"Companies do not always fail due to lack of resources, but because of their administration vis-à-vis customers, collaborators, the community and the state." Felix Campoverde Vélez
1. Introduction
The economic-financial crisis and uncertainty of corporate bankruptcies, and corruption scandals in both the public and private spheres, regardless of the size of the company, sector and geographical location, due to the accelerated desire to «maximize and optimize their levels of economic benefits »(Milton Friedman-liberal monetarist-1970), have lost the main objective of their vision and business mission.
The perfect competition market theory put forth by Adam Smith, in which the free play of supply and demand and the private pursuit of monetary gain not only did not dissolve social cohesion, but was also seen as the solution most appropriate for poverty, it was expressed on the premise of maximizing shareholder value. With this, the most advanced expression of this market approach has been represented, according to which, the collective benefit is achieved from the maximization of the individual benefit, in a market without institutional interventions.
Many business organizations, that regardless of the size of their assets, have been on track and prioritized the accumulation of wealth without measure, using materialism and utilitarianism, which has established itself internationally as a current of habitual thought, in which it is marginalized. the importance of the individual's moral responsibilities, resulting in a lack of trust in the different stakeholders and business organizational development, affecting everyone. Therefore, questions have been raised about Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the value of ethics as its foundation, since "the social economy is the seed of Social Responsibility" (JL Monzón C.-2014), now is the time to make decisions about the application of this theme.
The economy, as a social science, is related to the moral principles of the society in which it develops. On the one hand, economic relations influence the prevailing morality of society, and on the other, the problem of moral order (Sánchez Vázquez, 1999, 35), for which we can say that ethics, considered as the science of moral behavior, is related to the economy, both in its origins and in its development, being "management in the economy reflecting the behavior of decision makers".
For some authors such as Monzón, and Chaves (2008), the origin of CSR is established in the 1930s and others in the 1970s, but the truth is that since the 1990s this concept has been gaining strength and constantly evolved, after the advent of globalization, the acceleration of economic activity, ecological awareness and the development of new technologies.
In this case, social issues are an explicit part of the organizational strategy, so that one can speak of a "global approach to social responsibility" as described in the European Communities' Green Paper (2001). So there will be policies, programs and budgets, in short, means, which will allow us to forecast the ethical repercussions of decisions in relations with all the social agents with which the organization is related.
The current trend is to align and integrate social initiatives with business activity, since precisely social responsibility drives the strengthening of the company and the loyalty of consumers towards a certain brand. The leader's social conscience and his desire to make a contribution to society have changed the business environment during the last decade.
James Austin, a professor at the Harvard Business School, said in a recent article that “the increasing importance of the company's social dimension is one of the most impactful recent changes. You could think of an evolution of companies. Surveys indicate that populations around the world expect companies to contribute to solving social problems. This pressure and the discovery that investments in the social field are profitable led to a new stage, in which the social and the economic are integrated in the search for sustainability.
The approach of this topic shows the reflection and urgency of the application of ethics as the foundation of CSR, not only in the traditional field, of responsibility for the ecological and of the community, but goes beyond participation. directional with social conscience.
And finally, this communication is not a philosophical treatise, regarding the concepts of ethics and social responsibility, which have been confused for centuries, since the definition of ethics can vary from person to person, social responsibility is the direct result of a set of ethical principles. Each culture has different ethics, but social responsibility remains basically constant, in which only the impacts of harm and respect for others count.
On the other hand, if the questions are:
- How much does corruption cost in the companies themselves? How much value has been lost in the world during the last economic crises that have, as a main cause, the lack of social responsibility on the part of governments, business managers, politicians and even consumers? In short, how can we continue within a market without ethics, without values, where free speculation has acted freely? global warming, the cultivation of vegetables, vegetables and the elaboration of products for mass consumption with chemicals that produce side effects and the nuclear threat ?.
This is the perspective developed in this communication, setting forth different pronouncements and practices, which for the fulfillment of stated objectives, the theme has been developed in the following points:
In a first part of the communication, a reflection of competitiveness and the need for ethics in business with CSR; in other words, being and not being ethical in front of the workers, community and state.
The second part focuses on the consequences of applying ethics and social responsibility in the company, taking into account the information that validates the importance of Social Responsibility, in the productivity and image of the organizations, as well as the business strategy for growth and sustainability in the market.
The work of communication is concluded through the global analysis and convenience of the use of ethics in business as a key to entrepreneurship, development, innovation and sustainability of companies, finance and economy, in the field of good living.
Key words: Ethics, Social Responsibility, Legitimacy, Competitiveness, Crisis, Expectations, Stakeholder, Research, Development and Innovation (IDE), Human Capital, Attitude, Aptitude and Common Good.
ethics-as-foundation-of-corporate-social-responsibility2. Ethics and social responsibility as an element of competitiveness
2.1. State of the question
"If it seems to you that meeting the criteria of Corporate Social Responsibility based on ethics is expensive, try not to meet them" Félix Campoverde Vélez
What does it mean that the current crisis has its origin in the dishonest conduct of the Corporate Governments?
