To understand Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), we begin with some definitions, such as urgency for the knowledge and correct application of people through their companies.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Europe has the following definition: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) revolves around essential behaviors of companies and responsibility for their total impact on the societies in which they operate. A socially responsible company is one that runs a profitable business, taking into account all the environmental, social and economic effects - positive and negative - that it generates on society.
The ISO 26000 standard, after long discussions on CSR, reached consensus to define it as follows:
"Social Responsibility: is the commitment of an organization for the impacts of its decisions and activities on society and the environment, through a transparent and ethical conduct that contributes to sustainable development, including the health and well-being of the society; take into account the expectations of interested parties and comply with laws and be compatible with international standards of conduct ”.
The European Commission presented a new definition of CSR, "the responsibility of companies for their impact on society." The respect of the applicable legislation and of the collective agreements between the social partners is a prerequisite to the fulfillment of this responsibility. To fully assume their social responsibility, companies must implement, in close collaboration with stakeholders, a process aimed at integrating social, environmental and ethical concerns, respect for human rights and consumer concerns in their business operations and its basic strategy, in order to: maximize the creation of shared value for its owners / shareholders and for other stakeholders and society in a broader sense; identify,prevent and mitigate its possible adverse consequences. (European Commission, COM (2011) 681 final).
These two definitions, from the ISO 26000 standard and from the European Commission, allow to lay the foundations of "Social Responsibility":
- It is a responsibility of organizations for their impacts: the negative impacts (social and environmental) of their activities should (ideally) progressively disappear. This constitutes the required promise. This responsibility therefore requires a management mode whose purpose is the sustainability of society, eliminating unsustainable negative impacts and promoting sustainable development modes. Social responsibility is not beyond and outside the law but that is articulated with legal obligations. Laws must define what are the prohibited negative impacts and motivate the social responsibility of all. Of course, social responsibility does not begin "beyond the laws", as is often heard, but within the laws and for the laws to be complied with and improve.Social responsibility calls for coordination between stakeholders capable of acting on the negative impacts diagnosed, in a situation of joint responsibility, in order to seek mutually beneficial solutions (build value for all social actors, win-win solutions, and not only value to some at the expense of others).
Companies must create and promote social responsibility projects or programs, having education as a transversal axis, in accordance with their corporate social responsibility policy, with permanent project management over time and implemented with elements on human, labor and environmental rights., ensuring that civil society is provided with all rights the information and the empowerment to work in a committed and responsible way united by the same hand.
It is not to give specific, isolated or sporadic actions, which is placed as an action of philanthropy, charity or charity, so only the concept of CSR is celebrated, where many think it is alms, this is without criteria, without management or planning, in many cases without coordination with community organizations.
If we are clear about the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility, we will manage viable projects that are implemented over time, we also improve social integration, equity and competitiveness and thus together we build a more just and sustainable society for future generations.
