1. responsiblebusiness
Willem Grimminck
Kathmandu
I
n the name of CSR, some companies
make occasional donations to random
social projects, such as orphanages or
health posts. Except for the salvation of
the companies’ conscience and name in
the newspaper, what good does it do?
Does the ‘do good’ deed really
contribute to the company’s strategy
and does a single contribution truly
provoke sustainable development? If
taken seriously, CSR investments would
have a positive impact on both, corpo-
rate goals and underprivileged people.
Ke Garne? First of
all, start mapping the
stakeholders of your
organisation. Include,
at the very least, em-
ployees, customers, in-
vestors, non govern-
mental organisations,
suppliers, media and the communities
and markets in which your company
operates. Ask yourself how each stake-
holder can impact organisational
decisions and actions; for good or bad.
It has been argued that effective
stakeholder engagement strengthens
performance, serves as an early warn-
ing mechanism by managing risk as
well as new product and service devel-
opment, and improves decision-mak-
ing. CSR based on stakeholder analyses
provides your organisation with in-
sights and tools to guide attitudes, cre-
ate trust and catalyse change in favour
of the company and society as a whole.
Take a long term perspective for the
mapping-exercise, let us say three to
five years. Positive relationship build-
ing does not happen overnight with a
single act of philanthropy. However, on
the opposite, negative responses and a
collapse of trust caused by core stake-
holders can emerge within hours. For
example, immediately after the news
about the BP oil spill, their stock fell by
52 per cent.
Once you have mapped your stake-
holders reflect to your current ‘CSR’ ac-
tivities and ask yourself if the current
beneficiaries are also the most powerful
stakeholders. If not, move your CSR fo-
cus to the most relevant ones. With the
right target group on the radar, contin-
ue with brainstorming
about shared goals.
To give you some
ideas: new market
penetration through
social entrepreneur-
ship, conservation of
resources through
reducing the company’s footprint, ener-
gising the company’s own human
capital through standards for decent
working conditions, understanding
customers behaviour through commu-
nity projects or attracting investment
through good governance policies.
Based on these ideas, the world has
witnessed successful implementations
of women self-help-group sales net-
works, eco tourism, renewable energy,
rural BPO’s, ISO and SA standards and
more. So, in a nutshell, 1) map your
stakeholders, 2) create a strategic fit,
and 3) implement an innovative action.
(The author is a consultant CSR
and can be contacted at
wgrimminck@yahoo.com)
CSR — ‘Ke Garne’ —
What should we do?
Creative corporations do well by doing good