Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR is changing and definitely is changing for the better. The concept of CSR has been around since the early seventies but it entered the mainstream business a decade or earlier and its sustainability is yet another concept to be discussed.
If you look back, not much like ten or fifteen years ago then the concept of CSR was characterized by defense and response where companies received criticism for their acts and they had to explain them too.
Next we witnessed CSR being used as a tactical offense and a prospect to stay above the competition. This was followed by a brand commitment phase where companies made effort to establish bonds with their customers for driving loyalty and consumer behavior.
Next phase of Corporate Social Responsibility saw all opportunities, risks, drivers and tactics as part of company's business strategy. Now we would be witnessing a phase where the role of CSR would be to become an advocacy and public engagement organization. This implies developing a new culture which implies engaging and influencing the public by the companies in the same manner as they would form business strategies and execute them.
From here on it would be interesting to witness what turn does corporate social responsibility takes.
I really liked this post. It’s good to see where corporate responsibility is going, and where it’s been. Ideally, companies won’t just use it for good PR, but actually use it to help customers choose their brand as the socially responsible choice in the marketplace.
It would have been helpful to see an analysis of how people make decisions on which brands to buy now based on what their friends are saying, and how social media is changing the game for corporate responsibility, and how traditional advertising contributes to the heightened focus on corporate responsibility.
It’s good to see where corporate responsibility is going, and where it’s been. Ideally, companies won’t just use it for good PR, but actually use it to help customers choose their brand as the socially responsible choice in the marketplace.
Completely agree that CSR is changing! I’m seeing this every day with students truly changing the way in which business affects society. I’ve been working in DC with a cool organization called Compass Partners which is incubating student social-venture start-ups and offering a social entrepreneurial fellowship program that is in the process of hitting some new schools. Google “Compass Fellows” to look into them!
Oh, here is the link: compasspartners.org