Antonio Argandoña in his essay "The ethical dimension of the financial crisis" (2010) shows that the crisis caused by the simple search for maximum benefits, with perversion when structuring the speculative financial mechanism, of excessive leverage of operations outside of Balance and the consequent assumption of excessive risks up to the allowed conflicts of interest, have included deceptive advertising behavior, recklessness, greed, arrogance, conflict of interest, fraud, perverse incentives, regulations and laws, which also include temperance in the ability to curb the desire for "success" of wealth or social recognition; because it is very likely that many executives and control agencies realized what was happening,but they were not able to make decisions so as not to jeopardize their career or remuneration, which would complicate their professional, governmental, or business life.
The direct relationship between ethics and finance, manifested since the dawn of the way of doing business, when there was no crime or fraud, and the main objective was manifested in "win-win", in terms of value of use and exchange, which pursued fair trade, with responsibility towards the community being the interests that contributed to the sustainability of the common good (good living).
It would be unwise at the present time not to have clear ends on the ethical dimension, as it would be to turn ends into what are really means. Building the trust and reputation of the organization (image risk) necessarily go through honest actions in its ends and in its means. In other words, it is necessary to put the means to act well, and it is not a bad thing that this is known, but it would be counterproductive to seek to give an image of what is not, since the facts are what determine to sustain trust and confidence. Reputation, according to Manuel Guillen (2006, 308 -309), good behavior generates trust in its ethical dimension and this is transmitted from the personal to the organizational level and from this to the environment, while ethically reprehensible behavior destroys trust.
The foregoing corroborates the accusations made by the European Commission (Brussels) in the month of May 2014, in which the US bank JP Morgan, the British HSBC and the French giant Crédit Agricole also manipulated the Euribor “allegedly” for years, the interest rate that serves as a benchmark for millions of mortgages and financial products in Europe. These entities have been accused of violating competition rules and of having participated in a cartel dedicated to influencing the prices of products derived from interest rates in euros with bad arts. "We have come to the conclusion that these three banks participated in the cartel and we have decided to open a statement of objections," said the Vice President and Commissioner for Competition, Joaquín Almunia.While the three entities roundly denied those accusations.
It should be remembered that in December 2013, the European Commission already fined six financial institutions 1.7 billion euros for manipulating the Euribor and Tibor (the Japanese reference index). Brussels then sanctioned five banks (Deutsche Bank, Société Générale, Royal Bank of Scotland, JP Morgan and Citigroup) and a broker (JP Martin). Two other entities, Barclays and USB, participated in the manipulation, but escaped the fine by taking advantage of the leniency program that Brussels offers to companies that denounce an anti-competitive practice or collaborate in the investigation. The Commission's investigations concluded that the Euribor cartel operated between September 2005 and May 2008, until just four months before the fall of the US group Lehman Brothers.
The fines of the European and American Competition authorities for the so-called Libor case (the Anglo-Saxon reference interest rate) already amount to a combined amount of some 4,300 million euros. To this case are added the alleged manipulation of the Euribor and the Tiber, in addition to similar problems related to the manipulation of the currency markets. Regarding exchange rates, Almunia warned that Brussels "has received lots of information, although the time has not yet come to announce measures."
As Antonio Argandoña says, regarding the financial market, for example, there are many reckless manifestations of risk mismanagement by all the agents involved, including regulators, risk rating agencies, auditing companies, etc., since complacency, for example, usually takes place in the boom phase, and bonanzas, prior to the crisis, and manifests itself in an undervaluation of risk, and panic, when the crisis erupts, for example following the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers.
While gregarious behaviors (herd behavior), buying, for example when everyone buys and selling when everyone sells, it may be a rational behavior to minimize losses when markets fall, the truth is that they accentuate the fall, by extending it to other markets which can lead to panic, behaviors that can also be considered herd. (Taleb 2007). Another incidence manifests itself in governance and in the lack of professional competence on the part of the different members of corporate governance, and managers who did not act responsibly.
The crisis has evidenced a high moral risk on the part of the agents through, for example, the so-called “too big to fail”, in which the manipulation in their favor of certain entities was discovered, aware that if they did not receive help and given its size, the collapse of the financial system would be generated, so it is worth remembering that Basel III seeks a greater demand for capital, focusing on quality and not on the quantity of resources, by implementing a minimum for the ratio of primary capital of 4.5% (Basic Solvency ratio). On the other hand, the minimum capital that a bank must have continues to be, as in Basel I and II, 8% and additionally a countercyclical component is created that can be activated at national discretion.
The results of the latest survey by the consulting firm Ernst & Young, (June-2014) reveal that efforts to fight fraud and corruption seem to be losing momentum. One in five companies does not yet have such a policy; less than a third of companies have anti-corruption and due diligence programs; and 45% of organizations do not have a line or channel for reporting and sanctions. It is also stated that: "The caution of the Spanish executives, before corrupt practices have relaxed in recent years…"
However, the consultancy highlights 36% of Spanish managers, by 42% of Europeans, would accept unethical behavior in their company in order to safeguard the business, Despite this, the study also ensures that in recent years Perhaps because of the crisis, caution over corrupt practices has been relaxed.
The US “Foreign Corrupt Practices Act” that legislates corruption practices abroad is highlighted as the benchmark in this area. In 2014, with this law, a fraud fine of more than $ 200 billion was applied to a company. The new Bribery Act passed in 2013 is being implemented in England, and Germany and Italy are taking more aggressive approaches to the issue. In December 2014, the US Internal Control Framework approved in 1992 will be replaced by a new one that will have stricter anti-fraud controls (Global Fraud Survey. Ernst & Young-2014).
