by Alex Roldan
Some of my friends asked me if what their company is doing — sponsoring medical missions and allocating yearly amounts for scholarships — can be considered within the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR)?
I think many companies are too eager to join the bandwagon, believing that everything they do to help a community or a specific sector is already an expression of their corporate social responsibility. But is it?
I know that there is no specific definition of CSR, but the concept to me is very clear. It is about how responsible the businesses conduct their business. Meaning, it is not only by doing charity or philanthropic acts> It is not only allocating part of their profits and giving it back to the community in terms of projects. It is about dedication to sustainability of the business by acting responsibly throughout the value chain.
Whether they like it or not, it is all about corporate values, the philosophy in word and action, that in the end establishes an excellent reputation as a business organization, thus getting ahead of the rest in the market. Therefore, CSR must be anchored on the sustainability agenda of the business. Sustainability, using this concept, means positioning the company in the market as the best company — not limited only to quality products, but a business with good ethics and practices, and more importantly, a business which does business in the most responsible manner. Still vague?
There is a saying that in marketing, dressing is everything. Before, it is very limited to how well one impresses one’s client, or how one packages one’s products in the market. Though it is still very much applicable today, but in a world that is becoming smaller with the progression of communication technology, the company’s reputation has become an integral and a very important part of the product package! Thus, companies that have established good reputation for being a good corporate citizen in a country by practicing CSR, would certainly be ahead of its competitors.
Others may claim that establishing the company’s name as a brand could suffice the need to instill a good image for the company, but to me, without knowing it, it is still anchored on CSR. It is next to impossible to establish a reasonably good brand as a company if it is not known for good business practices, which CSR is exactly all about.
CSR is the heart of all the companies actions, facing the challenges of sustainability of the business through active participation in the issues affecting a country – such as energy, health, education and social progress. But the key to it all is that, it is not only a concept known to the executives of the company, but rather a concept fully understood by the employees and the executives in the company and put into actual practice.
I’d prefer to see a company start its CSR not outside of the company’s premises, but within themselves and their organization instead. Meaning, companies can put their CSR concept into practice such as responding to social issues without even going out of the company’s premises.
The list of what the company can do to become a responsible business is limitless. CSR programs can be implemented even by simply following the law against pollution, formulate policies that continually develop the capabilities of their employees, innovate and develop quality products that do not “shortchange” the customers, and the like. The list as what I have said, is limitless. Meaning, everything the company does that helps respond to the issues affecting the country and the public, including their own employees, is CSR in practice!
Yes of course, companies are welcome and are encouraged to implement direct projects such as livelihood assistance, education support or even employees’ participation in noteworthy projects such as tree planting or building houses like Gawad Kalinga. But at the core should be, that the employees do it because they believe that they are not just there to bolster their company’s name or gain media mileage. It is an action borne of their firm belief in the company’s vision, that sustainable business practices increase the long-term value of the business.
For comments, e-mail to: roldanalex@yahoo.com.
