Why Have a Corporate Social Responsibility Programme?
Traditional financial accounting doesn't report the business benefits for Corporate Social Responsibility.
You can read some benefits that other organisations have reported but, put simply, CSR is better for you, for your business, for everyone who has a stake in your business and for society in general.
Economic Recovery
Many businesses struggled to survive through the economic crisis. In difficult times businesses need to be able to build on a reputation of trust and respect.
If you've ignored this aspect of business you may already be missing out. You need to invest now for the future - the sooner the better.
Future Crises
Regarding the recent economic crisis, former US Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan is quoted as saying:
"The crisis will happen again but it will be different. Financial crises are all different, but they have one fundamental source. That is the unquenchable capability of human beings when confronted with long periods of prosperity to presume that it will continue."
Sounds like future crises are inevitable, which is why you need to build a reputation that will sustain you through the most difficult economic times.
Consider our Better Way.
A Better Way
We've all heard phrases such as:
- "Always put the customer first"
- "Do unto others as you would have others do to you", taught by the Bible, Talmud, Koran and many other religious and philosophical writings
- "Servant Leadership" is a less well known term that carries the same sense of putting others first.
For some, these sayings are no more than pious platitudes.
But consider what happens when they are practised by an organisation without ulterior motives. That means involving everyone throughout the organisation.
Everyone benefits, regardless of their interaction with the business.
- Would you deal with such an organisation?
- If you believed they existed, would you actively seek out such organisations to do business with them?
- So why not consider it for your organisation?
This is the basis for the best in Corporate Social Responsibility programmes.
