The word responsibility comes from the Latin “I will respond” and refers to the action and ability to respond to any situation or action that is executed at the time. Responsibility can be seen from the three phases of time in which the human being develops:
- Past: It is the ability of the human being to recognize the consequences of an episode that took place in full consciousness and freedom. Present: Make a series of decisions in a conscious way. Future: Assume the consequences that will arise from the decisions made.
Responsibility is understood as the ability of the human being to measure and recognize the consequences of actions that were carried out with full awareness and freedom. It can be assumed that a person who is characterized by his responsibility is one who has the virtue not only of making a series of decisions consciously but also of assuming the consequences of the aforementioned decisions and of responding to them before whoever corresponds in every moment.
On the other hand, Social Responsibility extends beyond the person himself. During his life, man has certain duties to fulfill towards himself and also towards the society in which he lives, while, to govern this question, the law of reason is proposed, which will impel men to comply with the relevant duties and avoid evil.
Finally, when mentioning “Shared” Social Responsibility, it is to remember and reinforce the relationship that will always exist between two people, in which the necessary agreements must be guaranteed so that both parties obtain the expected benefits. Where, in addition, the rights and obligations of each one for a lasting and effective relationship are defined.
The application of CSR in the Organization
What is the purpose of us studying? Learn, acquire knowledge, perhaps they are possible answers. But what happens to that knowledge and learning? What is its purpose? Without a doubt, put it into practice. With the different ways or strategies acquired to do business, an Organization, Company or Company is undoubtedly needed that allows us to reach such ends.
Collective work through an organization today is essential. Virtually everything we wear, wear, and eat comes from work established by a Company. Today there are few things that are done individually. To study, have a job, generate income and acquire products and services we need work teams.
CSR in relation to the environment
Usually, when we mention Social Responsibility focused on the organization -which is one of the main elements of study- the first thing that is thought of is the Environment -this does not mean that CSR is focused only on this aspect-. We want and even demand that organizations have empathy and responsibility with environmental issues.
As customers or consumers we realize the difficult environmental situation facing the planet and we know that the greatest damage is generated by the manufacturing, production and distribution processes that the Companies carry out.
For this reason, we generate a wide range of possibilities to combat such a difficult environmental perspective. Through recycling, reengineering and reverse engineering, new alternatives that are more friendly to the environment are manufactured every day, that damage it less and that even their acquisition often implies a lower economic cost.
However, despite seeking a change by the Organizations, it is proven that 30% of the damage that a product produces to the environment originates from the moment it is purchased by the consumer. That is, of the total pollution that the manufacture of clothing can generate, 70% originates until the moment the company sells it to us and the remaining 30% is the result of the treatment that we give it in terms of how to wash it., dry it or reuse it.
It is predicted that by the year 2050 we will inhabit 9,000 million people on the planet, the largest population that the earth has ever had. Under what conditions will we reach 2050? Or is it that the earth is capable of withstanding the worst environmental conditions without generating any reaction?
We can realize that there is a lack of involvement in the process of manufacturing and production of products, where we only demand that they be Socially Responsible companies with the Environment, but we do not give ourselves to the task - and the government does not give us the facilities- to find out how a soft drink, a lump of cement, plastics, etc. is really made, and the damage that this causes.
It is difficult to take responsibility because it is similar to the question Which came first the chicken or the egg? Who does more harm, the company or us? Therefore, no one is willing to change as long as the whole world does not change, we will always use the damage caused by others as an argument to justify our actions.
Stakeholders
Stakeholders are called the “stakeholders”, that is, the set of people on whom the organization depends and with whom it has a relationship of common interests. Based on the relationship that the organization manages to establish with the stakeholders, these will be the actions that can be carried out to generate Shared Social Responsibility.
