Corporate social responsibility

Companies are a fundamental element for the economic and social development of humanity, they play an essential role in the exploitation of the planet's natural resources, they are also responsible for the impact on society, which is why in recent decades it has emerged the need to take care of their relationship with the environment through Social Responsibility.

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Corporate Social Responsibility is a concept that has recently been included in the objectives of companies, due to the growing need to establish a positive relationship with their value chain. The CSR observatory says “that it is the way of conducting the businesses of companies, characterized by taking into account the impacts that all aspects of their activities generate on their customers, employees, shareholders, local communities, the environment and on society in general ”(Observatory of Corporate Social Responsibility, 2014)

Currently, the business sector has chosen to integrate this type of philosophy in the operation of its businesses, which at the same time increases its value and provides its stakeholders with a commitment to sustainability and with this it intends to make its environment more aware from the fact that there is a need to take care of nature reserves.

Social responsibility is not only focused on the company but is also based on the joint operation through governments, people and organizations that investigate the commitment that is had with the preservation of the environment, the aid that is provided to the society and its economic development.

Companies and organizations must know and implement strategies with ethical and responsible content within their operations for their stakeholders or interest groups, both internal and external: partners, human capital, clients, suppliers, government authority, organizations and the community.

This article will analyze a particular case study of the company “Experiencias Xcaret” and its sustainability approach.

RSC What is it?

Corporate Social Responsibility or as it is mostly known Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR / RSE) is a concept that has evolved over time, it arises from the concern about ethics, the social and environmental part that they have companies and their involvement. At first it was believed that organizations or companies incorporated Social Responsibility because it was a benefit for society by virtue of compensating the damages that the establishment of said company may have caused.

In 1999, at the World Economic Forum through an initiative by Kofi Annan (KPMG, Global Sustainability Services, 2005) a Global Compact emerged, which refers to the involvement of companies with the principles of Social Responsibility, making a pact based on in voluntary action and in the year 2000, the first GRI guide emerged where sustainability reports can be made, based on the effects of the indicators they have.

Below are concepts of social responsibility of some organizations that help to implement them in the business management of companies.

«The responsibility of an organization for the impacts of its decisions and activities on society and the environment, through an ethical and transparent behavior that contributes to sustainable development, health and well-being of society, takes into account the expectations of the interested parties, it complies with applicable legislation and international standards of behavior, and is integrated throughout the organization and practices it in its relationships ”(ISO Central Secretariat, 2010)

«It is the conscious and consistent commitment to fully comply with the company's purpose, both internally and externally, considering the economic, social and environmental expectations of all its participants, demonstrating respect for people, ethical values, community and the environment, thus contributing to the construction of the common good. (Cajiga Calderón, 2017)

Then, it can be understood that Social Responsibility is that commitment that through the decisions and activities carried out by companies, have influence on society and the environment, made up of the way in which values, ethical behavior and transparency are seen reflected in their way of managing, sustainable development, health, well-being of society and considering the expectations of interested parties.

Basic principles of CSR

According to the global pact, it exposes 10 principles for Social Responsibility.

Human rights

1. The company must help to protect human rights They must ensure that human rights are enforced.

Labor and labor relations

1. Companies must support free affiliation and collective bargaining Eliminate forced, rough or compulsory labor, according to the ILO Eliminate child labor and Labor discrimination.

Environment

1. Prevent environmental impact Adopting initiatives to promote environmental preservation, favor the development and diffusion of technologies that respect the environment.

Honesty and ethics

1. Companies must work according to ethics and put aside corruption as well as extortion and bribery.

These four principles are the basis of Corporate Social Responsibility, and are focused on its four areas, preservation of the environment, society, the work environment, credibility and trust with its clients and collaborators.

characteristics

Social Responsibility consists of some characteristics such as the following:

• It is voluntary. It must be incorporated into the entire process of both production and business management. It is focused on the incorporation of values ​​in the way of managing which implies a sustainable development of society. It needs greater commitment, not only to comply with the Laws. The development that it has must be in direct relationship with its stakeholders or interest groups.

