Corporate Social Responsibility and Ethical Business

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This is the Age of Philosophy!

Looking back, the swinging sixties and early seventies may be viewed as the age of Sociology (hippies and free spirit); the late seventies and early eighties arguably gave way to the Economics era (Thatcherism, Conservatism and the consumer society); in turn the late eighties and nineties may be seen to have heralded the age of Psychology (personal development, expression of feelings and nurturing oneself to the best one could be - people openly had counselling and started talking freely about stress). So what of the noughties? It is now time for Philosophy to have its day!

Spiritual, religious, ethical and moral issues are now being given great weight and consideration. There is pressure to rediscover family values, what is really important in life. Human rights, diversity, equality, fair trade, medical ethics and green issues are fundamental considerations today. Businesses are under pressure to be fair and ethical to satisfy not only government standards, but also consumers, and additionally, to attract more discerning employees. CSR is now seen by companies as an important way to increase competitive advantage, protect and raise brand awareness and build trust with customers and employees.

Natasha, Civil Servant says:

"In government we have seen lots of people moving across from the private sector - yes, there are still jobs - but people, especially those with families - want to contribute to improving the communities we live in. For instance, developing programmes to reduce knife crime, or create a stronger NHS, or giving children a better start in life. However, many people moving to CSR or joining govt from the sector private sector arrive and experience a culture shock. They expect it to be gentler, reflecting a lower salary package. However, it's probably more like taking a religious vocation! Those who enter have to give 100% to it - that might mean cancelling personal commitments to deliver campaigns to challenging deadlines. For instance, I know several CSR teams who are expected to drop everything at 7pm and stay behind to 11pm, even over Christmas holidays to deliver campaigns. It might sound like a one off example but it's quite normal behaviour across various parts of CSR. They are driven by knowing they will make a difference. Also, ethics stretch (funding, power imbalances etc even in CSR!)"

What is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Ethical business? 

CSR or ethical business means taking account of the organisation's impact socially, environmentally, economically and in terms of human rights. While some firms may pay lip service to this and dabble in showy 'give something back' PR activities, the forerunners have CSR policies underpinning the entire company strategy and ethos.

* CSR considers people external to the firm - perhaps working in partnership with local communities and development groups

* CSR involves socially responsible investment (SRI)

* Ethical businesses demonstrate real concern and respect for employees (training, development, rewards, work-life balance, incentives, perks), for customers (safe, quality, value for money products and good customer service), and for suppliers (fair trade policies etc.)

* Ethical businesses are green and show concern for environmental protection and sustainability. They are conscious of carbon footprint, energy efficiency, recycling and paper-free issues etc.

Wikipedia definitions: 

CSR - Wikipedia
Business ethics - Wikipedia

What skills or competencies would be required for a CSR role? 

Roles and responsibilities vary so much it is hard to be sure (some a very green and technical, others are more PR oriented):

* Business Skills, Impact and Vision ( decision making, leadership, commercial awareness, IT, innovation, strategic awareness, big picture, and problem solving)

* Communication, Influencing and People skills (adaptability, empathy, developing others and self, presence and softer people skills, open minded and questioning of status quo and others, integrity, political awareness, building teams, partnerships & stake-holder relations, harnessing diversity)

* Professional and Technical skills (including technical expertise, understanding impacts, internal consultancy, selling the business case, understanding human rights and society, and understanding sustainability).

Listen to the experts on Corporate Social Responsibility 


Everyone's talking Corporate Social Responsibility.

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Corporate Social Responsibility

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Where might one work? 

Anywhere and everywhere! Private or public sector, international and not-for-profit concerns all need to consider CSR, yet not all have recognisable CSR departments or functions, and job titles may vary greatly (CSR may fall under the remit of HR, marketing, public affairs or environmental management etc). Specialist Corporate Social Responsibility Consultancies are rapidly on the increase too. Companies are under pressure from the Government, European and International concerns to take CSR seriously:

The UK government has outlined its Vision for CSR

The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (formally the DTI) have also been involved in the creation of the CSR Academy , a resource for organisations of any size and sector wanting to develop their corporate social responsibility skills.

CSR Europe is the leading European business network for corporate social responsibility with around 70 multinational corporations and 25 national partner organisations as members.

The United Nations have launched the Global Compact an initiative to convince international companies to commit to universal principles regarding protection of human rights, labour rights and the environment.

So what exactly are the best companies for CSR doing? 

Here are some examples.....

