwatch.org www.naomiklein.org

29. In conclusion: In this session we have looked at: • What is CSR • Why CSR is likely to be come more widely adopted • The business case for CSR • The Value Statement (Customer, Employee, Stakeholder and Social focus) • Reporting and Accountability options for CSR including the ‘Triple Bottom Line’ concept • CSR and social criticism of international organisations