Likewise, there are many organizations worldwide that help and contribute in the development of proposals that guide, encourage, regulate and promote Corporate Social Responsibility. (Figure 1)

International	United Nations (UN) International Labor Organization (OTI) · Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). International Organization for Standardization (ISO) · Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Ethos Institute of Social Responsibility
National	· The Alliance for Corporate Social Responsibility in Mexico (AliaRSE) CEMEFI (Mexican Center for Philanthropy) · Business Coordinating Council (CCE) · Confederation of Social Unions of Entrepreneurs of Mexico, AC (USEM Confederation) · Mexican Institute of Standardization and Certification, AC (IMNC)

Figure 1 Main national and international organizations that have acted in CSR matters.

All these organizations are committed to Social Responsibility and every day they seek the well-being that companies have with the environment that surrounds them.

One of the companies that has made the greatest contribution to Social Responsibility has been the World Organization for Standardization and offers an international standard called ISO 26000, more than certifying companies, it helps with a guide for the integration of social responsibility in organizations Regardless of whether they are small, large or the sector they belong to, this guide is used worldwide.

The International Standard ISO 26000, helps with the orientation on the principles of Social Responsibility, since it provides recognition and the involvement of interested parties. This standard can be integrated throughout the organization.

The standard establishes 7 fundamental matters to operate in Social Responsibility:

1. Human Rights Labor Practices Governance Environment Operation Practices Consumer Issues Community Engagement

1.-Human rights: They are all those rights that human beings bring with them from birth, examples of these are: right to life and freedom, freedom of expression, right to equality, there are others that are economic rights, social, cultural, right to work, to food, to health, to social security.

So, companies have the obligation to promote rights in the place where they operate, investigate about these rights before starting work operations, include codes of conduct within the organization which defend and protect employees.

2.-Labor practices: Within the International Labor Organization (ILO), within its standards, four main rights that employees must have, such as freedom of association, prohibit forced labor, prohibition of child labor and non-discrimination Likewise, it is intended to include employment policies such as staff training, complaints management and collective bargaining.

3.-Governance: It refers to the system of rules and practices that direct and control companies, it is the way in which rights and responsibilities are distributed, as well as the rules and procedures for decision-making.

4.-Environment: Sustainable development is one of the issues that is considered most important within the SR since it takes into account the effects that its products, services, and processes have on the quality of air, water, climate and biodiversity, in other words the use of natural resources, pollution control, waste management and the management of the life cycle of products.

5.- Operation practices: Determine what is involved with the product cycle and the value chain, from the supplier to the consumer, they are involved in the establishment of social and environmental standards and monitoring systems among their suppliers.

6-. Consumer affairs: currently the consumer is protected a lot and they take care of the right of access to goods and services, safety, health, information, the right to choose and be heard while claiming, the right to education and sustainability. Companies must ensure that their production leads to sustainable consumption.

7.-Participation with the community: Companies must have contact with the communities promoting jobs and places of work, improve their rural and urban development pathways, recognize their cultures, religions, traditions, work with alliances supporting the exchange of experiences and resources, face poverty, reduce infant mortality, malnutrition, improve health, among others.

Meanwhile in Mexico, it has an organization called AliarRSE and one of its members is CEMEFI, which within its certification has four main principles in Corporate Social Responsibility.

1. Ethics and corporate governance.

Its objectives correspond to ethical performance and the prevention of illicit businesses and respect for human dignity.

In a company that claims to be ethically and socially responsible, it must have mechanisms that must ensure equal treatment among all its stakeholders. As regards corporate governance, it means that by means of a system the companies are managed at the same time as it is determined how the objectives are achieved, it has three dimensions such as ethics, efficiency and responsibility.

1. Quality of life in the company (social dimension of work).

The objective is to mainly promote and establish quality of life for the members of the company as well as decent employment.

Create a favorable, stimulating, safe, creative, motivating, participatory and non-discriminatory environment, as well as respect that fosters both personal and professional development, in order to achieve a better quality of life.

It is intended to have a balance between work and personal life, as well as to improve relationships between employees and managers, to achieve a greater impact on profitability, efficiency and productivity.

