Dorothy Peyton Jones CPW Team Leader writes:
Chariots of fire is a popular relay race, organised annually by Cambridge solicitors, Hewitsons. 361 teams pounded through colleges on 21 September, mostly from businesses. Employees from law firms such as Mills and Reeve and Eversheds, engineers Mott McDonald, software giants ARM; smaller Cambridge success stories such as Redgate; estate agents like Bidwells and Cheffins; retailers such as John Lewis and specialist menswear shop Giulio ran alongside university college
teams, and local groups with names like ‘Mums on the Run’.
Why should a law firm invest in a sports event? A marketing department might argue that Hewitsons get considerable brand exposure to participants, sponsors and the public through media coverage. Human resources could say employees are proud to be part of a successful event which is fun and productive, and so there is a positive impact on recruitment and retention. Charles Hewitson sees the race as contributing to social capital. “It unites the town and gown; it’s university teams, companies and professionals, it brings together the whole of Cambridge.” The most measurable outcome will be the funds raised for Arthur Rank Hospice, expected to be in the order of £70K. The total raised for different charities over 22 years is approaching a million. Encouraging employees in philanthropic activity, and building up the local community, are seen as part of corporate social responsibility. The term corporate social responsibility (CSR) was first used in the 60s. Business dictionary.com defines CSR as ‘A company’s sense of responsibility towards the community and environment (both ecological and social) in which it operates’.
Important strands of CSR are environmental sustainability, which may concern recycling, waste management, water management, renewable energy, reusable materials, ‘greener’ supply chains, and reducing paper use; and community involvement, which can include raising money for local charities, providing volunteers, sponsoring local events, employing local workers, supporting local economic growth, and engaging in fair trade practices. An allied concept, the triple bottom line, was conceived in 1994, where companies report on their achievements under the headings of ‘people’ and ‘planet’ as well as ‘profit’. Opinions are mixed on the real value of CSR. Cynics see it as window-dressing, where an employer diverts attention by some superficial well-publicised generous gesture (think icebucket), while meantime extracting maximum profit by exploiting their labour force, or exhausting natural resources. While Christian theology recognises the flaws inherent in human nature, we are told to ‘love mercy’, and believe people can be drawn to what is good. Any approach which recognises that businesses do operate within an inter-connected world, and can contribute to the common good, is to be welcomed; whether the motivation derives from business development, marketing or human resources. Perhaps what is needed are better tools to evaluate what is being done, and celebrate ‘good fruit’.
In the UK ‘Business in the Community’ gives annual awards which celebrate some truly inspirational work. They have introduced Big Ticks, a kitemark of corporate responsibility for which companies can apply, if they meet certain standards. On the international front, in 2010 ISO, the International Organization for Standardization, launched an International Standard providing guidelines for social responsibility (SR) named iso 26000 or simply iso sr. A voluntary standard for now, its goal is to contribute to global sustainable development, by encouraging business and other organizations to practise social responsibility to improve their impacts on their workers, their natural environments and their communities. So far, many of the earliest users of ISO 26000 have been multi-national corporations, especially those based in Europe, and East Asia, particularly Japan.
As consumers, employees, or business leaders, let’s use our power to support and encourage good citizenship for businesses.
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Caring for the whole person in the workplace