Dr Mohamed Kirat
By Dr Mohamed Kirat
Being the continuing commitment by companies to behave ethically and contribute to sustainable development while improving the quality of life of the employees, the local community and the welfare of society, as well as meeting the expectations of the stakeholders, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has nowadays become increasingly important and indispensable for any organisation’s success, corporate image and reputation. Successful companies are those that value CSR and integrate it in their programmes and activities. In fact, there is a high affinity between the principles of quality management and CSR. On a wide range of issues corporations have to behave socially and responsibly. Corporate Social Responsibility is a duty of every corporate body towards protecting the interests of the society at large. Even though the main motive of business is to earn profit, corporations should take initiative for the welfare of society, and should perform their activities within the framework of environmental norms. They should integrate social, environmental and economic concerns into their values, culture, decision making, strategy and operations to create wealth and improve society.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a prominent topic. Researchers frequently understand CSR as the requirement for corporations to make additional contributions to the well-being of society. Accordingly, CSR is linked with the idea of “doing good.” However, beyond “doing good,” corporations also have the responsibility for “avoiding bad” in order to prevent corporate social irresponsibility (CSI), such as cheating customers, violating human rights, or damaging the environment. Thus, CSR encompasses both “doing good” and “avoiding bad.” Nonetheless, the issue of CSI and, accordingly, the responsibility for “avoiding bad” are not sufficiently addressed in the discussion of CSR. The negligence of the issue of CSI constitutes a serious shortcoming in the current debate. Corporations should focus on the relevance of “avoiding bad” while performing their social responsibility; because doing “good” and “bad” at the same time harms more than it helps in fostering a good corporate image and a good corporate reputation .
By linking the social responsibility of corporations with the idea of “doing good,” researchers frequently view CSR as the requirement for corporations to make additional contributions to the well-being of society. Examples of “doing good” activities include the development of eco-friendly technologies, community engagement, and the promotion of education, arts, health, and sports. The discussion of CSR has created a variety of valuable impulses for promoting a fruitful relationship between business and society. Nevertheless, the debate is too one-sided to adequately grasp the social responsibility of corporations. The one-sidedness stems from the fact that the current discussion of CSR focuses predominantly on “doing good” and almost totally neglects the issue of corporate social irresponsibility (CSI) “doing bad”. Examples of CSI include the violation of human rights, price-fixing, child labour, and the provision of inaccurate product information to consumers. “Avoiding bad” constitutes an indispensable part of the social responsibility of corporations. “Avoiding bad” aims at preventing CSI and thus delivers CSR. Preventing CSI is a central precondition for corporations to engage in CSR.
The current debate of CSR is predominantly concerned with the additional contributions that corporations make to the wellbeing of society. Indeed, CSR in the sense of “doing good” can contribute to a fruitful interaction between business and society. In addition, “doing good” offer corporations a variety of opportunities to benefit from CSR — ranging from enhanced customer loyalty to the penetration of new markets, to image building and corporate reputation.
Before doing any good (CSR), corporations should think ethically and systematically about avoiding any kind of irresponsible behaviour such as exploiting employees, children, customers, harming others, polluting the environment, malicious statements and relations with the media, …etc. So, before doing good, organisations should think twice about “avoiding bad” and refraining from any activity that may harm people, institutions and society in general; consequently corporations have the social responsibility of avoiding being irresponsible (CSI). Thus, CSR entails both “doing good” and “avoiding bad.” Therefore, “avoiding bad” is a central precondition for being able to benefit from “doing good” in the long run. This asymmetry effect implies that the negative effects of CSI cannot simply be offset by “doing good.” Even the best “doing good” strategy does not lead to a responsible image if, at the same time, a corporation acts irresponsibly. Thus, the prevention of CSI constitutes the bottom line of CSR.
Without the ability to prevent CSI, CSR cannot realize its full economic potential or may even be completely ineffective. On an almost daily basis, the media report small and large examples of irresponsible behaviour from various corporations. This situation shows that, on the one hand, the prevention of CSI poses enormous challenges in practice and hence, constitutes a complex management exercise. On the other hand, the recurrent involvement of corporations in CSI suggests that corporations frequently lack the CSR competencies that are required to prevent CSI. In light of the occasionally severe negative economic effects of CSI, there are good reasons to devote more attention to the management of “avoiding bad.”Corporations should concentrate more on behaving ethically and responsibly, hence developing a strategy to avoid corporate social irresponsibility (CSI) before engaging in CSR activities and setting up their CSR strategy and programmes.