Social responsibility within the quality of work life responds to many benefits such as the reduction of absenteeism, the high level of staff turnover, reduces work stress and motivates staff, improves performance and efficiency, creates leaders, improves the image of the company generates a sense of belonging, improves the work environment.

1. Link and commitment to the community and its development.

Its objective is to get involved as a corporate citizen with the communities in which it operates.

The company establishes a link with the community, monitoring public expectations as well as innovation. It seeks to achieve a synergy between interest groups (company, government and civil organizations), the development of social processes that directly or indirectly benefit the company is promoted. The company must contribute with environmental practices, policies on ethics, health matters and matters that have to do with work and family and higher education.

1. Care and preservation of the environment.

Its objective is to respect the environment, resources and the environment.

Respect for the environment through sustainability practices such as the development of recycling processes, waste management, optimization of resources. It seeks to reduce the ecological impact and the intensity in the consumption of resources during the life of the product or service.

According to Cemefi it proposes some principles of CSR.

• "Respect for the dignity of the person. Decent employment. Contribution to the common good. Ethics in business. Prevention of illicit business. Link with the community. Honesty and legality. Justice and equity. Social development." (Cajiga Calderón, 2017)

All these principles proposed by Cemefi help to better understand the concept of SR, and when it is required or determined to be implemented in the organization or managed responsibly, these will be the important points that must be addressed and worked on, in order to become a company Socially responsible.

The interest groups, interested parties or (stakeholders)

Stakeholders are all those subjects that are related to the company, whether public or private, individual or collective, and can be divided into internal or external. There are seven basic interest groups for the company.

Internal stakeholders are those that without their existence in the company would not be possible:

• By virtue of their financial interest: investors and associates By virtue of their commercial relationship: suppliers and clients or consumers By virtue of their employment relationship: managers and collaborators

External stakeholders, which are those that play a fundamental role in demonstrating the necessary credibility in companies and especially the acceptance of their activities, can include:

• By virtue of the regulatory and legal environment; Government and legislative authorities By virtue of its public image and moral credibility: social organizations and communities in which the company operates By virtue of the market environment: competitors By virtue of the sustainability of present and future resources: Environment

Objectives of CSR with each of the stakeholders

Shareholders: Responsible investments, fair dividend policies, information transparency.

Employees: Training and professional development, quality of life, fair and well-paid wages, health and safety at work

Clients: Reliability and quality, guarantee of compliance with human, labor and environmental rights.

Suppliers: Maintain alliances that lead to the delivery of specific requirements.

Environment: Reduction of environmental degradation, energy efficiency

Competitors: Alliances, loyalty.

Public administrations: Compliance with both economic, social and environmental regulations.

Society: Creation of jobs, promotion of values, social actions.

Media: Improve image, give reliability.

From these objectives, it will be possible to understand that a fundamental part of Corporate or Business Social Responsibility has to do with its stakeholders and maintaining the commitment, with this, it will not only provide enormous benefits to the company but also to all its Upon arrival, it is vitally important to understand that they must work together so that everyone enters the win-win game and reaches agreements for better results in meeting the objectives and improving the corporate image.

Tools for Social Responsibility Management

Codes of conduct

"It is a document that describes the basic rights and minimum standards that a company expresses in order to commit itself to respecting the relations between its workers, the community and the environment (respect for human rights and labor rights, among others)." (Cajiga Calderón, 2017)

Code of ethics

"It is a document that contains statements of values ​​and principles of conduct that regulate the relationships between the members of the company (shareholders, collaborators) and towards the outside of the company (suppliers)." (Cajiga Calderón, 2017)

ISO 26000 Guide on Social Responsibility

The main objective is to help organizations in any sector with the implementation of the standard, although this is not auditable or certifiable, it is a way that can be adaptable to the company and help it in its operations in a responsible way.

GRI

The Global Report initiative, or GRI, is a set of guidelines for preparing a sustainability report, it is an international standard for voluntary use by companies whose goal is to achieve quality, rigor and usefulness in Corporate Social Responsibility reports, it is neither auditable nor certifiable.

