Special Section: CSR
Branding & Communicating, Legislation and New Horizons
Before corporate citizenship can become a way of acting, it must be a way of thinking, and the only way to accomplish that is to embed it fully into your brand.
Companies like Timberland, Ben & Jerry’s, Patagonia and Seventh Generation were “born” with good genes for corporate social responsibility (CSR). Each company was founded with a mission that included responsibility to the environment and community, but that is not to say it is easy for them. CSR takes constant vigilance and discipline. Companies like General Electric were not created with sustainable standards, yet they are leading the corporate world in transforming themselves and imbedding sustainability into every aspect of their business.
Lessons Learned in Promoting CSR
Advice from experts at BP, BSR, McDonald’s, Sun Microsystems and Xerox.
With a record number of companies around the world annually increasing staff and expenditures to publicize their corporate social responsibility (CSR) credentials, the time seemed right to survey some of the most experienced practitioners in the field about how they promote CSR achievements. The goal: to learn their dos and don’ts, the musts and must-avoids. Here’s a summary of what we found.
New Horizons in CSR: Risk and Security
How companies can play an important role in addressing environmental, social and economic risk and security.
Imagine the next major disaster: a Katrina, a tsunami, a 9/11, in your hometown or city. Now imagine a situation where your local supermarkets and hardware stores do not close up, leave town and hire private police to protect them from looters. Instead, they open their doors, invite people in and give them the emergency supplies they need. Is it possible for companies to adopt these hypothetical risk assessment techniques?
Legislating Corporate Social Change
Walk the walk, before they make you walk the plank.
If you are reading this, your company may already be voluntarily implementing substantial corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate citizenship programs. If not, take note: legislators are attempting to pass a bill that would, in effect, require corporations to affirmatively engage in CSR efforts.