CSR - Corporate Social Responsibility
In times of climate crisis, social problems, enormous environmental pollution and a growing world population, running a sustainable business is not easy. Entrepreneurs face a great challenge after taking into consideration people’s increasing awareness of the current problems.
How to run a socially responsible business?
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What is CSR? |
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ISO 26000 standard |
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What activities can be distinguished within the standard? |
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Benefits of introducing the concept |
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CSR Marketing |
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Examples of actions |
What is CSR?
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a management strategy according to which enterprises voluntarily take into account social interests, environmental aspects or relations with various groups of stakeholders, in particular with employees. Being socially responsible does not only stand for investing in environmental protection but also caring for employees and relations with the company's environment.
ISO 26000 standard
ISO 26000 standard is used to organize the knowledge of this management concept by the International Standards Organization which provides guidelines for organizations of all types, regardless of their size or location.
ISO 26000 standard distinguishes the following areas of Corporate Social Responsibility:
- organisational governance,
- human rights,
- labor relations,
- environment,
- fair market practices,
- relations with consumers,
- social commitment.
What activities can be distinguished within CSR?
- Actions for employees - support for families, incentive programs, trainings to improve the professional qualifications, elimination of development barriers,
- Social campaigns - promoting local ventures, co-financing social initiatives, encouraging participation in grassroots initiatives, education, promoting the right attitudes, employee volunteering,
- Actions related to environmental protection - implementation of solutions minimizing the negative impact on the environment, the use of environmentally friendly technologies, green investments, participation in environmental campaigns, ecological education,
- Actions for the local community - scholarship programs, cooperation with local enterprises, supporting grassroots organizations, promotion of local social campaigns.
Benefits of introducing the concept
- Increasing the loyalty of stakeholders and customers - Increased social awareness of consumers means that their choices are also dictated by trust in a particular company, and also draw attention to its image. More and more consumers are interested in topics related to ecology and choose those brands that work in its favor
- The increase of competitiveness - a transparent CSR policy may be one of the ways for Polish companies to build their position on the world markets where the expectations of meeting responsible business standards are more obvious.
- Shaping a positive image of the company among employees - CSR can be a great tool for recruiting new employees, as well as a great way to motivate employees non-financially. Thanks to ethical codes, social programs and care for the environment, the image of the company in the eyes of the employee is improving.
- Increased investor interest- for many investors, a company's financial credibility depends on its social credibility. Lenders are more interested in cooperating with companies that responsibly build their image and good relations with the environment.
- Improving relations with the community and local authorities – a company's participation in the life of the local community, taking an active part in local projects and supporting social events facilitates its efficient and conflict-free functioning. Social responsibility enables a company to permanently root itself in the community and win the favor of its residents as well as gain the trust of local authorities.
CSR Marketing
Activities related to socially responsible business are also a great marketing tool. Sharing information on social or ecological projects in which a firm participates on the company's social media can contribute to the brand's marketing success. It is a mutual benefit - we act on behalf of the social good, publicize noteworthy actions and in return we receive social recognition and new conscious customers.
Examples of actions
Recently, tree-planting campaigns have become very popular. They are attended by employees of corporations but also smaller companies and universities. Not only is it a pro-environmental activity, it also looks great in the media, and can also be a way of integrating the staff. A different initiative is, for example, sowing flower meadows in cities. This action is not only for the benefit of the natural environment but also part of local activities. Yet another way to implement socially responsible solutions is to support local projects related to Centers of Bottom-up Initiatives, community centers, or research clubs operating in a specific area.
Sources:
https://www.parp.gov.pl/csr
https://odpowiedzialnybiznes.pl/hasla-encyklopedii/spoleczna-odpowiedzialnosc-biznesu-csr/
https://www.karierawfinansach.pl/baza-wiedzy/slownik-pojec/csr-co-to-znaczy-csr
https://efl.pl/pl/biznes-i-ty/artykuly/csr-czyli-spoleczna-odpowiedzialnosc-biznesu-jak-to-sie-robi-w-duzej-firmie
https://www.iso.org.pl/uslugi-zarzadzania/wdrazanie-systemow/odpowiedzialnosc-spoleczna-csr/
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