Society and Environment Report
Society and Environment Report
McDonalds Corporate Social Responsibility - Home
CSR activities
AstraZeneca
With a global business comes a global responsibility - and our Corporate Responsibility (CR) policies and principles are an integral part of the way we run our business.
Akzonobel - Sustainability
Akzonobel - formerly ICI
What are we doing to be a more responsible company?
We're committed to reducing our impact on the planet and delivering more sustainable products and solutions to our customers. But we can only do this if sustainabili
CSR - BP
Find out how BP manages its environmental and social impacts, and aims for a sustainable future through energy efficiency and alternative fuels.
Shell - CSR
We are committed to contribute to sustainable development. For us, this means helping meet the world's growing need for energy in economically, socially and environmentally responsible ways. Read about sustainable development in Shell and its importance to the choices we make about our portfol
KPMG UK Careers - A-Level - Why KPMG? - Corporate Social Responsibility
KPMG careers -CSR
Nike CR Report
The ultimate resource for the business side of Nike. Job listings, live stock quotes, and much, much more.

Green Business 

The Truth About Green Business

Amazon Price: $12.91 (as of 01/01/2010) Buy Now

Courses and Training in Corporate Social Responsibility 

There is no such thing as a typical career path in CSR and there is no single professional body at present that represents the needs and interests of all those working in the field. A recent government study concludes that this is due to the diverse disciplines involved and also the complexity of the roles and responsibilities of a CSR practitioner. Specialist consultants may be needed to establish strategies, but then managers with CSR competencies will required to make the strategies work.

Because it is so new, transferable skills and knowledge from other related specialisms such as environmental management, ethical finance, marketing, PR and HR, are valued. There are no specific qualifications required for this field but Universities and Business Schools are introducing CSR components to their undergraduate, masters and MBA courses.

A few courses in the UK: 

Postgraduate MBA Corporate Social Responsibility at Nottingham University Business School
View details of our Corporate Social Responsibility taught course in our online postgraduate prospectus. Study for your MBA at one of the UK's leading universities.
Corporate Social Responsibility (MA)
An MA course in Corporate Social Responsibility at London Metropolitan University
Corporate social responsibility in practice - Open University course
The Open University online prospectus; Courses & Qualifications - GB070 Corporate social responsibility in practice, The work-based activity for this course is a written report and has been designed as an integrated ongoing activity which you submit at the end of your study
Ashridge Business School - CSR courses
Ashridge MBA in CSR
Short Courses
Executive, specialist and short courses in CSR are run by some independent training providers. However, most are predominantly focused on environmental and quality standards with the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) extensively involved with companies in the provision of training in EMS auditing and environmental management systems. Another growth area has been in accountability and sustainability with specialist courses developing in areas such as social auditing, accounting and reporting.
The Corporate Responsibility (CR) Academy - Business in the Community
The Corporate Responsibility (CR) Academy will be a learning resource that helps companies integrate responsible business practices into their operations. Training will be delivered in a variety of formats and tailored to a range of expertise.
Back to Business School | CEI
MBAs and Ethical Business
Corporate Pr And Corporate Social Responsibility Course - emagister.co.uk
Public Relations. Corporate Communication. Sales and Marketing. Corporate Pr And Corporate Social Responsibility Courses in London . Overview Corporate PR theory and practice differs in some important respects from its consumer PR sibling. This course trains you on what those differences are and how
MSc/PgDip/PgCert Corporate Social Responsibility - Sheffield Hallam University
Corporate Social Responsibility,MSc/PgDip/PgCert,The course focuses on corporate social responsibility in the context of globalisation. You study corporate issues and the environmental and social impacts of international business. It is for professionals working in any area of business and graduates
(40713) Corporate Social Responsibility: Course details - University of St Andrews
Master's course - M.Litt
International Business and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) MSc: course from De Montfort University, UK
Information from the De Montfort University prospectus about the MSc course in International Business and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
Corporate Social Responsibility - Anglia Ruskin University
Within the Ashcroft International Business School (AIBS), the overarching theme is that of practice based research. This is built on a model of knowledge management in terms of creation, application, exploitation and dissemination.
Unknown
Business schools have embraced the idea of corporate social responsibility and
there are many courses on offer.
Masters | Postgraduate Course Information - Corporate Social Responsibility, MSc.
FindAMasters.com is a comprehensive database of Masters, MSc, MA, MPhil & MRes courses in the UK & Ireland
CIPD - Corporate Social Responsibility
This 1-day course examines the facts and figures behind the adoption of CSR by business and helps you to work out the priorities for your own organisation.
Career and Professional Development Centre - CIM
Career and professional development centre - Most marketers understand that you can never afford to stop learning. With the growing complexity of career options and specialist skills, however, it can be difficult to assess exactly what training and development you need.
Your Ethical Business - start your company with a conscience
Your Ethical Business - start your company with a conscience

Actually a book rather than a course, but helpful for starting an ethical business oneself.