Thus, in the last decade, the need to apply Good Governance Codes has resurfaced, with new advances in Basel III, based on the Winter Reports, the Aldama Report in Spain, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, OECD, COSO and in Spain the Financial Law or the Transparency Law in Spain, among others.
Well, all this emergence of rules, regulations and government measures has entails posing. Could ethics have prevented the financial crisis?. On its own, probably not, but it could have made it less likely and with less global social, economic and financial impact.
The intention is not to evaluate the actions that led to the crisis, nor to be part of the different positions taken over the last decade, but it is to express the «need for the application and fundamental legitimacy of ethics in the way of doing business with social responsibility ”, which presupposes considering that organizations are part of the fabric in which they operate, they are not groups of people isolated from other social institutions, for this reason, it is convenient to analyze the behavior of organizations within the framework of their relationship with the society to which they belong, and in which the activities of the different organizations are carried out, as Guillen states. Manual (Ethics in organizations. Year- 2006)
2.2. Ethical social action and corporate social responsibility
"An intelligent man learns more from failure than from success." Benjamin Franklin.
As explained in the previous section, all this makes companies emphasize the strengthening of internal mechanisms to ensure the return on investment. Adherence to ethical business practices are increasingly necessary in the face of the wave of Fraud and intentional errors by not observing procedures, codes of ethics, local or international laws and regulations that have led to large losses of property damage; where the elements of fraud, such as the opportunity in the absence of controls and sanctions, the attitude and aptitude of enrichment at everyone's expense; and the pressure of motives on the part of the corporate government, personal or of the market, have become a predominant culture for these events.
This crisis is not different from the previous ones, but responds to traditional patterns manifested in poor management, since the behavior of the people who were in charge of banking organizations, rating agencies, and supervision, central banks, governments and universities, etc; because they made the theoretical and practical models, in which the end justified the means, to achieve enrichment in the short term, and in turn what they have created is a strong increase in unemployment and cutting social spending, while, the Nordic countries have shown that thanks to public policies of social responsibility, they have shielded their economy, guaranteeing their citizens, health, employment, education with statistics of low rates of poverty and employment.
When we say that a company is socially responsible, we refer to the business management process, to the way of being and doing of an organization, to how the company conducts business, this concept speaks of the practices that the company develops within its business strategy and that should benefit all its stakeholders (customers, workers, community, authorities, environment and shareholders, among others), by which the responsible companies have the ability to listen to the interests of the different parties and incorporate them into the planning of its activities, the corporate governance model being a daily exercise of transparency inside and outside the company.
In the same way, there are companies that, in the midst of the crisis, have shown that they maintain a high culture of CSR in Spain, now being an essential moment for public action on the matter with precise and appropriate measures to counteract the impacts, since it is true that the economic crises are not reached by chance or bad luck, but by an accumulation of many irresponsibilities exercised that surely have been one more guilty than others, but it is true that each one has his degree of responsibility; it is enough to recall cases such as ENRON / ANDERSEN, and the LEHMAN BROTHER Case, which with a 160-year history of transcendence in the financial sector, in 2008, as a consequence of rampant greed, has destroyed people, companies and a large part of the world economy in a domino game effect,where the values of such as social justice, social return value, management responsibility were not fundamental.
Similarly, there must be a coherence between the actions carried out by the managers who manage the company and their individual moral behavior, which must not collide. On the other hand, executive behaviors that only pursue personal profit have led to business crises as important as WorldCom or Parmalat, so that at these extremes, the behaviors are no longer immoral, but clearly criminal, although it must be taken into account that not only are the main visible heads of these corporations responsible, but also all the interest groups that closed their eyes to the opacity of information displayed by these companies during their supposed good times.
When talking about the application of corporate responsibility and sustainability based on Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu's experience, most companies cluster around the average: many are well-intentioned but sometimes ineffective, while others are driven more by appearance than by substance; few stand out unequivocally or fail to do so entirely.
Deloitte's position: Through this effort, the acts of giving, conserving and volunteering exist in harmony, aligned with the core business and the company's strategy. The beneficial impact for the community can be improved; ROI can be achieved for the company Deloitte asserts that the issue of corporate responsibility and sustainability must be on the minds and agendas of every executive and board in companies around the world. This is not an assertion derived from morally correct reasoning. Altruism may be noble, but it is insufficient rationality for business (as opposed to NGOs and governments). Furthermore, Deloitte perceives corporate responsibility and sustainability as a fundamental imperative that organizations must proactively address.
Being a current challenge in the face of the crisis, there are more and more actions that, although they do not cover the full concept of social responsibility, do draw inspiration from its values and principles by developing some of its specific aspects, an example of this methodology is the Youth Entrepreneurship and Employment Strategy 2013-2016, a pioneering project in Spain that recognizes companies and entities that, as a complement to the Spanish Strategy for Social Responsibility of Public Companies, carry out actions aimed at improving employability and promoting entrepreneurship and youth access to the labor market. In this way, in addition to specifying and encouraging behaviors that respond to a socioeconomic problem,The commitment of companies to society that promotes corporate social responsibility is being reinforced.
2.3.- Competitiveness and corporate social responsibility
"We cannot wait for a change if we continue doing the same as always" Albert Einstein.
