This is not ‘a one-time event or a spending spree’
Print Edition
CORPORATE social responsibility means becoming a good citizen of the local community, helping its environment and people as much as its employment rate.
SynTao, a consultancy group that specializes in assisting companies arrive at the best ways of fulfilling those obligations, is one of the organizers of the “Invest in a Green Future” Corporate Social Responsibility Excellence Awards.
“Big companies may pay more attention to corporate social responsibility, but smaller firms also need to incorporate this concept into their growth strategy,” said Guo Peiyuan, general manager of SynTao.
“Corporate social responsibility should be an integral part of every company throughout its life cycle because it is a decisive factor in determining the health of a company,” he said. “After a company chooses the location of its office, the next step is thinking about how to communicate with the nearby communities.”
Corporate social responsibility covers a wide range of business decisions.
“For example,” Guo explained, “you have to resist the temptation to make more money by producing fake or dodgy products. That also belongs to the realm of corporate social responsibility.”
He compares it to diet. The body needs different nutrients to thrive in good health. Dietary needs may differ with age. Children may need more protein, while the elderly may benefit from higher levels of calcium.
“What we are trying to convey to all our clients is that corporate social responsibility is necessary for all companies, but it can be applied in different ways depending on the individual company,” Guo said. “Also, we stress to them that it can be very rewarding.”
Some companies donate money to good local causes and believe their corporate responsibility ends there. Not true, said Guo.
“Many companies misunderstand corporate social responsibility and think it equates to spending money,” he said. “We have to convince them that is not always the case.”
He cited the example of a pulp paper manufacturer accused of harming environment in Yunnan Province by cutting down too many trees. The company tried to repair its damaged image by sponsoring an event for a local ecology association, but that was a flop and the money was wasted.
“The case showed that we need to be careful with the way we carry out corporate social responsibility,” Guo said. “It is not a one-time event or a spending spree. It should be a long-term strategy in accordance with the very core of a company.”
SynTao has developed a lecture series on corporate social responsibility that it provides to small and mid-sized companies. It’s aimed at instilling a can-do attitude toward community citizenship throughout a company, from top to bottom.
“To make businesses more responsible is our top priority,” he added.
Commenting on the Corporate Social Responsibility Excellent Awards, Guo said the event highlights a depth of innovative spirit among many companies, and it harbingers a brighter future for corporate social responsibility.
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