Even though customers are a major key to success of any business, limiting CSR practices to an external group of stakeholder is insufficient. From the customers’ side, the focus is “on the corporate brand and its societal relationships with external constituencies.” (Lacey, Hensel 316). It is undeniable that implementation of CSR can attract the customers and lead them to be a significant are source of a financial gain. That is because CSR changes the way consumers behave in the market and alter their beliefs toward the company standards.” (Lacey, Hensel 316). Nevertheless, extensive focus on the social gains may cause the business to suffer financially. If that happened, the case is considered to be a failure of executing CSR. Again, this is a result of shifting all the business gears to benefit a sole group the stakeholders. …show more content…
Every business is considerably able to identify its customers. Nevertheless, sometimes CSR campaign tends to vaguely aim to general group consumers. The result is either poor or failure. Successful campaigns, which targeted the right consumers, are more common than the failure ones. Like a Girl is a CSR campaign by Always aims to empower the girls and boost their confidence. The main goal is the change all the negative attribution to the phrase “like a girl”. Always is a feminine hygiene products business. It is easy to see a strong connection between the consumers and the business nature of Always. As a result of targeting the right consumers, the campaign is still generating success through its different
In recent years, increasing number of customers and businessmen start to concern about the ethical issues in businesses. Although the main purpose of business is to make profits, the social influence of it also appears to be focused by a large proportion of customers and businessmen. Corporate social responsibility (CSR), which is closely connected with this concentration, was put forward in 1953 with the meaning of interacting social, environmental, and economic considerations into the decision-making structures and processes of business (Industry Canada, 2013). Although criticized, there is a business case for CSR because it could enhance customers’ loyalty, improve
In this review, the primary subject is the ‘business case’ for corporate social responsibility (CSR). The business
Based on my interpretation of CSR, I see it as a voluntary obligation that companies have promised to their stakeholders to fulfill by improving, or at least not harm, the environmental and social wellbeing. When companies engage in CSR, they voluntarily promise to, for example, carry the responsibility to protect the environment and take actions against bribe or other corruptive activities related to their business. It certainly has some positive influences to specific areas based on my knowledge gained from other classes; nevertheless, when judge CSR in the context of total impacts on our society and environment, it is obvious that CSR has failed its mission to lessen the negative impacts of business based on the evidences that provided by the author. Also, since there is a strong positive relationship between CSR behaviors and consumers’ reactions to a firm’s products and services, it seems to me, now, that CSR for the most companies is just a fancy cover that helps them to create or promote a good image and reputation. The recent case that shows the failure of CSR of Volkswagen even make me believe that CSR programs may be just a marketing or public relation exercise for many
Every organized company worldwide should have among its structure, one planning and coordination division in which social and business goals are integrated. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs are necessary for commercial business as an element of risk management and represent an outstanding mechanism for the stakeholders to identify weaknesses when their own actions or others conduct in its operating environment generate social risk. (Kytle and Ruggie 2005).
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is something that affects all companies and should be an active factor in the company’s decision making. It is something all corporations need to care about. CSR is when business’ or corporations take part in an initiative or campaign for a cause that will benefit society and/or in some way make the world a better place (Taylor, 2015). Initially, Corporate Social Responsibility started to take shape around the 1950’s, but some say that it dates all the way back to the 1800s, the idea of CSR was seen (Carroll, 2007). One may think that because it is dated so long ago, it doesn’t have an important impact today nevertheless, it is proven that Corporate Social Responsibility is a pathway for entities to self benefit as they are in the process of benefitting society.