After reviewing the list of companies and financial institutions that have grown the most in the last decade and whose objective was only to be competitive without having incorporated ethical values in the short term, we found that companies must be ethical in the first place and based on this value, the appropriate thing, from the point of view of the mentioned ethics, is the search for competitiveness, without leaving the ethic relegated to mere advertising slogans.
CSR occupies the space between legal requirements, on the one hand, and social expectations about the role of companies in society, on the other, and to the extent that current and potential clients take into account social responsibility with that the companies where they buy operate, it becomes a source of competitive advantage for companies that cover the distance between the law and expectations, or a weakness for those that do not.
Globalization has contributed to the awakening of the consciousness of many consumers who, when choosing products or services, value companies that publicly show their interest in environmental and social issues. Within this trend, there are already many investors who do not exclusively use financial criteria to evaluate a stock, but also the public image of the corresponding corporation or brand.
CSR guides the development of companies committed to society, through competitiveness and productivity, which not only takes into account the results, but also the way to obtain them, which materializes in reputation, in the trust they generate and, in definitely, in the external perception about the attractiveness of the company and, in addition, of the country in which it operates.
CSR implies doing business ethically and sustainably with the management capacity and ethical values inherent in the production, administrative, marketing and community process, for them it is necessary to take into account the essential elements of CSR in terms of administration control of information take into account: a) transparency; b) access with fluidity and integrity; c) accountability, social balance, and risk mapping, since without these elements, it is impossible to be competitive.
Already in 2001, the European Union published the "Green Paper", and in numeral 5 page 3, it said: "the concept of social responsibility is applied especially in large companies, although in all types of companies, public and private, including SMEs and cooperatives… »Brussels, 18.7.2001 COM (2001) 366 final; but it is undoubtedly that in the 19th century, within the framework of cooperativism and associativeism, it sought to reconcile efficiency, effectiveness and effectiveness in business processes with social principles of democracy, self-help to the community and distributive justice where the evolution of human thought arises and with the acceptance that we are all interconnected and related and that, therefore, there is nothing to be done, no independent action, that does not affect the collective,CSR becoming a business management model adopted by the top management of a company to act for the benefit of the different groups with which it is related (stakeholders or interest groups: customers, employees, suppliers, shareholders, community and state).
It is undoubtedly then that by complying with legal and ethical obligations and commitments, companies are socially responsible. Considerations that will be taken into account based on the activities carried out, its orientation towards satisfying the needs, expectations of its members, those who benefit from its commercial activity, as well as the care and preservation of the environment, incorporating the dimension economic, social and environmental in strategic planning, so it is important that for the application of business strategy, it is necessary to know the processes of the company or organization because, “who does not know their business processes cannot evaluate or mitigate business risks. "
In a speech at the Peterson Institute on April 6, 2011, World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick spoke of the need for a new social contract to "democratize development." Social responsibility efforts can improve internal accountability and constructive participation of citizens and their governments, leading to greater development effectiveness. " Therefore, CSR is a factor of dynamism and innovation for all companies.
Firstly, because it supposes a responsible and conscious management of its business activity that evolves with respect to the capacity of actions, sensitivity, reaction, and has social obligations, gained prestige in its market segment, secondly, because, as part of its own CSR policies industrial and commercial globalization is increasingly demanding in criteria towards suppliers and contractors and thirdly, the application measure of CSR creates an environment of pro-activity, development of Research and Development (Innovation), extending this business culture to different interest groups, and sustainability as mentioned by Sanchis Palacio, "Entrepreneurship, Social Economy and Employment" (2010), "… the functions or roles of employers have changed significantly,so that at present its functions are aimed at guaranteeing the survival of the company, at leading people and developing committed management on the basis of permanent organizational change, »since good management must take into account: the actions in the organizations: learning, knowledge, development of capacities, attitudes, and virtues of its members, as well as, for decision-making, a whole range of scenarios and quantifiable evaluations of the types and impacts of risks.attitudes, and strengths of its members, as well as, for decision-making, a whole range of scenarios and quantifiable assessments of the types and impacts of risks.attitudes, and strengths of its members, as well as, for decision-making, a whole range of scenarios and quantifiable assessments of the types and impacts of risks.
3.- The intangible value in the shares with corporate social responsibility
"Corporate Social Responsibility, must be understood as the way of doing business that goes beyond compliance with current legal policies, procedures and regulations." Felix Campoverde Vélez
Reputational capital (image risk) does not appear on the balance sheets of companies, but it will not take long to do so ”; it has been said and with good reason. This is an asset that is increasingly worthwhile in companies, as multiple investigations carried out worldwide (Reputation Institute) demonstrate and, as mentioned by Wally Olins, marketing guru, the power of the brand as a differentiating element, that of a singular image, attractive and credible whose intangible value is imposed even on the real assets of a company; bringing the concept of reputation a solid competitive advantage in which company names such as Audi, IBM, Starbucks, Volvo, Zara, Nike and Camper represent in their competitive markets, citing Professor CJ Fombrun, a value “as good as the gold (as good as gold) ”.It is undoubtedly that nobody returns to acquire a product or service, in the same place where it has been poorly served, cheated, etc.,
Companies thus generate large profits for their good reputation, but also huge losses for not having it, a situation that sooner or later will have to be reflected in the statement of profit and loss or financial balance.