It helps with the measurement by indicators of the variables of social responsibility, and serves to verify that the company has achieved its objectives or goals of the strategies that were established. If it is required to know more about the manual to make sustainable memories, leave the following link. GRI report.

CSR

It is a Mexican organization that certifies and accredits the stakeholders of a company, as an organization voluntarily and publicly committed to socially responsible management as part of its culture and business strategy.

Benefits of RS

Social responsibility not only translates into obtaining profits if it does not come with a fairly wide catalog where its greatest benefits are translated below:

• Obtains greater loyalty and less rotation of interest groups (stakeholders) Creates a competitive advantage Fosters innovation Provides value and trust Improves the work environment Improves relations with the community and authorities Contributes to the development of communities and the common good. Increases transparency among the business community Increases the value of their investments and their long-term profitability Increases the ability to receive financial support Efficient use of resources by directing them towards sustainable development Improving corporate image and strengthening the reputation of the company and its brands Increase sales, strengthen consumer loyalty Increase productivity and quality Improve skills to attract and retain employees,While loyalty and a sense of belonging are generated among the staff, teamwork is promoted and made more efficient.

There are many benefits that exist to be a company that is governed by its highly responsible and sociable business management, below will be explained an example of great success about a company of Mexican pride that not only cares about sustainable development, but also includes among its attractions a way to raise awareness among its stakeholders.

Case: Socially Responsible Company "EXPERIENCIAS XCARET MÉXICO"

Experiencias Xcaret is a company with 25 years in the market, it has 8 attractions in the Riviera Maya, it is a 100% Mexican group dedicated to sustainable tourism, since 2005 it has been part of the Coordinating Committee of the Global Compact Network in Mexico and since 15 years ago, it has maintained within its certifications the distinctive of "Socially Responsible Company."

“Grupo Experiencias Xcaret has established itself as a great leading company in sustainable and socially responsible tourism recreation, capable of responding to the needs of more than 6 million tourists who visit the Mexican Caribbean each year. This great family comprises very complete products, integrated to offer the best entertainment, fun and unique experiences surrounded by the cultural, archaeological and natural wealth of the country. " (Xcaret Experience Corporate Website, 2016)

ESR's Mission states that, “In Experiencias Xcaret, Corporate Social Responsibility implies being a good corporate citizen, going beyond fulfilling our obligations and positively and voluntarily impacting the quality of life of society, caring for the environment and the economic development of all Mexico. " (Xcaret Experience Corporate Website, 2016)

Grupo Xcaret has adopted within its philosophy the four basic principles of a Socially Responsible Company, for which every year it must renew its certification before this body.

Business ethics	Quality of life of employees
Ecosystem care and conservation	Link with the community

Figure 3 Strategic lines of the Xcaret group

Business ethics

In the first principle that speaks of business ethics, Xcaret has developed a code of ethics within its operations, which deals with the commitment they have to eradicate practices that go against their philosophy.

The Code of Business Ethics Experiencias Xcaret is attached here

Quality of life in employees

It refers to the creation of a favorable environment, which stimulates, motivates, provides security, at the same time a creative, inclusive place, of free discrimination, likewise, that all staff identify themselves in a family environment, from achieving personal and professional development. It has four different classifications within its quality of life program, such as:

Health and security:

• Medical check-ups are carried out annually. Sports activities. Free dining room for employees, which is also certified with the Distinctive "H" Nutritionists to determine types of food for employees. Hygiene and safety brigades

Formation and development

• Training Supports the "Zero Educational Lag" program Language courses Incentives for completion of studies

Collaborators and families

• Courtesy passes to the parks for employees and their families Economic scholarships for children of employees for good grades Savings on family finances: discount on opticians and dental clinics, restaurants, credit for school supplies, among other benefits.

Gender equality

• Within its policy it seeks to respect human dignity, establishing the Gender Equity Model (MEG) that ensures equal opportunities for candidates and collaborators, offering continuous improvement and quality of life, strengthening productivity and organizational culture to through the management of labor competencies, as well as preventing sexual harassment.

