Corporate Social Responsibility Paper
FINAL EXAM PAPER
CSR and the Future of Corporate Accountability
As is the case with most anything of any interest, the deeper you look into Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) the more difficult it is to define. And as long as it remains difficult to define, it will be difficult to communicate and enforce. Part of the difficulty lies in the fact that one is faced with a series of questions related to corporate social responsibility, human rights and the law along a parallel path of considering the importance of profits, business innovation and market share.
Just what is the role of business as it pertains to social responsibility?
Corporations are not in business to save the world. They are in business to make money. But what if they can make a positive social impact by implementing compelling corporate social responsibility initiatives that are arguably not just good for society but good for business, as well. If there wasn’t at least a fuzzy line drawn between profits and social responsibility, the issue would simply not be a matter that is so much on the minds of major corporations.
Yet when we look at CSR programs in relation to other areas of corporate business strategies, they are still relatively unsophisticated. So while CSR might be acknowledged as an important aspect of doing business, one could argue it’s not “THAT” important.
This needs to change.
Before we can accurately assess the future of CSR, we need to address the issue of defining it. We need to underscore its importance as a business tool, acknowledging the difficulties associated with implementing CSR programs and examining both successful and unsuccessful CSR models. In other words, we need to recognize what problems exist with current CSR programs before we can attempt to solve them.
It all needs to start with a clear understanding of what a successful CSR program should look like.
A Man Walks Into A Bar
Analyzing CSR brings to mind an old joke that was coined to
CSR and the Future of Corporate Accountability
As is the case with most anything of any interest, the deeper you look into Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) the more difficult it is to define. And as long as it remains difficult to define, it will be difficult to communicate and enforce. Part of the difficulty lies in the fact that one is faced with a series of questions related to corporate social responsibility, human rights and the law along a parallel path of considering the importance of profits, business innovation and market share.
Just what is the role of business as it pertains to social responsibility?
Corporations are not in business to save the world. They are in business to make money. But what if they can make a positive social impact by implementing compelling corporate social responsibility initiatives that are arguably not just good for society but good for business, as well. If there wasn’t at least a fuzzy line drawn between profits and social responsibility, the issue would simply not be a matter that is so much on the minds of major corporations.
Yet when we look at CSR programs in relation to other areas of corporate business strategies, they are still relatively unsophisticated. So while CSR might be acknowledged as an important aspect of doing business, one could argue it’s not “THAT” important.
This needs to change.
Before we can accurately assess the future of CSR, we need to address the issue of defining it. We need to underscore its importance as a business tool, acknowledging the difficulties associated with implementing CSR programs and examining both successful and unsuccessful CSR models. In other words, we need to recognize what problems exist with current CSR programs before we can attempt to solve them.
It all needs to start with a clear understanding of what a successful CSR program should look like.
A Man Walks Into A Bar
Analyzing CSR brings to mind an old joke that was coined to