Module 7: Corporate Social Responsibility

• Overview
• Getting Started
• Options for Action
• Advancing Your CSR Program
• Resources and Case Studies

Options for Action

Because corporate social responsibility covers such a broad range of corporate activity, a new CSR program will have to choose a starting point from among many different areas. The following entries are some of the major areas that are currently addressed by social-responsibility programs, but they are by no means exclusive and any project or strategy aimed at growing your company in a more socially and environmentally sustainable manner can be included in a CSR program. Many of these areas have common features and some issues may be covered in multiple action areas.

• The environment. Environmental sustainability projects can be applied to any entity. An office can implement strategies to reduce resource consumption or increase the amount of renewable resources used. Manufacturers may also go further to reduce the environmental impact through a number of different projects. P²AD provides many resources for advancing environmental projects through the P²AD Partnership Program and can provide Technical Assistance resources to companies working on increasing their environmental sustainability.
• Human rights. Human-rights issues have become a greater concern to businesses today with the increasingly global market and outsourcing used by manufacturers and retailers. However, human rights also concern the equal treatment of workers here in Georgia. A CSR program may focus on the human rights of employees in your particular company, or you may focus on supporting other organizations’ programs.
• Workforce/labor rights. Much like human rights, concerns about workforce and labor rights should be addressed not only in your company, but also in the supply chain and vendors of your products. Take measures to provide for equality and diversity in the workforce. Provide programs for the individual advancement of employees and support employee involvement in the community.
• Community involvement. The socially responsible corporation should be deeply involved in the community in which it is located. As mentioned earlier, employee involvement is important, and the company should strive to be a community leader. Collaboration with other local businesses and organizations in the community on local projects provides another route for action.
• Ethics/anti-corruption. CSR programs can include working actively to reduce corrupt practices in both the company and the supply chain, and in the governments and businesses in the localities in which the company operates. A corporate culture of ethical behavior and a lack of tolerance for corrupt practices are key.
• Strategic vision. CSR itself really is a form of strategic vision for any company. To have an effective program, your company should dedicate itself to improvement and corporate responsibility in the long-term strategic plan. This vision provides a central pillar for supporting the various smaller projects related to the CSR program.
• Accountability/governance. Corporate transparency in governance is closely related to business ethics and CSR reporting. Open discussion of the governance and operation of the business is important to preventing corrupt practices and gaining the trust of investors, communities, and customers. References to a variety of corporate governance benchmarks and guides can be found in the References section.
• Marketing/sales practices. Fair pricing and marketing practices are another goal of the socially responsible corporation. As part of a CSR program, your company should learn more about how your marketing affects different consumer groups. Differential pricing, advertising, and availability of products or services should be reviewed with social responsibility in mind.
• Supply-chain issues. Monitoring the supply chain is a very important part of a CSR program. Even though your company may provide good pay and benefits for your workforce and work to reduce environmental impact, your suppliers and contractors may not observe such responsible practices. Investigate the practices of potential suppliers, contractors, and retailers to ensure they are compatible with your CSR strategy and influence your current supply chain partners to practice more responsible policies as a part of your business relationship.