In these circumstances, it is not surprising that reputation receives maximum attention in the business world today, even with huge sums of money to improve it through the different media and, especially, through advertising or communication strategies. and marketing, their managers being aware that the increase in sales, a key source of income, depends largely on that and, therefore, on the positioning of their brand, name or public recognition.
This new debate has not been posed in the correct way. After all, the quality of the commercial offer is only a variable of reputation, as we saw before; Reputation encompasses much more: the ethical part, labor, leadership, etc., and these aspects give rise to CSR, without which a true reputation cannot exist, if it were to be misleading, it would soon be known, causing large losses to the company.
With regard to CSR, to assess the position of each company in relation to competitors, reputation is measured, an intangible asset and increasingly valued by company managers. Reputation is one of the most important corporate assets, as well as one of the most difficult to protect.
Most of the statements and pronouncements, such as that of The Economist, indicate that the most important risks to a company's reputation are, first, the breach of legal obligations, or those set by the regulator; second, to have an offer of products and services of a lower quality than expected by customers; and third, within walking distance, that the behavior of the company is described as unethical. In other words, socially responsible behavior favors the reputation of the company, the organization.
In recent years, the number of cases of Japanese companies has grown which, after having caused serious harm to consumers or to society in general, have suffered such damage to their image that they have been doomed to disappearance.
From misfortune to change, it is a lesson that Japanese culture gives us, after the great earthquake and subsequent tsunami, they have shown a real and true awareness of what social responsibility means. A real teaching of ethical values and social conscience. When have we found out that the director of a company apologizes to society for its failures or mistakes?
Finally, that business leadership today claims to manage reputation in business, taking advantage of the knowledge held by stakeholders and aligning their actions in the various departments of the company.
4. Objectives pursued with social responsibility. (CSR).
«The final objective of a company is built on its ability to achieve objectives and avoid risks” Félix Campoverde Vélez
The main objective of Corporate Social Responsibility, as we have been pointing out in this communication, aims to strengthen business management through the implementation of practices and procedures from its management bodies and other members in each of its relationships with all interest groups (stakeholders). All this to maintain economic success and obtain comparative and competitive advantages by building a good reputation and gaining trust with reliable suppliers recognized for the quality of their products and services who wish to sell to a customer who buys continuously and pays on time. The community also wants to know that the company acts in a consistent social and environmental way.
In another position, workers find that it is desirable that they want to be in a company that meets basic standards or goes further, with respect for social responsibility. On the other hand, the State also wants compliance with sovereign norms and laws for the welfare of the community.
Finally, the shareholder, who wishes to invest, ensuring his return and profitability in a transparent way, maximizing his benefits without harming anyone, win-win where everyone wins, where the use and exchange value is optimal.
Among these objectives we could mention the generation of employment, with attention to the needs of society, and the state, helping to reinforce the most advanced and sustainable management models that help make companies more competitive, which will increase their credibility and it will be able to guide actions and decisions towards priority issues in the short and medium term, as well as aspects related to its viability and the expectations of its stakeholders.
The concentric circles of social responsibility in companies allow us to appreciate a criterion that answers the question with which this communication began, to whom is the organization responsible? Do you have the same degree of responsibility towards all members of society? As it has been said, trying to be responsible to the same degree would be utopia above all (Manuel Guillen 2006), if the importance of Concurrent Internal Control, Social Balance, and Administration and Control of Risks is not considered, within the agenda directive to carry out the model of Social Responsibility based on ethics.
5.- The contribution of CSR in production processes
"The problem with many business organizations is not the lack of policies and procedures, the problem is that there is no social awareness and willingness to serve in action." Felix Campoverde Vélez
The pro-activity of ethical social action involves a perception of social demands as legitimate needs that should be known and evaluated, aspects that will be perceived and incorporated as part of the organization's specific mission.
In the business value chain, it is considered as tools of participatory procedures in business policies and actions, since it sets the benchmarks and responsible conduct and commitments that when making decisions, facilitate internal and external communication and increase The business culture, allows to carry out a Social Balance, with indicative indicators that allow to identify, evaluate, and redesign, through a periodic control, facilitating the monitoring and control of risks that acts as an alarm in the mitigation of risks and impacts according to the fundamental principle of CSR (ethics).
Wood 1991's approach gives us a broad vision of CSR, distinguishing the principles, processes, and policies at different institutional, organizational, and personal levels to what to do business with reflective ethics, go beyond compliance with current legal regulations, in other words, the legal must be complied with by the rule of law itself and the strengthening of trust (transparency).
6. Social responsibility as a source of social innovation
"Where there is a need, there is an investment opportunity and if it does not exist, it must be given added value with ethics" Félix Campoverde Vélez
Gone is the company model in which the mere respect for technical, environmental, fiscal or labor standards and regulations entailed socially responsible action, or more evolved concepts, where CSR was associated with a set of good practices that companies applied to their local and social environment to achieve a certain degree of commitment and transparency with the society in which they operated and, in this way, return part of what it had provided, or to offset any of the negative externalities generated by business activity itself, large corporations and some SMEs.
Today we know that the techno-scientific perspective is not enough to solve the diversity of problems that the world of today poses to us, nor to guide our social relationships in an increasingly complex, global and uncertain network of interactions.
