CSR ACTIVITIES DEFINED BY ITS CORE ELEMENTS -CSR

“CSR is not just another Branding Opportunity or Business Strategy but should be looked as a Planet Development Initiative or Corporate Responsibility towards Community Development”.

                   Manjul Thapliyal

                            (Principal Consultant: Visions Ahead)

Community Social Responsibility (CSR) can be defined as “the responsibility of enterprises for their impacts on society”. To completely meet their social responsibility, enterprises “should have in place a process to integrate social, environmental, ethical human rights and consumer concerns into their business operations and core strategy in close collaboration with their stakeholders”

CSR activities are governed by some core elements which form the nucleus of their working strata. These are interlinked and form the basis of implementation guidelines of compliances to be adhered to. The social initiatives and activities have to broadly revolve around these parameters to make the neighborhood, work places and the environment evolve.

CORE ELEMENTS THAT DEFINE CSR ACTIVITIES

 Safeguarding Stakeholders: The interests of all stake holders (employees, suppliers, customers, shareholders, affected people, society) should be of primary concern for the organizations and value based initiatives be created and encouraged for them. The developed mechanisms should actively engage all of them, timely informing them of the inherent risks and safeguarding them as and when if they occur.

Ethical Functioning: Transparency, ethics and accountability should be the key guidelines for governance within and outside the organization. Unfair, corrupt, abusive, discriminatory practices should not be practiced and completely debarred.

Respecting Human Rights: It’s imperative and foremost that all aspects of human rights be recognized and respected. Even all third parties in concern with the respective organizations be framed under the policy, so as to avoid complicity of human rights by them.

 Respecting Rights and Welfare of Workers: The working environment of the workers of the company be humane, hygienic and safe and should uphold the dignity of each employee. Social Compliance norms be followed and there should be no flouting of norms in this regard. The employees should be provided access to training, development and carrier advancement opportunities from time to time without any prejudice. Freedom of association, right to collective labour bargaining, child & forced labour watch committee, grievance redressal system, equal opportunities and transparent recruitment and employment norms be practiced.

 Addressing all Environmental Concerns: All respective measures be undertaken to safeguard environmental hazards. All companies should take appropriate measures to prevent and check pollution, manage, reduce and recycle waste. All natural resources should be managed and used wisely, so as to sustain them for longer period. We should use Eco friendly production methodologies and respond to the climate changes by efficiently promoting environment friendly technologies.

 Social and Community Inclusive Development Activities: Social and economic development activities of geographical areas and different communities  in vicinity of the organizations operations  should be undertaken in lieu of the people’s core competency and business interests. Activities like health, social welfare, education, sanitation, water, skill building livelihood should be promoted for the weaker sections of the society.

Thus by adapting these core values CSR also reflects “the continuing commitment by business to contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the community and society at large.”

Manjul Thapliyal

Principal Consultant

 Visions Ahead

www.visionsahead.com