Essay on Ethical Investment Report on Westpac

1. In order to implement an organizations commitment to social responsibility it is necessary to identify what social problem the organization intends to address, develop policies on what the organization plans to do to successfully fulfill its obligation and ensure stakeholder buy-in. The main obstacles an organization faces when implementing socially responsible policies is pressure from stockholders and business analysis who want steady increase in earnings. Without steady increase in profits, it becomes difficult to reinvest money in these areas. The following actions can be taken toward increased social responsibility:

Another challenge for companies when considering social responsibility is the possible negative perception of shareholders. Historically, publicly-owned companies had a primary focus of maximizing shareholder value. Now, they must balance the financial expectations of company owners with the social and environmental

Businesses, specifically larger corporations, play a major role in what occurs in society therefore, they are responsible to their stakeholders not only to pursue economic goals but the greater social good as well. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) means that a 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 environment. (Lawrence, 2010). Social responsibility is becoming the norm so much so that some businesses have incorporated it into their business model. There are three components of the bottom line of social

In spite of all advantages mention earlier about ethically and socially responsible business practice, it also has disadvantages, limitation and challenges. The most common and obvious limitation would be the cost that comes together with every investment a business does in order to meet all publicity’s requirements, for instance setting up Ronald McDonald House Charities. Every business has a goal which is at the top of their goal list and it is to be profitable. What is more, it is challenging to maintain the publicity’s and stakeholders’ satisfaction when investing into the society, employees and the environment.

Many believe that business entities should have an ethical duty to be socially responsible, to work towards increasing its positive effects on society while decreasing its negative effects. Many organizations look for opportunities to be socially responsible while also creating shareholder wealth.

The four components of corporate social responsibility are Economic responsibilities by being profitable to the company, Legal responsibilities by obeying the law or playing by the rule, Ethical responsibilities by being ethical in carrying business and Philanthropic responsibilities by being a good corporate citizen and also by improving the quality and standard of living of the community and society. Economic performance is important as the foundation of

We will look at the Enron Corporation and discuss its application of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) or in actuality its irresponsible behavior as related to social responsibility. We will revisit what CSR is and discuss Enron’s philosophy regarding its use and function within the corporation. We will discuss the consequences of Enron’s irresponsible behavior and the far reaching effects it had on society.

Corporate social responsibility is an organizations’ impact on society that goes beyond what is ethical. Being socially responsibility, an individual in upper management must realize how the actions might be able to influence the rest of the environment. If a company is socially responsible the company is honest, trustworthy, and display integrity while dealing with others and provides the attention to the stakeholders, build a community by searching for goals that are compatible with and respect individuals and accomplish silent triumphs.

The Australian Security and Investments Commission (ASIC), is an independent government body that acts as Australia’s corporate regulator. The organisation is responsible for regulating Australian companies, financial markets, financial services organisations, and professionals working in investment, superannuation, insurance, deposit taking, and credit . ASIC administers a number of laws, most notably the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act and the Corporations Act , from which it derives the majority of its powers. According to the ASIC Act the organisation should strive to improve the performance of the financial system, promote the confident participation of investors and consumers within that system, and administers the laws that authorise its functions and powers effectively and with the least possible procedural requirements . However ASIC achieves only partial success in fulfilling its organisational goals, and thus only fulfils its role in society to a limited extent. For example, ASIC was slow and unproductive in handling allegations of fraud and incompetence amongst financial planning advisers working for the Commonwealth (CBA). Although ASIC was able to identify negligent parties, the processes of ASIC’s investigation were long-drawn-out and enforcement action did not adequately account for the scope of misconduct suggested by their investigation. Situations such as this indicate ASIC’s inability to work effectively as a corporate regulator.

The benefit to business of good Corporate Social Responsibility is difficult to quantify as it varies depending on the nature of the enterprise. Some scholars believe that there is a business justification for CSR. That is, what is good for the environment and society will be good for company profitability. And studies have shown a slightly positive correlation between CSR and financial gain (Steiner and Steiner, 2006). However, as Freidmanism claims, the first responsibility of business is to make enough profit to cover the costs for the future. If this social responsibility is not met, no other responsibilities can be (Hargreaves, 2006). Therefore it is critical that CSR activities are included in strategy formulation and that the level of resources devoted to CSR is determined like any other strategy – through cost/benefit analysis. Corporations will not throw money away…they need to see it

Corporate social responsibility has been one the key business buzz words of the 21st century. Consumers' discontent with the corporation has forced it to try and rectify its negative image by associating its name with good deeds. Social responsibility has become one of the corporation's most pressing issues, each company striving to outdo the next with its philanthropic image. People feel that the corporation has done great harm to both the environment and to society and that with all of its wealth and power, it should be leading the fight to save the Earth, to combat poverty and illness and etc. "Corporations are now expected to deliver the good, not just the goods; to pursue

The purpose of this essay is to show that the link between Corporate Social Responsibility & the competitive advantage of a company is often viewed to be positive if environmental limits, social needs & corporate interests are all coordinated within the given framework (Porter & Kramer, 2011). Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) can be classified as the actions of firms that contribute to social welfare, beyond what is required for profit maximization (McWilliams, 2015). Economist Milton Friedman famously stated that, “a corporation’s responsibility is to make as much money for the stockholders as possible”. Despite the fact that the main objective of a business is to earn profit, corporations ought to look into the welfare of the society & should perform its activities within the framework of environmental standards (Mugurusi, 2008).

Social responsible programs are growing very rapidly. “Over the last two years, SRI investing has grown by more than 22% to $3.74 trillion in total managed assets, suggesting that investors are investing with their heart, as well as their head” (Chamberlain, 2013). Investors are caring about their

Corporate social responsibility is the voluntary stance or set of actions from a corporation that demonstrate a contribution to a better society and a cleaner environment. Corporations are already required to operate within the law, but laws do not always protect all people or individuals who will be affected by the corporation’s actions. In addition to this, it is very common for special interests to play a part in legal decisions through lobbying efforts, so it is assumed to be an additional effort for a corporation to be socially responsible. Being socially responsible essentially comes down to being considerate and calculated in the decision making process, paying attention to the consequence of every action. In the ethical decision making model, there are two particular steps that I believe to be of greater importance than the others. The first would be that of

‘Corporate social responsibility’ (CSR) means that the firm has wider responsibilities in relation to objectives and people apart from the owners or shareholders (Beal and Goyen 2005). These responsibilities are achieved when the firm adapts all of its practices to ensure that it operates in ways that meet, or exceed, the ethical, legal, commercial and public expectations that society has of business. Objectives often associated with CSR include a responsibility to manage natural assets sustainably and not to pollute by chemical discharge, smell, noise, dust or other irritants; fair treatment of employees and ethical attitude towards clients. The other people include employees, customers, suppliers,