The direct correlation between Ethics and CSR in the face of the crisis takes a greater foundation than theoretical applicability, when ethical codes, transparency norms, the incorporation of new technologies to the government of credit cooperatives, and financial entities, the ES transparency law, are basic pillars for the corporate corporate culture in risk mitigation and image of organizations (Vañó Ma. J-2004)
Having overcome the first visions of CSR, the evolved concept opens the doors to the search for mechanisms that allow CSR to be an inherent part of the company's strategy and management. CSR ceases to be a philanthropic value to fully integrate into all company activities. In fact, the evolution of CSR can be compared with that experienced by the concept of total quality in the 90s. The introduction of the concepts and practices of TQM (Total Quality Management) management that affected all areas was advocated. organization and introduced concepts such as participation, consensus, motivation, innovation, etc. These quality principles and practices made companies more competitive.
An example of this are the different international rankings that measure competitiveness and attractiveness for investment, based on the key criteria and principles of corporate social responsibility. If we look at the Dow Jones Sustainability Index that companies that develop their management based on strategies for the benefit of the environment, social interests, and in general, betting on the Responsibility of society obtain a better result for the year 2013-2014, the ten Top companies in this ranking are: 1) Volkswagen AG, 2) Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd., 3) Siemens AG, 4) Adecco SA, 5) Panasonic Corp., 6) Tabcorp Holdings Ltd., 7) Citi Group Inc., 8) BG Group Plc, 9) Woolworths Ltd. and 10) Nestlé SA From the above we can highlight that the effectiveness,evolution and application of management instruments, contribute to ensuring ethical social action. For this, international norms and standards have been used such as: ISO, Model of Excellence (EFQM), Standard AA1000, Standard SA 8000 or the SGE21 initiative by Forética; instruments for reporting quantifiable information and others that these companies use for the common good.
The perception abroad of economies depend on factors such as the behavior and management of good corporate governance practices, transparency, investment in R & D & I, commitment to employee development, the purpose of instilling behavior responsible in the supply chain, respect for the environment and social dialogue, among others, all of them practices that they usually adopt in companies on a voluntary basis, beyond the applicable legislation, and that are framed within the objective pursued by the Organizations that are held responsible by maximizing the creation of shared value for their owners / shareholders and for interest groups, understanding society in a broad sense.
It is worth indicating that CSR has been gaining ground as part of the budget in organizations, since it is incorporated into the strategy of business management itself in research and development and innovation, in all areas where the organization carries out its activity..
7.- Social responsibility as a strategy
«The formula for any successful business lies in the quality of Service. That's why you never give your clients what you don't want them to give you. "Abandonment and contempt." Felix Campoverde Vélez
Can companies and financial entities be competitive by acting ethically and in a socially responsible way?
The need to manage CSR is visible, not only because they would act against what is established in the legal system, or because there will be a legal norm that sanctions it, but, consumers, predictably, will be those that will increase or reduce their reputation through positive and negative effects of economic activity in the market as a reaction of social sensitivity, where to make the Social Balance, management by administrative processes, through risk management, a measurement instrument, indicators, audited and incorporated into their own Organizational information systems, which contributed to the effectiveness and efficiency of corporate governance and the different interest groups. Therefore we must remember that "many companies are not in a lack of policies and procedures,but in the attitude and aptitude of the service for lack of responsibility and total transparency. "
For sustainability, the smart approach to risk can lead to benefits that extend beyond the “feel good” aspects of charity-oriented or green-focused efforts. A strategically oriented sustainability Corporate Social Responsibility program can help improve operations, attract talent, promote positive public relations, improve transparency and accountability, streamline regulatory compliance, inspire partners in the supply chain, attract investors, energize stakeholders, boost competitiveness, and ultimately increase the bottom line. The benefits would not flourish instantly or simultaneously. Some can be measured in months or quarters; others can be accomplished for several years and even decades.But the focus of intelligence versus must be more understandable, manageable and achievable.
In Deloitte's view, companies that focus solely on avoiding risk (the traditional arena of risk management) can survive but rarely prosper. Instead, companies must take a proactive approach, which sees not only the danger but also the opportunity for sustainability and business development.
“CSR is not just another management model, but rather a way of conceiving the business and its strategies without abandoning the achievement of benefits, considering that its economic development must go hand in hand with improvements for society, being inseparable from relationships of trust with stakeholders and their requirements ”(Porter and Kramer, 2006: 88), hence it could be said that the final result of a company is built by its ability to achieve objectives and avoid risks, through the administration and control of enterprise risks, (enterprise risk managament) according to the probability of occurrence and impact through risk mapping and prioritization of care: immediate, periodic, controlled and follow-up. Being the responsibility and commitment of all the members of the organization,in anticipating and mitigating and controlling the risks to guarantee the efficiency, effectiveness, and effectiveness of excellent business management, with RS.
The CSR strategy allows, in general terms, in the business culture, to promote with enthusiasm, awareness and alignment at all levels of your organization and, above all, it helps to make the company more responsible and sustainable. Of course, if there is no firm commitment in relation to corporate governance, no effect on the organization that implements the CSR tools, may have positive effects for obtaining results, so it is necessary that it does not remain a simple slogan. and labels and but in concrete actions and effective results.