Among the main stakeholders are the following:
| Rights and obligations | ||
| Organization | Stakeholders | |
| Environment | Care, preservation and promotion of the environment. | Generation of conditions, place and raw material for business activities. |
| customers | Respect and deal with established sales agreements and policies. | Respect and deal with established purchasing agreements and policies. |
| Providers | Serve them in a timely manner. | Provide quality and good prices. |
| Competition | Honesty in marketing and sales strategies. Setting fair prices for the customer | |
| government | Payment of taxes, social security to employees, benefits that by law correspond to them. | Respect and enforce commercial laws and guarantees |
| Collaborators | Fair treatment, non-discriminatory, assert rights and obligations. | That he carry out his functions with the efficiency and effectiveness expected of him. |
Should CSR be seen as a means or an end?
Despite the fact that this issue has been raised on more than one occasion, there are still conflicting points of view between the position and the actions that the organization should have when dealing with CSR. In this way, two positions that can be adopted within the company are understood, the first is a socioeconomic position oriented to the protection and improvement of the well-being of society, while the second is a more classic position oriented to the maximization of profits..
For the first group, it should be seen as a tool or a means that allows achieving the established objectives, to be exact, that allows and contributes to the generation of profits.
However, there is a second group of thinkers who differ with this idea, arguing that precisely this is due to the limited efforts in social benefit. For this second group, it is not enough to see CSR as a means, it must be seen as a goal where social and environmental interests represent the same importance as economic interests.
Stakeholders occupy a central place to define if CSR is really a means or an end, collaborators, clients, government, for example, have the capacity to establish at a certain moment the way in which CSR will be approached.
CSR seen as a strategy
Strategy is understood to be “the mobilization of all the company's resources in the global sphere, trying to achieve long-term objectives”. one
When speaking of strategy, it is to unify and join forces with all the agents and sectors involved (Stakeholders) in the organization.
To achieve this end it is necessary to take into consideration the following elements:
- Decision making. Many times the importance that decisions really have is not given, it is believed that the actions in which the physical force is immersed are of greater importance, but, to tell the truth, it is thanks to the decisions that determine the direction and course of the organization. Diagnosis: What makes decisions more likely to be successful is the diagnosis made around various aspects. Mainly it has to do with the detection of strengths, weaknesses and threats of a certain situation or activity. Flexibility:The decisions that are made within a dynamic environment, are with a great possibility of changes and modifications that it will only be possible to obtain the expected results when you have the flexibility to shape, adapt and match them to the present conditions. Control: During the implementation of CSR, correct control is essential before, during and after the plans and actions aimed at the common good. Integration: Communication and participation play a fundamental role when undertaking the CSR strategy, by itself the organization is not capable of achieving such ends. Alignment:CSR must be directed according to the philosophy, values, mission, vision and objectives of the Organization, in order to maintain the same perspective and business idea.
Philanthropy
Trying to find what should be the primary work and the way in which the Company performs its functions, philanthropy is another of the terms most debated by experts and connoisseurs of this subject.
Philanthropy is defined as "love of mankind" or "welfare of neighbor." The word originates from the Greek words Philos and Antrophos, where philos means dear or loved and antrophos human or man.
This feeling of benevolence directed towards the common good, is disinterested, does not exist in any kind of profit motive and is also voluntary.
Since ancient times, philanthropy has meant a virtue, a feeling of conscience for humanity, of benevolence, generosity, kindness, willingness, and active effort to promote the well-being of other people, caused by altruistic actions.
Chris Marsden, Chair Amnesty International Business Group considers that philanthropy should not have any relation to CSR, arguing that: “Shared Social Responsibility in an Organization revolves around essential behaviors of companies and responsibility for their total impact on the companies in which they operate. CSR is not an additional option or an act of philanthropy. A socially responsible company is one that carries out a profitable business, taking into account all the environmental, social and economic effects - positive and negative - that it generates in society "
It is considered that CSR in the Organization is not philanthropic, they are not independent social actions, nor are they obligations or impositions on companies. Rather, CSR is a strategy or a way of acting of the company in its interrelation with all the actors that surround it and that become a competitive advantage.
One way of being able to differentiate and recognize the importance that both Philanthropy and CSR deserve is through a joint model. Understanding CSR as a set of elements A and philanthropic as a set of elements B, it will be pertinent to clarify that: A is not equal to B, some elements of B can be included in A, but A cannot contain in their entirety to B.