Xcaret is recognized for being a company that takes care of its staff, they have the motto "employees are the backbone of the company." That is why it is distinguished for being one of the best companies to work for in Mexico, an award that the “Great Place to Work Institute” carries out to learn about its organizational climate.

Ecosystem care and conservation

Xcaret, due to its sustainable tourism theme, within its management develops CSR programs that prevent and reduce the negative impacts that can be generated to the environment and the community, complying with the laws that are governed and international standards; thus preserving a place for future generations, and for this it has four preservation programs.

Conservation of flora

• Production of Native Plants Orchids.

Conservation of fauna

• Reproduction and Conservation of the Scarlet Macaw, the Pink Flamingo and the Pink Snail Sea Turtle Conservation Program: Turtle Initiation Turtle Hospital Exhibition of nests Care of turtle camps in alliance with Flora, Fauna and Culture of Mexico AC

Environmental practices

• Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Comprehensive Water Management Recommend the use of chemical-free sunscreen to visitors Energy savings

EarthCheck Certification

• It is the only global Benchmarking and Certification program for sustainable travel and tourism activities.

Link with the community

Within the relationship that Grupo Xcaret has, its main commitment is to identify and monitor needs and expectations of the communities that surround it and that they can get involved, for which it has programs that help the community identify with the company, such as the following:

Dissemination of cultural heritage

• Festival of Life and Death Traditions Sacred Mayan Crossing Voladores Ritual Ceremony (Papantla, Veracruz.) Show called Xcaret Mexico Spectacular Traditional Mexican Cuisine Mariachi

Boost to the Mexican economy, establishing strategic alliances between stakeholders, based on the win-win model.

• Green Triathlon with a Cause United Nations Global Compact Network in Mexico Training of the Value Chain Training of suppliers and partners to raise awareness of SR

Economic and social development

• Purchase from Local Suppliers Support for Play Centers of "Save the Children" in Solidaridad and Tulum.

Strategic Alliances

• Professional internships with various public and private universities in the country Academic Institutions for Scientific Research including CONACYT The Social Tourism program provides courtesy tickets to the Xcaret and Xel-Há Parks, for vulnerable groups in Quintana Roo in order for them to know attractions of the destination.

Environmental Education Program

• Academic Excellence ProgramInvitations to university students with better averages, to get to know the Xplor caverns through an educational tour and interpretation of the geology of the region.

Flora, Fauna and Culture of Mexico

• Social and environmental arm of Experiencias Xcaret. Flora, Fauna and Culture of Mexico AC Sea Turtle Conservation Program: Seeks to protect, monitor, investigate and conserve the populations of sea turtles that spawn on the main nesting beaches in Quintana Roo. Mangrove Project: Reforestation and rehabilitation of the Natural Protected area " Nichupté Lagoon System ”. Riviera Maya Forest Nursery: Conservation and production of native species; It is the first in production of red, white and black mangroves. La Ceiba Park "El Corazón de Playa": Public space for meeting, recreation and artistic, cultural and environmental awareness for the community of Playa del Carmen. Nature Classroom: Environmental Education Saturday de Tianguis: Offer of handicrafts and organic products Green School:Reforestation of Public Schools in Quintana Roo and Generation of Orchards.

Within his sustainability strategy, he explains that his vision is to provide unique experiences inspired by respect for nature, culture and life, and within his model he considers three dimensions that correspond to people, planet and prosperity, and all this thinking in adding value to stakeholders.

Below in figure 4, the sustainability Model with which the Xcaret Group works is shown, in order to be certified and achieve the appointment of Socially Responsible Company, below is a link to learn more about the sustainability reports 2016. MS 2016 ESP (BAJA).pdf - Google Drive

conclusion

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a tool or guide that serves for business management, which consists of three fundamental elements, the first indicates that the organization is responsible for enforcing the laws (these can be labor, civil, social, etc..) The second deals with the demands that the market has, since when consuming their products or services, they have the responsibility to ensure the social, environmental and economic impacts, and that through these, generate great benefits such as It is the improvement of the image, competitive advantages, they add value, increase in sales, more productive and happy collaborators among others, and the third is about the long-term vision that organizations have, from the implementation of this tool within its management,They will be convinced that there is no better way of doing business than when all stakeholders are integrated and generate what is the win-win model.