The companies' commitment to corporate social responsibility continues to be that of generating a more innovative, more attractive national and international responsible culture, with more resources to anticipate and adapt to the challenges of a global and changing market that needs to identify, act and mitigate systematic and unsystematic risks, in a timely and transparent manner according to new technologies and information management; «Since quality is competitiveness; Competitiveness is efficiency, effectiveness and effectiveness that makes the difference in CSR. »
Business Strategies with Social Responsibility, as such, must guide the actions and decision-making of organizations towards those issues that are priority and material in the short, medium and long term, both for their economic viability and to meet the expectations of their Stakeholders, promoting the development of responsible practices of public and private organizations in order to be the engine that guides the transformation of the country towards a more competitive, productive, sustainable and inclusive economy.
As we can see, CSR allows organizations to make a diagnosis of their situation from a triple point of view: the economic, the social and the environmental. From this analysis, companies can identify areas for improvement and establish realistic objectives for each of them, adapted to their needs and possibilities. This statement, which may seem so obvious, is not so obvious, and less so in a business fabric like ours, which is marked by the small dimension of the ethics of doing business. (Business or corporate culture)
8.- Strategic Benefits of applying CSR with ethics
"Whatever the strategy and mechanism with which certain objectives were achieved, these have always been built on common interests (synergy)" Corporate Social Responsibility with ethics.
The strategic activities in the processes and sub-processes of any organization, CSR, influence actions that pursue objectives aimed at aligning the commitments of companies with the needs of their clients, society and the state. It is therefore necessary to adapt to these new market demands with a business or corporate culture, acting with a socially responsible conscience so as not to lose the positive impacts:
- Serve society with useful products and in fair conditions, Generate price, quality in services and products that increase consumer loyalty, through fair trade, Create wealth in the most efficient way possible, Lower company costs, Prevent social risks that can translate into demands, sanctions, government regulations and society, Respect human rights with decent conditions that promote occupational health and safety as well as the human and professional development of its employees, Improving the workplace safety and hygiene conditions.Increase productivity and profitability, Support relations with the government, Increase market participation, Improve organizational culture,Attract the best human talent and support employee communications Increase the value of the company and mitigate risks, (Value at Risk Valor en Riesgos), Support relationships with shareholders, Improve internal and external communication, Generate continuous improvement through Social Balance, Provide reliability and support of the financial markets and investors, Generate commitment and adherence of its employees, Provide trust and transparency to suppliers, Support advertising in the media, Provide opportunities for new business, Improve the reputation of the company, positive and esteemed before society, Seek the continuity of the company and, if possible, achieve reasonable and sustainable growth.Respect human rights with decent working conditions that promote occupational health and safety and the human and professional development of workers, promoting equal opportunities for women. (UN «Principles of Social Responsibility») Respect the environment, avoiding as much as possible any type of contamination, minimizing the generation of waste and rationalizing the use of natural and energy resources. legitimate contracts and commitments acquired, guaranteeing workers a fair salary, protecting the rights of children and safeguarding ethnic minorities.(UN «Principles of Social Responsibility») Respect the environment, avoiding as much as possible any type of contamination, minimizing the generation of waste and rationalizing the use of natural and energy resources. legitimate contracts and commitments made, guaranteeing workers a fair wage, protecting the rights of children and safeguarding ethnic minorities.(UN «Principles of Social Responsibility») Respect the environment, avoiding as much as possible any type of contamination, minimizing the generation of waste and rationalizing the use of natural and energy resources. legitimate contracts and commitments acquired, guaranteeing workers a fair salary, protecting the rights of children and safeguarding ethnic minorities.Protect the rights of children and safeguard ethnic minorities.Protect the rights of children and safeguard ethnic minorities.
"The price of an organization's greatness is reflected in its responsibility to its customers, employees, suppliers, society and the state." CSR.
The companies responsible for their activity put the application of these good CSR practices at the center of their business, integrating them into their business activity.
Management under this scheme will not only bring you greater benefits, as mentioned by business growth studies, but as we have already mentioned will help you reduce costs for your organization, as well as acquire greater comparative and competitive advantages in search of equity. and sustainability of the good living of the different interest groups.
As stated by the ILO, when referring to the Social Balance, by itself, it will not be able to transform a company, but if it is applied in a favorable environment, it will be an extremely useful element, and its practice will facilitate the development of a Social Policy. Voluntary, since it is a fundamental tool for making decisions related to Social Responsibility freely assumed.
The desire for companies, especially SMEs, to be able to verify that social responsibility is a voluntary management model through which companies and organizations incorporate social and environmental aspects into their management with the aim of promoting more sustainable competitiveness. This management model provides a competitive advantage in the market, since companies that identify themselves as socially responsible have a series of economic, social and environmental benefits.
Therefore, it is also the social responsibility of the different state levels to aspire to and influence actions that pursue objectives such as: Helping to align the commitments of companies with the needs of society, among which is the generation of employment such as The main responsibility of companies with society, contribute to reinforcing the most advanced and sustainable management models that help companies to be more competitive, and lastly, to promote those Corporate Social Responsibility programs that boost international credibility and competitiveness of the country's economy, since for the recovery of confidence in the current crisis, the conditions must be created to develop CSR; more than a need, a way of doing business,economy and finance based on trust, to develop an ethical culture in organizations.