These characteristics give rise to an intersection between the two sets, a subset made up of the elements in common as shown below:
The circle where both concepts converge is called Strategic Philanthropy.
Strategic Philanthropy
Also called "Social Investment" and which represents the evolution of traditional Philanthropy, it is constituted by the planned, monitored and voluntary use of private resources in projects of public interest at the time the initiatives are taken by the company.
What differs this concept from CSR is that it has greater limitations. While CSR seeks the benefit of all those involved, -collaborators, clients, suppliers, etc.- Strategic Philanthropy seeks through Social Investment to meet its organizational objectives.
Strategic Philanthropy, being the point at which CSR and traditional Philanthropy intertwine, seeks to generate a social benefit in the most appropriate way, with the correct study and determination of the best means to contribute to social benefit.
Benefits with the application of CSR
Competitiveness is the most notable factor in the benefits that CSR provides. In the struggle for survival of companies, CSR plays a leading role by generating a better empathy with each of the elements or stakeholders that interact with the organization.
A better relationship and better agreements can be established with clients, suppliers and even collaborators by responding to the needs and requirements that the plaintiff has.
In this way, the positive impact will be improved in the:
- Image strategy. Reputation.
This guarantees the highest profit obtaining. On the one hand, it addresses the needs and requests that the environment and stakeholders have and as a result there is greater attractiveness and acceptance towards the market.
The Organization seen as a big family
Once CSR has been defined and detailed, the question that arises is, why is it that organizations do not implement CSR according to the needs that society currently demands?
The Organization is one of the concepts that currently concerns us all, directly or indirectly, the economic aspect and a large part of the social and even affective depends and is, thanks to it. It is considered by many to be a great family that is full of life, energy and dynamism.
We all would like to have a perfect family, that is with us in the most difficult moments and that has the capacity and sufficient elements to respond to each of our needs. These types of ideas are possible as long as there is previous work to understand its functionality, its reason for being, its regulations, guidelines and aspects that define and characterize it.
In the development and creation of organizational families with a better constitution and profitability, it is necessary to mention the Social Responsibility that corresponds to it in order to obtain better benefits.
The importance of people in CSR
As you can see, getting someone to change their mind or modify their position is extremely difficult. Even more, it is to change the ideology of an organization focused on CSR, which is obtaining the desired profits and will not be willing to make any changes.
Change is not achieved overnight and this involvement towards greater participation in CSR requires a willingness and even a different mentality on the part of people that in a staggered way - in terms of the level of impact of our decisions - we make the decisions. To have a Company that contemplates the Stakeholders, it is necessary that its human elements and individually, we practice a set of values, culture and attitudes, in favor of the natural ecosystem and the rest of the elements involved.
Main element that encourages the development of CSR
It can be observed, in the theses and works developed previously, that each and every one of them has the best intention of showing how important CSR is within the organization. However, it is necessary to understand the parts into which the Company is subdivided and takes life in a fractional way, these parts are the people.
We all know in advance that the main problems and the best solutions lie with people. Man generates his own evils and at the same time develops his own solutions. The solutions that at the moment have been able to counteract - but not completely - the ignorance in CSR have been technology, innovation systems and the legislative aspect.
In one way or another, when it comes to people, they always look for another type of solution, another type of exit. Despite this, CSR and the stakeholders involved are made up of people. Customers, collaborators, government, environment, etc., are the same people in their different roles or business activities.
What makes it so complex to come up with healthy and beneficial solutions for both parties lies in the concept of “reality that we have. When two people believe and visualize things differently, it is practically impossible to reach an agreement, especially when it is a business where no one is willing to lose.
For someone, within their concept of reality, it will be very normal for them to sit in the truck without giving the place to a person who needs it; throw the trash from the pallet that is about to be eaten on the ground; or not speaking to the sister because of a difference that was made with her.
This concept of reality was created throughout our lives in different aspects of our formation such as the family and the values imparted in it, the friendships we have, school, society, and we even dare to say that since we are born we already differ in relation to others. From the beginning and in our genetic constitution you can see the character and personality of the one who will like to command, the one who has many fears and insecurities or who is going to be violent and aggressive, to name a few examples.
