Corporate social responsibility (CSR) was promoted in the 19th century by Cooperativism movements that sought to reconcile business effectiveness with social principles of democracy, mutual aid, community support and social justice.
It comprises a set of business management practices, strategies and systems that promote balance between the economic, social and environmental dimensions of organizations, public and private.
CSR promotes a new way of managing the company, beyond social actions or mere philanthropy. It is a way of acting that means a better and more effective relationship between shareholders, customers, consumers, suppliers and workers. And and an improvement in the internal functioning of companies, with special reference to the boards of directors and aspects related to labor relations. In particular, those related to equality, the promotion of continuous professional training for workers, the establishment of social plans and the prevention of occupational risks.
It is an approach that is based on a comprehensive set of policies, actions and programs focused on respect for ethics, people, social aspects and the environment.
It is an undeniable fact that every company is a living being and as such suffers and lives in continuous changes, with special emphasis on continuous social changes. Your decision-making and with them, your actions, have an important economic, social and cultural impact not only internally in your organization, but also and above all, in your immediate environment.
Every company is mainly circumscribed by shareholders and managers, workers, users, customers and consumers of its products or services, the same community where it is located and the populations affected by its productive practices. But despite the evident interrelationship between company and society. Unfortunately today, thanks to their narrow vision, rather, myopia, there are many entrepreneurs who still consider that their duty, or in any case, their Social Responsibility, is fulfilled to the extent that they provide employment to the community. that surrounds them and delivers a good or service to its users or customers.
The organization-human relationship has been the object of study and research since the beginning of the last century, it began with an administrative perspective (Fayol and Weber) and then went on to study human behavior in groups within organizations (Mayo and Lewin) without forget the study of vertical organizational structures where authority and leadership are clearly defined, until reaching the emotional aspects of the individual in interaction with the organization.
And so, the concept of Social Responsibility, timidly took shape thanks to the great lesson, which we must never forget, the great Depression that originated in the United States, from October 24 (known as Black Thursday and five days later, the fatal thrust, the fall of the New York Stock Exchange (Wall Street) on October 29, 1929, known as Black Tuesday), and quickly spread to almost all countries in the world, which lasted from 1929 until the beginning 1940, but as if that were not enough, the global military conflict that developed between 1939 and 1945 (World War II) arises.
The need to increase production and with it wealth, employers saw the political need to progressively integrate workers in the management of their companies and thanks to this integration labor legislation began to be modified, but it was not until the decade of The 50s when the individual charitable action of the entrepreneur begins timidly, and by the 60s, encouraged by the tax facilities, the charitable business action begins and that is when they begin to take a modest awareness of Corporate Social Responsibility.
The theoretical and conceptual framework of the various forms in which Corporate Social Responsibility is currently expressed are the mere result of the evolution of these processes.
And so, one of the best-known definitions is that of the European Commission: "CSR is the voluntary integration, by companies, of social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their relations with their interlocutors", (Communication from the Commission entitled "Corporate social responsibility. Contribution of companies to sustainable development", COM (2002) 347 final, July 2, 2002.).
"CSR is the commitment that a company assumes to contribute to sustainable economic development through collaboration with its employees, their families, the local community and society, with the aim of improving the quality of life", (World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), Switzerland).
"Corporate social responsibility is the set of open and transparent business practices based on ethical values and respect for employees, communities and the environment" (Prince of Wales Business Leadership Forum (PWBLF), England)
"Corporate social responsibility is defined as the management of a business in a way that meets or exceeds the ethical, legal, commercial and public expectations that society has towards a company" (Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), United States)
«CSR is a form of management that is defined by the ethical relationship of the company with all the publics with which it relates, and by the establishment of business goals compatible with the sustainable development of society; preserving environmental and cultural resources for future generations, respecting diversity and promoting the reduction of social inequalities », (Ethos Institute for Business and Social Responsibility, Brazil).
For the International Labor Organization (ILO), corporate social responsibility is “the set of actions that companies take into consideration so that their activities have a positive impact on society and that affirm the principles and values by which they are governed, both in their own internal methods and processes, as in their relationship with other social actors ”.
Footnotes:
- Fayol Henri (1949). General and Industrial Management. London, PittmanWeber Max (1930). The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, trans. Talcott Parsons, with an introduction by Anthony Giddens, Scribner, New York, May Elton (1945). The Social Problems of an Industrial Civilization. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Lewin Kurt (1947). Frontiers in Group Dynamics: II. Channels of Group Life; Social Planning and Action Research. Human Relations 1: 2.