9. Conclusions and recommendations
"Excellence in service management is one that arises from the need to serve, and is responsible for its actions vis-à-vis the Stakeholders." Felix Campoverde Vélez
- The crisis has evidenced a high moral risk and has revealed the need for ethics as the foundation of CSR, not only in the traditional sphere, of responsibility for the ecological and of the community, but goes beyond that of a directional participation with social awareness. therefore, it is urgent that measures be taken by the control, administrative, state, and business organizations. In this sense, the support of the company's social responsibility is in the conception of the company as an organization that responds to Ethical criteria of organizational behavior that must be demonstrated in the way of doing business as the basis of business culture, not of labels and charity or philanthropy, to thumb the business image,rather, it guides decision-making and its relationships with others, without losing sight of the objectives they have in the business field of the ethical, social and ecological aspects of their activities, products and services. The crisis has not ruined politics of CSR, rather the opposite, the crisis is showing the irresponsibility of many organizations and the demand of society for greater ethics and transparency to companies, as Ma. José Vañó Vañó said «Transparency and new technologies in the cooperatives of credit »(CIRIEC 2004). Furthermore, this crisis is helping to clarify the approach that each one was taking to CSR, on those companies that were doing it simply as a communication or marketing strategy, philanthropy (marketing vs. strategy actions). Instead,Those companies that did it out of conviction and as part of their business policy, are strengthening their actions as a strategy to emerge stronger from this crisis. Furthermore, the communication highlights the value of corporate culture based on the commitment of everyone, including corporate governance, state, business and society, since one thing is the intention and the other is the action, that a good manager must take into account a wide range of scenarios to mitigate and control the risks in obtaining results, because the People you deal with: Customers, employees, supervisors, and suppliers, expect the best for the common good and welfare. Doing business with ethics and finances does not neglect the value of trust and transparency,rather, it creates an excellent internal and external environment for the different Stakeholders. Being CSR, important in the success of business in the short, medium and long term, it is the moment in which people are aware of the power that we have through our consumption and investment habits, since the demands of good government, they will grow as confidence decreases; because transparency is the mechanism for assuring trust and control. CSR, in its application to companies and organizations, regardless of its public or private nature, must be aware of the importance that CSR can have, based on in ethics, not only in the pursuit of profit in the strict sense, but in the potential development of new business and management models,competitive and productive enough to improve both its reputation and its position in the market, thus perfectly identifying the value of applying ethics within the corporate and corporate culture, as the basis of social responsibility, against the different interest groups in the economy and finances, since the quality of the service begins and ends in the management of each individual. Organizational responsibility and sustainability, in terms of the functions or roles of entrepreneurs have changed significantly, so that currently their functions they must be aimed at guaranteeing the survival of the company, at leading people and developing committed management on the basis of permanent organizational change, as Sanchis Palacio has mentioned,“Entrepreneurship, Social Economy and Employment” (2010), since a good management, must take into account: The actions in the organization in terms of learning, knowledge, development of capacities, attitudes, and virtues of its members, prioritizing the organizational culture based on the ethics of good living. Of course, the reordering and building of trust in the organizational culture will depend on the actors (Stakeholders) through: dialogue, consultation, transparency of information, access to it with fluency and integrity, accountability; application of social balance, and mapping of risks, are the tools of high relevance when making decisions, since we cannot expect changes if the same continues, as Albert Einstein said,since if the needs and opportunities with social responsibility are not identified, and as has been expressed in the communication, it is a commitment of all. The companies must assume and then develop a new business strategy, where the inclusion of this sector is present in a fair and transparent way. The challenge is to break the existing gaps, changing the organizational culture and including all the actors in the global economy, since the economy is the result of the behavior of individuals. There is no doubt that the short-term vision will be modified and companies They will make a greater investment in the medium and long term. It will bet on technology and innovation, knowledge and training as the key to competitiveness. A company that practices CSR will emerge from the crisis with a plus of competitiveness,since good behavior generates trust in its ethical dimension and this is transmitted from the personal to the organizational level and from this to the environment, while ethically reprehensible behavior destroys trust. Although, then, Corporate Social Responsibility based on ethics is An essential requirement to promote business and inject vitality in companies, it is not the only element necessary to make the business work without the attitude and aptitude of everyone in economic, legal, and political action. Like the human body it is a system of systems, made up of a blood system, an oxygen system, a food system, etc. Therefore, there is no true application of Social Responsibility, if its bases do not lie in the sum of ethical values:social awareness and confidence in the performance of the Stakeholder. Aspects that must be identified, evaluated, applied and improved for the common good.
For the exposed:
"The world is not threatened by bad people, but by those who allow evil." (Mahatma Gandhi)
"The global financial economic crisis is a crisis of ethical values, without Social Responsibility"
"Just as the economy is conduct, the economy is the seed of corporate social responsibility."
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Note: This text corresponds to the presentation by Félix Campoverde Vélez. PhD student from the University of Valencia, held at the XV International Congress of Social Economy researchers, at the University of Cantabria, organized by CIRIEC.ES, on September 26, 2014. (Authorized publication)
Here is a series of video-lessons by Professor Antonio Verdú, from the Miguel Hernández University of Elche, through which you can learn more about the concepts of Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Ethics. (2 videos - 15 minutes)