Undoubtedly, with the passing of the years and the various aspects of our formation, certain issues increase, decrease and some others are impossible to modify. What is a fact is that, regardless of the current situation of each one of us, it is our duty, for our own benefit and that of others, to increase our virtues to be really in a position to practice CSR in the correct way.
To achieve this intention, the following values need to be maximized:
- Consciousness: It is one of the most complex values since it is about working with the concept of reality that we have. You must have an open mind to understand that there will always be something new and better to learn, that we will never have the absolute truth, therefore we must always be open to change and learning. Change is only possible when a knowledge of greater weight than the current one is acquired. Freedom:To assume CSR it must be of one's own free will, without forcing or obliging. When things are not done with complete freedom, it is difficult to assume Responsibility. A person who in a totally drunken state makes a woman pregnant and finds out what happened after nine months is more difficult to assume responsibility than someone who did it in their five senses. A manager who signed the documents is easier to take responsibility than when someone else signed them because they were absent. Courage: It is necessary to strengthen this courage so that regardless of the consequences, for example, going to jail, you have the courage to respond and face the situation. Humility:Many times we have the courage, freedom and awareness of what to do and what not to do, but we have such deep-seated pride that we are unwilling to take Responsibility for our actions.
There are four basic elements, which sound very easy to put into practice, but whoever truly manages to lead a life guided by them will live with a better quality of life and will contribute in a better way to CSR, which is our responsibility.
conclusion
Responsibility is contained in the decisions we make on a daily basis. Many times, we do not realize that at all times we decide. Aspects as simple as the color of clothes or if we want to bathe or not; to issues such as firing a collaborator or making a new investment.
Each of these decisions must have sufficient capacity to assume the consequences and for this it is of great importance to have the necessary knowledge to know the effects of our decisions.
To know the impact and what it means to continue leading a life as we have done so far, it implies stopping to reflect for a moment to make a diagnosis of the good and the bad that we have suffered and how much we can remedy or change this for the future next.
Responsibility is in constant transformation and evolution, if we have a square mentality, at some point it will be out of our reach. The "I am this way and I do not intend to change" is incompatible with the practice of CSR. It is vitally important to live in continuous learning and growth.
Bibliography
- Ávila, MF (April 15, 2016). Principles of Shared Social Responsibility. Retrieved on May 27, 2017, from Gestiopolis: https://www.gestiopolis.com/principios-la-responsabilidad-social-compartida/Bame, E. (April 24, 2013). Shared Social Responsibility. Retrieved on May 27, 2017, from Compromiso Empresarial: http: //www.compromisoempresarial.com/opinion/2013/04/laresponsabilidad-social-compartida/Chiavenato, I. (2000). Introduction to the general theory of management (3rd ed.). Colombia: MacGrawHill. Espinosa, AM (2007). Pontifical Javeriana University. Retrieved on May 27, 2017, from Corporate Social Responsibility as a Competitiveness factor: http://www.javeriana.edu.co/biblos/tesis/economia/tesis27.pdf Pérez Porto, J., & Merino, M. (2012). Definition of responsibility.Retrieved on May 30, 2017, from http://definicion.de/responsabilidad/Rico, YM (2014). Limitations for Corporate Social Responsibility: An approach from alternative conceptions of the Company. Retrieved on May 27, 2017, from the National University of Colombia: http://www.bdigital.unal.edu.co/49865/1/1014200184.2015.pdfRobbins, S., & Coulter, M. (2000). Administration (6th ed.). Mexico: Prentice Hall.
Gratitude
Sincere gratitude to the Technological Institute of Orizaba, for becoming and continuing to reign as the parent home of our professional training. To the Division of Graduate Studies and Research (DEPI), for encouraging us to search for a better future. To the National Council of Science and Technology (Conacyt) for the support and backing it gives us. Finally, and in a special way, to Dr. Fernando Aguirre y Hernández, a pioneer in the construction of a different vision and results.
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