Answer week 8

ANSWER WEEK 8 by Since Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is founded having a positive impact on environment, communities, customers and communities in the pursuit of business practices, determining the appropriate judgments about the right position is a tricky affair. Just like social justice, CSR is a flexible and context oriented concept. Every business organization has limited funds to pursue its objectives; therefore, business leaders must be careful because in some instances pursuit of CSR may undermine the objectives of the organization (Kotler and Lee 2011). Before any business, considers investing in any form of corporate social responsibility, it must remember that the main responsibility is to represent the business stakeholders. So long as an organization behaves responsibly, generating a profit, creating employment, supporting the health of the economy, and increasing wealth are the most responsible things that an organization can do. Remaining focused will ensure that CSR efforts are not taken as manipulative.
2. It is true that the main objective of any business organization is to remain profitable, but to do may require investment in CSR, which may also increase the organization’s operational costs. The actions of an organization, affect the perceptions and behaviors of its clients and community around it (Pava 2008). It also affects it own health and that of the environment around it. An organization needs to consider the implications of its actions on its business and reputation. Before investing in a CSR program, businesses need to determine if it will conflict with the objectives of the organization, and if so such an initiative should be stopped. A healthy organization that meets its objectives is more beneficial to the society than an organization that engages in CSR but is not performing well. The best way that an organization can do good to the community is by performing well.
3. Kramer and Porter have approached the issue of CSR in a realistic manner. Some companies that have invested heavily in CSR have failed to meet their strategic objectives because they initiate such projects without considering the company’s strategy. Some of the most significant material that has been left in the module material is the failure of organizations to view their efforts at CSR from the perspective that they view their core business strategy (Tanget et al 2012). With such a strategy, organizations will realize that CSR is more than an expense or limitation but a source of competitiveness, growth, and innovation.
4. The difference between companies that use CSR as a marketing ploy and those that have sustainable CSR initiatives is that large companies use CSR for marketing purposes by projecting themselves as conscientious to the role it can play in the society. These are companies, which realized that the public were aware of issues regarding their line of business, which were previously thought not to be part of their business responsibilities. They are forced to initiate short-term campaigns aimed at projecting its image positively (Meena 2012). On the other hand, companies that have sustainable CSR have the initiate incorporated into its business strategy from the onset. Their commitment to sustainability is their driver of innovation and growth.
5. Companies that use CSR as a marketing ploy can alter their initiatives by looking at how their activities affect the society both positively and negatively, and then address such issues. This will involve incorporating CSR into their corporate and business strategies by creating a shared value (Porter & kramer 2006).
Reference list
Jones, S. and Ratnatunga, J. (2012), Contemporary Issues in Sustainability Accounting, Assurance and Reporting, Emerald Group Publishing: Boston.
Kotler, P. and Lee, N., (2011). Corporate Social Responsibility: Doing the Most Good for Your Company and Your Cause, John Wiley & Sons: Hoboken
London, M. and Morfopoulos, G. (2009), Social Entrepreneurship: How to Start Successful Corporate Social Responsibility and Community-Based Initiatives for Advocacy and Change, Taylor & Francis: London.
Meena, K. (2012), Corporate social engagement: New base line to corporate social responsibility, International Journal Of Research In Commerce And Management, 3(7), pp. 59-63.
Pava, M. L., (2008), ‘ Why corporations should not abandon social responsibility’, Journal of Business Ethics, 83(4), pp. 805–812.
Porter, M. and Kramer, M., (2006), Strategy and society: the link between competitive advantage and corporate social responsibility, Harvard Business Review, 84(12): 78-92.
Tang, Z., Hull, C., and Rothenberg, S. (2012), How corporate social responsibility engagement strategy moderates the CSR-financial performance relationship, Journal of Management Studies, 49(7), pp. 1274-1303.