CSR today
Once upon a time, a lot of companies were only interested in corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a type of public relations exercise to score points with consumers, or to take the focus off any questionable business practices. But surely now, in 2016, companies are smart enough to know that this sort of tokenism isn’t good business. Right?
Unfortunately, I still hear about companies who think one or two ad hoc donations to a charity, or having their staff run a cake stall fundraiser is all they need to tick the CSR box. As long as they have a few paragraphs to add to their website or an activity or two they can write about in their annual report, they’re satisfied.
Authentic social responsibility is a product of a company’s values; it’s part of the corporate DNA. I think it’s why you often hear about start-ups having a significant CSR program or building sustainable practices into their business plan. They’ve usually spent a lot of time figuring out the foundation questions, such as who they are and how they are going to do business.
The planning and strategy of CSR should be deliberate and well thought out, while the desire for sustainable and responsible business should be automatic. It touches every part of the business and all that it does.