Useful CSR and Ethical Business Websites 

Institute of Social and Ethical Accountability
International non-profit institute that brings together members and partners from business, civil society and the public sector from across the world to promote accountability for sustainable development.
Corporate Responsibility - Business in the Community
Business in the Community is a unique movement of member companies committed to mobilising business for good through their corporate responsibility agendas.
BEP Home
Provides environmental assistance to SMEs throughout Scotland. BEP also arranges 8-week student placements.
BSR | Business for Social Responsibility
US based resource including vacancy list
Corporate Social Responsibility
A news and resource centre for corporate social responsibility.
csrnetwork | What is CSR?
Csrnetwork has merged with Sd3 to become the Two Tomorrows group of companies.
Ethical Business Network
Welcome
The Ethical Business Network is a not-for-profit organization that is dedicated to promoting high ethical business values.
We provide a reliable free-of-charge service to consumers who wish to find businesses that operate ethically.
Ethical Investment Research
Global provider of independent research into the social, environmental and ethical performance of companies.
Ethical Performance | corporate social responsibility | socially responsible investment | csr | sri | news
Independent global newsletter on corporate social responsibility and socially responsible investment
Institute of Business Ethics: Our Vision
The Institute of Business Ethics (IBE) was established in 1986 to encourage high standards of corporate behaviour and the sharing of best practice. We have established a powerful track record of enabling companies to build relationships of trust with their customers, employees, owners and stakeholde
Homepage | Forum For The Future
UK charity working in partnership with business, the public sector and others to build a sustainable future. They offer an internship programme.
Greenengineeringjobs.com
Green engineering jobs
Shared Interest Society Ltd - Investing in a Fairer World
Shared Interest Society - financing fair trade
SustainAbility
Independent think tank and strategy consultancy.
Experts in corporate responsibility and sustainable development. Advisors on market risks and opportunities. (includes careers section and tips)
UKSIF %uFFFD the sustainable investment and finance association
UK Social Investment Forum
Business ethics, ethical business and corporate social responsibility - Enterweb
This subpage of ENTERWeb The Enterprise Development Website lists and rates valuable Internet resources related to Business ethics, ethical business and corporate social responsibility. ENTERWeb is a Knowledge Portal for Small Business.
Corporate social responsibility
This site is a resource dedicated to issues around corporate social responsibility, produced by Mallen Baker, a writer, speaker and strategic advisor on CSR and the development director for Business in the Community.
Corporate Critic - CSR rating of firms
Corporate Critic is a product of the Ethical Consumer Research Association Ltd.
Corporate Critic indexes and rates the Corporate Social Responsibility records of over 50,000 companies, using primarily civil society data.
| business ethics magazine
News
Business Ethics 100 Best Corporate Citizens
Business Ethics Annual Awards

Political Philosophies Explained in Simple Two-Cow Terms 

SOCIALISM You have two cows. You keep one and give one to your neighbor.

COMMUNISM You have two cows. The government takes them both and provides you with milk.

FASCISM You have two cows. The government takes them and sells you the milk.

BUREAUCRACY You have two cows. The government takes them both, shoots one, milks the other, pays you for the milk, and then pours it down the drain.

CAPITALISM You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull.

CORPORATE You have two cows. You sell one, force the other to produce the milk of four cows, then act surprised when it drops dead.

DEMOCRACY You have two cows. The government taxes you to the point that you must sell them both in order to pay the taxes to support a man in a foreign country who has only one cow which was a gift from your government.

Green Careers 

Green Careers: Choosing Work for a Sustainable Future

Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 01/01/2010) Buy Now

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Green Careers

Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 01/01/2010) Buy Now

Green Career Central Blog

Amazon Price: $0.99 (as of 01/01/2010) Buy Now

How do I find a job in CSR? 

This depends on which area of CSR and type of organisation interests you. Many direct CSR roles require specialist knowledge and business experience and therefore may not be open to new graduates. You may need build up your skills and experience in relevant areas first.

Click here to view an article with general tips on graduate careers information site, Prospects.

