Social and political transformations, the advancement of new technologies, telecommunications and the media themselves have accelerated the phenomenon of globalization – a complex concept with social, cultural and economic dimensions that transform the world into a global village. We are no longer just citizens of a State to become citizens of the world. The “chain shocks” themselves are often felt around the world as we consume information and become more aware and demanding.
Social Responsibility is not in fashion, nor is it a “recent” concept, as many think: it is just a new way of understanding human relations issues, promoting their importance in business dynamics, so that the organization reaches its goals. strategic objectives in the most efficient and effective way.
In this line of analysis, if in the past Social Responsibility had the objective of maximizing profit as an absolute value for social well-being, nowadays the objective is different. It is based on the conscience of a duty with a personalistic purpose: it focuses on the human being as an irreplaceable being and on the individual and collective conscience, built according to a system of education for citizenship.
Corporate capitalism has been humanized through the goals defined by the “triple bottom line”, which can be designated as distributive justice, ecological sustainability and economic prosperity.
Social Responsibility – tips for internal and external initiatives
According to the Green Paper presented by the Commission of the European Communities, Social Responsibility can be exercised through two levels: internal and external.
Internally, this can be directed to the social dimension, with a focus on workers, investment in Human Capital, health, safety and change management. On the other hand, it can also be directed towards the environmental dimension, through the adoption of environmentally responsible practices, such as the management of natural resources exploited in a company's production process.
Externally, the action is directed towards the community, with the aim of contributing to the surrounding society. As an example we can mention corporate volunteering. It is seen as a strengthening of citizenship, more specifically in the search for a balance between the social, economic and environmental dimensions, as well as in the defense of human rights (intimately linked to working conditions and codes of conduct that must be practiced at all levels of a production chain). In addition to this action, sponsorships and donations are also made for social and/or environmental actions.
External Social Responsibility is often confused with Corporate Citizenship, however, such concepts are distanced at a more restricted level. If, on the one hand, Corporate Citizenship is closely linked to Social Responsibility, namely in supporting civic participation in direct involvement with the community, on the other hand, it distances itself by focusing on business activities.
As it is a concept most used in business life, managers see Corporate Citizenship as a measure of moral and pragmatic legitimacy for organizations, especially in industrialized countries. Corporate Citizenship thus designates the activities and processes necessary for adopting SR measures in companies.
In conclusion, it is possible to see that, in recent decades, companies from the most diverse sectors of activity have implemented strategies to promote CSR practices. The factors that justify the implementation of such practices can be evidenced from the demands of the new labor markets, raising the need for a greater focus and responsibility towards the risks adjacent to the current business world. In addition, the humanization of work is one of the requirements in Western societies, with a focus on the biopsychosocial well-being of the employee. In this sense, being able to promote and contribute to CSR is to assume an ethical commitment to contribute to the common good.
