subject: What Does Corporate Social Responsibility Mean For You? [print this page] Firstly its worth defining the phrase Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for all those that dont know or have heard of it but are not sure how it works in practice. CSR, also known as Corporate Responsibility is defined by the UK Government as how [a] business takes account of its economic, social and environmental impacts in the way it operates maximising the benefits and minimising the downsides . It is a theory and a way of thinking that when implemented with true belief, passion and enthusiasm can benefit both the business in question and the wider society.
The word corporate in the phrase Corporate Social Responsibility can be misleading because the theory applies to businesses of all sizes and not just those that are large and seen as corporate. CSR is a way of thinking, it is a shift in attitude from simply operating a business which takes and makes money and never gives back, to a business which creates and sustains a relationship with the society and economy which supports and sustains that business; its all about a two-way understanding of the fact that one would struggle to survive without the other.
Businesses can be afraid of entering into any sort of dialogue with a consumer or entire society for fear of feeling exposed but the age of the internet has really encouraged businesses to open the lines of communication for good and for bad and this has helped consumers to see the human side of businesses and to have a greater understanding of and empathy with how decisions are made. This online communication via the various social media channels allows consumers to feed back on products or services they receive, recommending these (or not) to other potential customers and allows businesses to offer incentives and schemes that benefit the local community as well as their profit margins. The other potential barrier to successful CSR is time, as with all businesses, time is money and when the returns arent immediate or obviously monetary it can be difficult to justify the manpower needed to make it work.
But these potential barriers are only barriers for the short-sighted because CSR can offer any business an incredibly easy way to engage with their society, give back and at the end of the day improve their bottom line and once the processes are set up and in place maintaining CSR practices is relatively quick and simple. Companies of all sizes across the UK are already making a huge success of CSR practices and in doing so increasing their brand awareness and broadening their consumer base; the two things that expensive advertising and marketing campaigns aim to do. The main ways to practice CSR are: to use responsible suppliers, in other words those who follow environmentally friendly practices as well as treat their workers fairly; engage with the local community and understand how your business affects in both positively and negatively and go beyond simply following best practices and government guidelines when it comes to treating your workers right and minimising the damage done to the environment.
CSR can take the form of education and opportunities for young people and those with little access to a better future; it can take the shape of campaigning for human rights, animal welfare and a smaller carbon footprint, it can be anything that makes a positive difference to peoples lives and thats why its something that doesnt just apply to big corporations but to independent businesses and individuals within a community.
by: Paul Davies
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