* Consider which organisations you admire and research their values and culture. Most organisations provide CSR information on their websites, but you might also look at:
FTSE Index
Dow Jones Sustainability Index
Business in The Community Index

* Join CSR networks such as 'CSR chicks' or 'CSR blokes' - these are two yahoo group e-mail lists that form an informal network of people interested in CSR & Socially Responsible Investment (SRI). Job opportunities are often posted on the list.To subscribe, e-mail csr-chicks-subscribe@yahoogroups.com and/or csr-blokes-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

* Obtain voluntary work experience or an intership with companies or consultancies. For example, Impactt Limited a CSR consultancy, provide a 3 month internship for graduates or career changers and Forum for the Future provide internships for those interested in sustainable development.

* Keep up to date with CSR developments. Monitor CSR websites and newspaper articles.

* Consider further study to increase credibility and marketability.

* Monitor online job listings or register with a recruitment agency that handles CSR vacancies (see 'useful sites' section below).

Useful Sites for Ethical and Green Careers 

Be The Change
BeTheChange! There
are certain problems within our society today that can only be solved if
society itself is radically altered. Social change organisations are dedicated
to tackling the root causes of these problems, whether through a change
in the law, in the political or e
Environmental Jobs and Volunteering in the UK
UK based Jobs and volunteering in the Environmental sector
ethicalcareers.org
ethical careers
Ethical Consumer
Ethical Consumer is the UK's leading alternative consumer organisation. We research the social and environmental records of companies.
Ethical Jobs - Latest Vacancies
Ethical jobs
GreenBiz.com - Daily News on Green Business, Business and Climate Change and Sustainable Business Practices
Green business news and tools for aligning sustainability with business success. Resources for successful green strategies, covering operations, energy, product design, marketing, and more.
Green Guide Online | green living, organic, natural lifestyle, ethical choices
Green living
Eldis - Corporate responsibility
Resource Guides Corporate responsibility Resource Guides
Corporate responsibility
Jobs & volunteering
OneWorld UK Ethical Jobs Site, the home of ethical jobs and volunteering in the UK and Overseas. Ethical Jobs Email Digest.
People & Planet - UK student action on world poverty, human rights and the environment
People & Planet National Homepage. UK students campaigning to end world poverty, defend human rights and protect the environment. People & Planet works with students at sixth form and university level.
Acre | Environmental Jobs | CSR Jobs & Sustainability Jobs | Climate Change & Energy Recruitment
Acre is a leading UK recruitment company focused on the Environmental, CSR & Sustainability and Climate Change sectors. Browse the latest jobs, or find out how Acre can help your business grow.
Allen and York | Environmental Jobs, Job, Recruitment, Energy, Environment, Planning, Waste, Health & Safety, Engineering Jobs
UK based Recruitment - Specialism Environmental
Evergreen Recruitment
Evergreen Resources provides environmental recruitment services to fill environmental jobs within asbestos, contaminated land, HSE , Waste Management , Renewables, EMS , Policy and safety
lifeworth.com
CSR jobs
Ruston WHEB
Ruston WHEB is a specialist search firm, dedicated to strengthening executive and non-executive teams for companies, investors and advisers operating across environmental and clean energy markets.
Environmental manager | Job description and activities | Prospects.ac.uk
What does an environmental manager in a business do?
Environmental auditor | Job description and activities | Prospects.ac.uk
What does an Environmental Auditor do?
Environmental consultant | Job description and activities | Prospects.ac.uk
What does an Environmental Consultant do?
Environmental engineer | Job description and activities | Prospects.ac.uk
What does an Environmental Engineer do?
Environmental education officer | Job description and activities | Prospects.ac.uk
What does an Environmental Education Officer do?
Nature conservation adviser | Job description and activities | Prospects.ac.uk
What does a Nature Conservation Adviser do?
Nature conservation officer | Job description and activities | Prospects.ac.uk
What does a Nature Conservation Officer do?
Recycling officer | Job description and activities | Prospects.ac.uk
What does a Recycling Officer do?
Waste management officer | Job description and activities | Prospects.ac.uk
What does a Waste Management Officer do?
Water conservation officer | Job description and activities | Prospects.ac.uk
What does a Water Conservation Officer do?
Countryside manager | Job description and activities | Prospects.ac.uk
What does a Countryside Manager do?
Ecologist | Job description and activities | Prospects.ac.uk
What does an Ecologist do?
Energy manager | Job description and activities | Prospects.ac.uk
What does an Energy Manager do?
Marine scientist | Job description and activities | Prospects.ac.uk
What does a Marine Scientist do?
Water quality scientist | Job description and activities | Prospects.ac.uk
What does a Water Quality Scientist do?
Corporate Social Responsibility Specialists recruitment agencies & jobs search
A selection of recruitment agencies that recruit for Corporate Social Responsibility Specialists jobs.
Untitled Document
 
