Chapter 3: Corporate Social Responsibility

Chapter 3Corporate Social Responsibility Copyright © 2014 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill/IrwinCh. 3: Key Learning ObjectivesUnderstanding the role of big business and its responsible use of corporate power in a democratic societyKnowing when the idea of social responsibility originated and the phases through which it has developedInvestigating how a company’s purpose or mission can integrate social objectives with economic objectivesExamining the key arguments for and against corporate social responsibility Defining a social enterprise and understanding its role in solving social problems Evaluating business’s social obligations to help the world’s poorest members Recognizing socially responsible best practices3-*Corporate Power and ResponsibilityCorporate power refers to the capability of corporations to influence government, the economy, and society, based on their organizational resourcesThe tremendous power of the world's leading corporations has both positive and negative effectsPositives include commanding more resources, producing at lower costs, planning further into the future, and bring new products, technologies, and economic opportunities to developing societiesNegatives include disproportionate influence on politics, shape tastes, dominate public discourse, divide markets, and squash competition3-*Corporate Power and ResponsibilityIron law of responsibility says that in the long run, those who do not use power in ways that society considers responsible will tend to lose itGiven the virtually immeasurable power in the hands of the leaders of large, global corporations, stakeholders throughout the social system expect business to take great care in wielding its power responsibly for the betterment of society3-*The Meaning of Corporate Social ResponsibilityA corporation should act in a way that enhances society and its inhabitants and be held accountable for any of its actions that affect people, their communities, and their environmentIt implies that harm to people and society should be acknowledged and corrected if at all possibleIt may require a company to forge some profits if its social impacts seriously hurt some of its stakeholders or if its funds can be used to have a positive social impact3-*The Origins of Corporate Social ResponsibilityIn the United States, the idea of corporate social responsibility appeared around the start of the 20th centuryFaced with social protest, a few farsighted business executives advised corporations to use their power and influence voluntarily for broad social purposes rather than for profits alone3-*Phases of Corporate Social Responsibility Frederick provides expanded framework for understanding the evolution of CSR concept Divided into 4 phases:Corporate social stewardship, 1950s – 1960sCorporate social responsiveness, 1960s – 1970sCorporate/business ethics, 1980s – 1990sCorporate/global citizenship, 1990s – 2000s3-*Balancing Multiple ResponsibilitiesMultiple responsibilities of business includeEconomic responsibilitiesSocial responsibilitiesLegal responsibilitiesChallenge is to balance all threeSuccessful firm is one which finds ways to meet each of its critical responsibilities and develops strategies to enable the obligations to help each other 3-*Enlightened Self-InterestEconomic and social goals come together in companies that practice enlightened self-interestMeans firm leadership can see it is in the company’s self-interest in the long term to provide true value to its customers, to help its employees grow and behave responsibilityScholars have debated the related question: Do socially responsible companies sacrifice profits by promoting the social good?Studies comparing CSR with firm performance shows there is a moderately positive association between the two factorsCorporate social and environmental responsibility is likely to pay off3-*The Corporate Social Responsibility DebateFigure 3.3 3-*The Social EnterpriseA business that adopts social benefits as its core missionAn organization that uses business strategies for the purpose of improving human and environmental well-beingIts primary purpose is not to maximize returns to shareholdersIt can be large and established or small and new 3-*Social EntrepreneurshipIndividuals who—like traditional entrepreneurs—act boldly to pursue opportunities, attract support, and build new organizations to create and sustain social rather than economic valueWhen a person or group of people identify a social need and use their entrepreneurial skills to address this need, this process is called social entrepreneurship3-*The B CorporationAlso called a “benefit corporation” - a new type of corporation that seeks to blend its social objectives with financial goals A B Corporation must prove its socially responsible by meeting the B Lab standards B Lab is a non-profit organization that assesses a corporation’s social and environmental performance standards 3-*Serving the Bottom of the PyramidThe term bottom of the pyramid refers to the poorest people in the world—nearly 4 billion who earn less than $2.50 per day Business can carry out its responsibility to society by bringing products and services to these underserved peopleExample: Grameen Bank uses microfinance to serve the bottom of the pyramidmicrofinance occurs when financial organizations provide loans to low-income clients or solidarity lending groups who traditionally lack access to banking or related services 3-*