Woodseer Management Consulting www.woodseer.com Jean-Michel Piedagnel - Principal consultant
The broadening scope of CSR I am always puzzled by how far CSR specialists and thinkers are pushing the CSR scope. Are we asking companies to do too much? Especially in view of the perceived recent moral failure of businesses and companies that is at the origin of the last economical downturn. When unemployment rates are shooting so high due to the failure of capitalism to regulate itself, how credible are the “CSR’s” calls for companies to tackle climate change, poverty and all the suffering on the planet? I sometimes feel CSR has become a pot in which we are pilling up all the new and old development or humanist agendas; poverty reduction, fair trade or climate change. Because there is a recurring sense that states have failed and that companies have a real power of change, CSR is now covering all sort of social responsibilities. I would prefer companies to focus on doing business and get some basic rights. For example, a priority is to get the best HR policy for employees and adequate recycling and energy saving policies in house. The global poverty reduction agenda or global warming are issues that should be on top of the agenda of the world political leaders and they should impose regulation in that sense to business. CSR specialists should make sure companies get the basic right rather than push the boundaries of the debate. It’s a waste of time and a smoke screen.
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Friday, August 14, 2009