The document discusses corporate social responsibility and its importance for industry and education. It provides several definitions of CSR, noting it refers to transparent business practices based on ethics, compliance with laws, and respect for people and environment. CSR involves balancing economic, legal, and social/environmental concerns. For businesses, CSR can benefit employee recruitment and retention, innovation, and competitive advantage by managing impacts on people, planet, and profit. Universities also benefit from CSR by developing students as global citizens and partners in sustainable development.

1. Corporate Social
Responsibility:
its importance for industry
and education
David Willey
Deputy Vice-Chancellor
Bournemouth University
www.bournemouth.ac.uk

2. Corporate Social Responsibility
• Term used interchangeably with corporate
responsibility, corporate citizenship and “triple
bottom line”
• Covers the relationship between corporations
and societies with which they interact
• Going beyond economic & legal concerns
• Often involves trade-offs between competing
issues, particularly profit to address broader
stakeholder and global concerns
• Increasingly important, yet term remains
unclear
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3. Definition
“A concept whereby companies
integrate social and environmental
concerns in their business
operations and in their interaction
with their stakeholders on a
voluntary basis”
The European Union, 2002
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4. 2nd definition
“A commitment to improve
community well-being through
discretionary business practices and
contributions of corporate resources”
Kotler and Lee (2005) Corporate Social
Responsibility, New Jersey, John Wiley &
Sons, Inc. NY, USA
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5. “While there is no universal definition of
corporate social responsibility, it generally
refers to transparent business practices that
are based on ethical values, compliance with
legal requirements, and respect for people,
communities, and the environment”
Sir Geoffrey Chandler, Defining Corporate
Social Responsibility, 2001
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6. Four prevailing drivers
• Moral obligation
• Sustainability
• „meeting the needs of the present without
compromising future generations‟
• Licence to operate
• Compliance and building goodwill to
acquiescence of government and
stakeholders
• Reputation
• enhancing brand
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7. Triple Bottom Line
• People
• Planet
• Profit
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8. People
• Fair and beneficial business practices
towards labour, community, region in
which a corporation conducts its
business
• Would not knowingly use child labour
• Fair salaries to its workers
• Safe working environment
• Good working conditions for employees
• Contribute to its community, for
example through health care or
education
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9. Planet
• Sustainable environmental practices
• Careful management of its consumption of
energy and non-renewables
• Reduction in manufacturing waste
• Treatment of toxic chemicals in a safe and
legal manner
• Life cycle assessment of products (from raw
materials to disposal by the end user)
 Determine the true environmental cost
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10. Profit
• Not limited to the internal profit made
by a company or organisation
• It is the economic benefit enjoyed by
the host society
• It is the lasting economic impact the
organisation has on its economic
environment
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11. CSR: the business benefits
• Employee recruitment and retention
• Employee motivation and productivity
• Enables compliance with regulatory requirements
• Supportive community partners and local
government
• Understanding of wider impact of business enables
innovation and new product/services development
• Enhances competitive advantage, reduces risk from
reputational damage
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12. Other Issues
• Globalisation
• Governmental and inter-governmental interventions
• Consumer and investor activism
• Serious and high-profile breaches of corporate ethics
• Citizens in many countries are making it clear that
corporations should meet standards of social and
environmental care
• Increasing awareness of limits of government legislative
and regulatory initiatives
• Risk of business disruption, and damage to brand and
company reputation
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13. Bournemouth University
• „A socially responsible organisation‟
• „Inspiring our students, graduates and
staff to enrich the world‟
• Educating students as global citizens
who understand Sustainable
Development
• Engaging with community partners for
sustainable development and green
economy
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14. Sustainable Development at BU
Sustainable Development (SD)
is about ensuring a better quality
of life for everyone, now and for
generations to come
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15. Environmental Management
• EcoCampus Gold Award May 2011
• Green League 2011 – Ranked 5th in UK
• Rated excellent for Environmental Policy, Auditing, Staff &
Student Engagement
• Performance Improvements e.g., water consumption cut
by 22% in 5 years; recycling rate up to 43%
• Challenging target to reduce CO2 emissions by 30% from
2005/6 levels by 2015/16
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16. The University as a „Global Citizen‟
BU as a Business
Ensuring that global
perspectives (and
sustainable development)
inform the planning process
Curricula and Pedagogy Extra/co-curricular activities
Ensuring that all learners Ensuring that the learning
develop knowledge & skills environment and opportunities
for GP and SD in an reinforce the Global and SD
international curriculum Global agenda.
Perspectives
Research Community
Ensuring that research Ensuring a vibrant international
contributes to the development community & providing
of sustainable development and leadership at the local, national
collaboration on global issues and international level
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17. CSR: the educational benefits
All the business benefits plus…..
• Student recruitment
• Students and graduates as global
citizens
• Supportive community partners
• Enhances competitive advantage,
reduces risk from reputational damage
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18. Final thought
“Not everything that can be counted
counts, and not everything that
counts can be counted.”
Albert Einstein
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19. Questions and Comments?
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