The writer is a professor of Public Relations and Mass Communication in the Department of Mass Communication, Qatar University.By Dr Mohamed Kirat
Being the continuing commitment by companies to behave ethically and contribute to sustainable development while improving the quality of life of the employees, the local community and the welfare of society, as well as meeting the expectations of the stakeholders, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has nowadays become increasingly important and indispensable for any organisation’s success, corporate image and reputation. Successful companies are those that value CSR and integrate it in their programmes and activities. In fact, there is a high affinity between the principles of quality management and CSR. On a wide range of issues corporations have to behave socially and responsibly. Corporate Social Responsibility is a duty of every corporate body towards protecting the interests of the society at large. Even though the main motive of business is to earn profit, corporations should take initiative for the welfare of society, and should perform their activities within the framework of environmental norms. They should integrate social, environmental and economic concerns into their values, culture, decision making, strategy and operations to create wealth and improve society.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a prominent topic. Researchers frequently understand CSR as the requirement for corporations to make additional contributions to the well-being of society. Accordingly, CSR is linked with the idea of “doing good.” However, beyond “doing good,” corporations also have the responsibility for “avoiding bad” in order to prevent corporate social irresponsibility (CSI), such as cheating customers, violating human rights, or damaging the environment. Thus, CSR encompasses both “doing good” and “avoiding bad.” Nonetheless, the issue of CSI and, accordingly, the responsibility for “avoiding bad” are not sufficiently addressed in the discussion of CSR. The negligence of the issue of CSI constitutes a serious shortcoming in the current debate. Corporations should focus on the relevance of “avoiding bad” while performing their social responsibility; because doing “good” and “bad” at the same time harms more than it helps in fostering a good corporate image and a good corporate reputation .
By linking the social responsibility of corporations with the idea of “doing good,” researchers frequently view CSR as the requirement for corporations to make additional contributions to the well-being of society. Examples of “doing good” activities include the development of eco-friendly technologies, community engagement, and the promotion of education, arts, health, and sports. The discussion of CSR has created a variety of valuable impulses for promoting a fruitful relationship between business and society. Nevertheless, the debate is too one-sided to adequately grasp the social responsibility of corporations. The one-sidedness stems from the fact that the current discussion of CSR focuses predominantly on “doing good” and almost totally neglects the issue of corporate social irresponsibility (CSI) “doing bad”. Examples of CSI include the violation of human rights, price-fixing, child labour, and the provision of inaccurate product information to consumers. “Avoiding bad” constitutes an indispensable part of the social responsibility of corporations. “Avoiding bad” aims at preventing CSI and thus delivers CSR. Preventing CSI is a central precondition for corporations to engage in CSR.
The current debate of CSR is predominantly concerned with the additional contributions that corporations make to the wellbeing of society. Indeed, CSR in the sense of “doing good” can contribute to a fruitful interaction between business and society. In addition, “doing good” offer corporations a variety of opportunities to benefit from CSR — ranging from enhanced customer loyalty to the penetration of new markets, to image building and corporate reputation.
Before doing any good (CSR), corporations should think ethically and systematically about avoiding any kind of irresponsible behaviour such as exploiting employees, children, customers, harming others, polluting the environment, malicious statements and relations with the media, …etc. So, before doing good, organisations should think twice about “avoiding bad” and refraining from any activity that may harm people, institutions and society in general; consequently corporations have the social responsibility of avoiding being irresponsible (CSI). Thus, CSR entails both “doing good” and “avoiding bad.” Therefore, “avoiding bad” is a central precondition for being able to benefit from “doing good” in the long run. This asymmetry effect implies that the negative effects of CSI cannot simply be offset by “doing good.” Even the best “doing good” strategy does not lead to a responsible image if, at the same time, a corporation acts irresponsibly. Thus, the prevention of CSI constitutes the bottom line of CSR.
Without the ability to prevent CSI, CSR cannot realize its full economic potential or may even be completely ineffective. On an almost daily basis, the media report small and large examples of irresponsible behaviour from various corporations. This situation shows that, on the one hand, the prevention of CSI poses enormous challenges in practice and hence, constitutes a complex management exercise. On the other hand, the recurrent involvement of corporations in CSI suggests that corporations frequently lack the CSR competencies that are required to prevent CSI. In light of the occasionally severe negative economic effects of CSI, there are good reasons to devote more attention to the management of “avoiding bad.”Corporations should concentrate more on behaving ethically and responsibly, hence developing a strategy to avoid corporate social irresponsibility (CSI) before engaging in CSR activities and setting up their CSR strategy and programmes.
The writer is a professor of Public Relations and Mass Communication in the Department of Mass Communication, Qatar University.