The adoption of Corporate Social Responsibility is not always easy. It is a path that involves leadership decisions within the company to overcome problems such as low civic culture, corruption, insufficient legal frameworks, authoritarian ways of exercising leadership and others that have prevented the company from developing.

Behold, recognizing that companies are created by people, with people and for people is where a change in the way of using the concept of philanthropy comes from, since by adopting these measures they manage to change the way of the operation and its business management and not only worrying about the production of products or services, but also the way that these achieve an impact on society and the environment

THESIS PROPOSAL

Analysis of the stakeholders of company "X" in the integration of its strategies in relation to environmental care.

OBJECTIVES:

• Analyze each of the interest groups and determine the environmental measures that are being carried out Verify the influence and impact of company “X” on its interest groups

Bibliographic references

Cajiga Calderón, JF (October 6, 2017). www.cemefi.org. Retrieved October 2017, 2017, from www.cemefi.org:

National Institute of Women. (October 13, 2015). www.gob.mx. Retrieved on October 08, 2017, from www.gob.mx:

KPMG, Global Sustainability Services. (2005). Implementing the global compact, a brochure for inspiration. Copenhagen: FB Communication.

López Salazar, A., Ojeda Hidalgo, JF, & Ríos Manríquez, M. (2016). Corporate social responsibility from the perception of capital. Elsevier Espana, 36-46.

Observatory of Corporate Social Responsibility. (01 of 01 of 2014). observatoriorsc.org. Retrieved October 6, 2017, from observatoriorsc.org:

Ruiz Otero, E., Gago García, M. d., García Leal, C., & Barra Lopez, S. (2016). Human resources and corporate social responsibility. Spain: McGraw-Hill Interamericana of Spain.

Schulze Lepe, F., & Capriotti Peri, P. (2010). Corporate social responsibility. Chile: EXECUTIVE Business School.

ISO Central Secretary. (2010). International Standard ISO 26000 / Social Responsibility Guide. Switzerland: ISO 2010.

Xcaret Experience Corporate Site. (December 31, 2016). www.grupoexperienciasxcaret.com. Retrieved October 7, 2017, from www.grupoexperienciasxcaret.com:

Thanks:

I make special mention to the National Technological Institute of Mexico, Technological Institute of Orizaba, to the Master in Administrative Engineering and the subject of Fundamentals of Administrative Engineering taught by Dr. Fernando Aguirre y Hernández, for motivating the realization of the article and the knowledge that I acquire in each of the topics to be investigated, but above all to CONACYT for providing support to continue my postgraduate studies.

_____________

Stakeholders which means interest groups or their stakeholders.

The Global Compact explains 10 principles on human and labor rights, protection of the environment and the fight against corruption.

Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) It is a guide for the preparation of reports for sustainability through indicators.

International Labor Organization regulates working conditions so that companies respect employees by establishing guidelines on employment, training, health conditions, life and labor relations.

ISO (International Organization for Standardization) for its acronym in English which stands for International Organization for Standardization. It is a world federation of national bodies for standardization.

The Alliance for Corporate Social Responsibility in Mexico, which brings together 19 organizations that help companies to be perceived as creators of value and well-being in common, exercising social responsibility.

Mexican Center for Philanthropy which has a certification program for Corporate Social Responsibility (ESR)

The GRI is not a management system standard, nor is it possible to certify in it, but it establishes, among other things, a proposal on how socially responsible companies can report, based on performance indicators, on issues such as cash flow to suppliers, employees and customers; payment of taxes, payment to suppliers and subsidies; use and environmental impact of water, energy, materials, biodiversity and gases; labor practices and policies, human rights; social impact and product responsibility.

Hygiene and Quality Certification in food and beverages.

The Gender Equity Model (MEG) "is a management system with a gender perspective, which provides tools to companies, public institutions and social organizations to assume a commitment to equality between women and men." (National Institute of Women, 2015)

Philanthropy that comes from the Greek is understood by "love for the human race" which can be understood as seeking the good of someone in a selfless way and without expecting to receive anything in return.

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