Job opportunities in corporate responsibility
are featured below. To have the latest jobs emailed to you directly, every
month, then email us with your request.
Jobs - About Us - CSR Europe
Jobs|corporate social responsibility.
Sustainable Development - Corporate Social Responsibility Jobs, Earthworks, careers recruitment through EARTHWORKS UK
Sustainable Development, Corporate Social Responsibility Jobs, Earthworks, BREEAM, Environmental, Careers Employment Opportunities
Corporate Social Responsibility Specialists recruitment agencies & jobs search
A selection of recruitment agencies that recruit for Corporate Social Responsibility Specialists jobs.
Taking care of business | Prospects.ac.uk
Businesses are taking Corporate Social Responsibility seriously and looking at ways to take care of the community and the environment.
KAL Magazine - Careers Opportunities for Ethnic Minority Students & Graduates
KAL, the careers and recruitment magazine for ethnic minority university students and graduates - job opportunities, interviews, and employment issues.

Increasing opportunities as a fair trade buyer.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Ethical Business News 

Ethical Business Section of The Guardian
Ethical business
MBA Grads Will Sacrifice Salary for Corporate Social Responsibility, Stanford Survey Says » Clear Admit: MBA Admissions Consultants Blog
Graduates are choosy
Independent article
You are an operations manager with a global oil company in West Africa. Local activists protesting against the environmental impact of your drilling activities are shot by government troops and one is killed. How do you and your bosses handle this explosive situation, which may do lasting damage to
Independent article - the new climate
Despite a mergers and acquisitions goldrush that has seen the City's financial elite carve up a bonus jackpot of more than %uFFFD8.8bn over the past year, with 4,200 high-fliers pocketing more than %uFFFD1m each, there is little sign of the corporate excess and executive exuberance that has marked
New UK Index Rates Corporate Social Responsibility Performance
Business in the Community CSR index
The Ethical Investment Association - Top 10 CSR performing Companies
The Ethical Investment Association for you to find and contact ethical financial advisers in the UK.
The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For - Times Online
Search for the best companies to work for in the UK with Times Online (ranked by 'giving back')
Guardian - Corporate Social Responsibility Section -
Corporate social responsibility
CSRwire
Latest CSR News
Top Companies For Corporate Social Responsibility :: Business News :: Here Is The City News :: The Latest Business & Financial Markets News And Views
Top Companies For Corporate Social Responsibility. Business News. Fortune magazine has partnered again with London think-tank AccountAbility and for-profit consultancy CSR Network to rank the largest global companies by the quality of their commitment to social and environmental goals. Here's the To
Corporate Social Responsibility | GlobalGiving Blog
Posts Tagged ‘corporate social responsibility’
Persuasive Partnerships
Posted by Robert on Friday, January 25th, 2008
?Clearly CSR has arrived,? stated the Economist in a recent special report on Corporate Social Responsibility. The report shows that in today's busine
Corporate philanthropy - Capacity building in the Gates age - Ethical Corporation
As the Gates Foundation swells, will its work lead to a new role for business?
Guardian News - Ethical, Environment and CSR
Corporate social responsibility
MercatorNet. A voice for human dignity. Our focus is parenting and family issues, bioethics, religion, philosophy and entertainment.
Some business graduates are leaving Harvard clutching a pledge card. But what difference will it make?

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Comment is free: Red wedge
Corporate social responsibility already has many Goliaths. Even as a mere David, many will thrill to the sound of your slingshot - and rally to your flag. [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.] wew32. May 22, 2006 01:23 PM ...... As with fairtrade and organic products it is hoped that demand will be sufficiently large to demonstrate that, given the choice, people will choose the more ethical option and it is hoped that this will affect big business' future planning ...
Synthetic Biology
[6] A handful of science-minded foundations, most notably the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, are investing in synthetic biology projects. Not wanting to be left behind, the European Union is funding the development of a European strategy for ... With hundreds of millions of dollars worldwide already spent or committed to synthetic biology R&D across several sectors, and what is almost certainly millions more in undisclosed venture financing and corporate partnerships, ...
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The American Family Business Foundation (not affiliated with our organization, the Family Business Institute in Atlanta) is the vanguard in the fight to repeal the ?Death Tax? that is so harmful to family businesses. ...... Cross channel business communication includes web sites, customer relationship management, telecommunications, vision and mission statements, family business history books, corporate governance, family foundations and business plans. ...

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