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The Concept of Corporate Social Responsibility Essays

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The Concept of Corporate Social Responsibility

With the interest in Corporate Social Responsibility growing, increasing numbers of organisations are incorporating CSR into their business operations in an effort to be seen acting as good corporate citizens, so what is CSR & what is it's role in today's organizations?

The term CSR refers to a company?s obligation to maximize its positive impact on society, accommodating changing social, market & stakeholder pressures in an effort to achieve sustainable economic, social & environmental development throughout its operations and activities. CSR puts expectations, continuous improvement & innovation at the heart of business strategies and the four dimensions of social responsibility …show more content…

A global economy & improvements in technology have enabled the public access to information relating to how socially responsible and ethical corporations are being which has resulted in increased worldwide sensitivity to ethical issues. Consumers are taking more interest in the companies which they use, their impact on the environment, on local communities, & in how they treat their workforce. Nike was widely condemned over their treatment of workers & use of child labour in developing countries. Investors are making investment decisions based on social sustainability & governments have tightened legislation & developed economic, environmental & social initiatives to encourage CSR. The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), provides suggestions for corporations reporting on the economic, environmental
& social dimensions of their activities, products, and services whilst standards such as ISO 14001, encourage & assist firms to develop environmental programs, management systems & to report their efforts.
The new UK mandatory corporate reporting regime (OFR) will force around 1,300 companies to report on social & environmental issues affecting their business, pushing CSR to the top of many board agendas. These factors mean that organisations are now evaluated on the basis of financial, social & environmental performance & are being forced to address social problems, previously perceived as the responsibility of government & civil society.

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