I have been working in this field for a while and I still have trouble describing what I do, why and what it all means.
The New York Times ran a special section on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)in conjunction with BSR's Annual Conference last week. This gives some insight into how companies are trying to communicate their efforts in this area. Click here to view the section.
On KQED's Forum this morning, there was a more balanced and critical discussion of CSR that brings some clarity and is a good introduction to the topic. You can listen to it on their web site.
Thu, Nov 10, 2005 -- 9:00 AM
Businesses and Social Responsibility
Forum discusses how companies and business schools develop corporate strategies to achieve social and financial goals.
Host: Michael Krasny
Guests:
After listening to the program, Jay and I had a discussion, which helped me understand the difficulties of communicating this type of work outside the field of CSR.
Cody: bruce babbitt is my hero
Jay: I thought he might be
I listed to the CSR thing on Forum this morning...pretty interesting
Cody: i'm going to download it tonight
Jay: they were talking about net impact a lot
it's too bad BSR didn't have someone on the panel.
Cody: yeah the Haas school has strong ties and an active Net Impact chapter
Jay: they had someone from stanford on as well
I have to reboot, brb.
Cody: i ordered his book
Cody: what did you think of the CSR thin?
thing?
Sent at 10:28 AM on Thursday
Jay: I'm understanding what it's all about a bit better
Sent at 10:35 AM on Thursday
Cody: what is your most significant new insight?
Sent at 11:09 AM on Thursday
Jay: not really an insight, but a better understanding of what it is...
on the program this morning they were talking about how hard it is to define
and everyone has their own definitions of CSR
and I think that's been part of my problem.
I like solid, single definitions :)
Cody: interesting, for some reason I was trying to define it for myself last night or this morning and thinking that the longer I've worked here the more nebulous the definition has become for me
Jay: yeah, it's much more of a very large collection of ideas and concepts
it's really hard to define succinctly
but listen to the program...one of the people had a really good definition
Sent at 11:18 AM on Thursday
Cody: it's easier to create slogans for CSR than a definition: creating positive change within corporations, helping corporations serve the common good, improving the bottom line for the company and society in general
Jay: yeah, and the definition given this morning sounded something like those.
part of the problem is that 'social' covers so much...
consumers, employees, vendors/suppliers, environmental
everyone has their own preconceived notion of 'social' unless it's clearly defined to be as broad as it really is in CSR
Cody: ahhh good point...i've never understood "social" to be as limiting as that, but it's definitely reflected in how a lot of people talk about and critique CSR
Jay: I think people with less 'social science' type education have a harder time understanding what 'social' really means
'social responsibility' was kind of meaningless for me for the first few months I'd heard it.
Cody: if i had one impact on common understanding of that term it would be to help people understand that "social" encompasses environmental and economic dimensions....maybe "corporate people responsibility" is a better word for that....CPR?
Jay: or global
Cody: hmmm
Jay: corporate global behavior.
Cody: But I like the CPR acronymn. ;)