In this article, “The Truth About CSR,” authors Rangan, Chase and Karim stress the importance in aligning a company’s social and environmental activities with its business purpose and values (Rangan, Chase, & Karim, 2015, 41). Outcomes of CSR programs should be a “spillover” and not a primary focus of a business, expressing concern towards social responsibility and corporations failing to contribute to society accordingly (Rangan, Chase, Karim, 2015, 42). There is a great deal of importance in companies refocusing their CSR activities on a primary goal and in providing an organized process for bringing consistency and discipline to CSR strategies (42). Rangan, Chase and Karim want corporations to understand why it is important for them to evaluate their CSR activities and refocus them towards the goal of reinforcing the firm’s societal and environmental actions, while also ensuring their actions add to the overall purpose and values of the corporation. According to the authors, even though
Corporate Social Responsibility is described as being a company’s ethical, economic, environmental, social and legal attitude towards its stakeholders in order to establish long-term success (Crane at el, 2008). These issues have come to have an important role in the running of a business in recent years. CSR was developed over a number of years and has been researched by professional economists. There are many arguments in favour of and against the CSR strategy. A company that adopts and operates the CSR can gain control over a variety of sectors, including shareholders and stakeholders. In brief, businesses can generate maximum profit and reduce potential risk by adopting the CSR strategy
Current approaches to CSR are fragmented and/or disconnected from business goals. Many firms still consider CSR as another generic public relations problem in which media campaigns and CSR reports are used to paint the company as a positive ethical, social and or environmental advocator and supporter. For example, the annual reports discuss a firm’s sensitivities to CSR issues, but completely lack the entire story and offer no further forward commitments from the firm. Further, the ratings and rankings measurements are self-appointed by the firm, not always accurate to validate the work and direct impact to what they are measuring, and the criteria base varies widely and weighed differently in the final scoring. Worst of all the data lacks impartial auditors for validating the data to ensure the ratings have been accurately met, and data is statistically significant and a good proxy for what it is supposed to reflect. This has resulted in reactive initiatives designed to appease vocal
Background to CSR - In this environment, the impact of behaviour, values and ethics on achieving a company's strategic vision represents a timely and valuable undertaking. This behaviour, often called Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a new focus on ethical and social issues (Sen & Bhattacharya 2001). CSR leads marketers to the notion of both global and stakeholder responsibility, and an organizational system that begs for sustainability not just to outlast the competition, but to increase customer loyalty, presence in the global market, and a stronger unification with the political bureaucracies. There is a clear integrative framework involved that impacts the idea of sustainable marketing concepts (Maignan & Ferrell 2004). Indeed, at the same time, "culture" has changed, too; there is likely not a country in the
CSR lacks universal methods. The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) mentions that it is important to draw a distinction between CSR as part of strategic business management concept and charity, sponsorships or philanthropy. The latter applications make valuable social impacts that enhance the reputations of the companies, however, CSR is a continual effort instead of an instance. A few features that CSR should focus on are: eco-efficiency, employee and community relations, environmental management, gender balance, responsible souring, anti-corruption, stakeholder engagement and human rights. Utilizing some of these key features a company can bring competitive advantages into the market place. Increased sales and profits from operational cost savings as well as improved reputation and brand image and customer loyalty can result from a well-defined CSR strategy.
CSR manifests itself in many different ways. Businesses need to be aware of their commitments to all their stakeholders – customers, their community, suppliers, employees and, more grandly, the environment in which they
The application of CSR is a multi-faceted concept that may be perceived in an altruistic matter, hence emphasized through the minor perspective of the ‘social-capital theory’. This social-capital theory (SCT) extends upon one’s own personal values and beliefs, which are determined throughout each managerial life. In relation to the supports by J. Cowley (2012), the assumption of CSR participation is considered an obligation towards those in the wider community, whilst claiming to be an opportunity for consumers to understand the business’ social values (p. 422). In response to the increasing demand from societal
‘Companies are losing out because there is often little or no integration between CSR and Marketing departments and their respective strategies and unless CSR becomes central to the Marketing director’s agenda, it will not have the desired effect and can potentially create a backlash.’
This research has primarily emphasized the importance of CSR to both individuals and the community at large, but one question remains underexplored: how do consumer perceptions of CSR line up with their concurrent expectations from the company? The literature shows little agreement; definitions are murky and left to individualized scholars, and evaluation of company’s efforts, as previously discussed, are difficult to present to major shareholders within a company, to say nothing of informing consumers.
With the spread of social marketing and CSR in the world, organizations tend to not only consider the consumers’ demands and the companies’ profit, but also take the consumers’ and societies’ long-term benefit into account. Hildebrand,D,et,al (2011) demonstrated that the CSR activities can make up the central, special and core characteristics of the company identity, the identification of the corporate can also be aroused due to CSR activities. Moreover, Porter and Kramer (2006) highlighted that CSR can aid companies create the ability to achieve corporate resource so as to build a sustainable and defensible competitive position. So the companies should consciously undertake corporate social responsibility.