Business Writing Corporate Social Responsibility

Question: Discuss about theBusiness Writingfor Corporate Social Responsibility. Answer: Introduction The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) dictates that business procedures must include ethical measures that could bring positive outcomes for employees as well as for community members (Schoeneborn and Trittin, 2013, pp. 193). In this consideration, the issues like pollution, social procedures, psychology of consumers, and integrity of social structure are key elements that need to be appropriate, in conjunction to the activities, decision, and operations performed by companies. Likewise, the term Greenwashing refers to the market image of companies which reflect that they are doing right thing that are worthy from economic, political, legislative, and social perspectives (Crane, Matten and Spence, 2013, pp. 3). According to Carroll et al. (2010), the most critical question that arises from stakeholders (consumers and investors) is that in what measures they should track the activities and rationale behind decision making process. It is noteworthy to mention that more information is essential for the stakeholders such that they can figure out the ethical and optimal practices. According to Carrolls four categories of CSR, economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic responsibilities for which society has expectation from any organisation. On the other hand, business people usually things of firms performance that can fulfil institutional and social needs in conjunction with economic, financial, and profitability expectations. Overall, the definition of CSR is based on commitment towards improvement of community well-being as well as appropriate corporate resource utilization with adoption of discretionary business practices (Vries, 2015, pp. 142). In the present time, there are several cases of companies, in which their service measures, manufacturing process, packaging and disposal, promotional measures, as well as financial responsibilities are of great concern for discussion. For example, the promotional measure used by McDonald must not promote high-level attraction to children, which can increase risk of childhood obesity. Similarly, for Google Apps they are reflecting their CSR measures by not promoting porn website opening with voice commands. Another example can be obtained from Ford Motors as they are involved in RD activities to bring disruptive technology that can control carbon emission which contributes to reduction in green-house gas emission. The mentioned activates reflect how the companies are contributing positively towards social development and protection (Illia, 2013, pp. 2). Other than this, there are also examples of companies that support the social development by contributing significantly for social c auses. For example, ITC Company supports education for poor people, Nestle Company offer free food campaign and health check-up camps for women and children. The corresponding outcome of these measures is that company can show their contribution towards development of society, gain competitive advantage, and collect evidence that their activities are complying with legislative framework of national and international interest. In essence of managing CSR activities, there is a keen requirement of maintaining the bottom line and improves the procedural requirement. According to Tsagas et al. (2012), such audit and performance evaluation are mainly managed with documentation. The rationale behind documentation provision is to preserve evidence, such that during the evaluation and audit process, distinction between performance measures and ethical orientation can be made. Likewise, documentation will also be helpful in making differentiation between CSR outcomes with reference to macro-s ocial level and organisational level. It is noteworthy to mention that documentation criteria are the key reason that companies are nowadays representing their engagement in CSR in the form of Greenwashing (Pope and Wraas, 2015, pp. 1). The key factor that mainly motivates this greenwashing provision is that companies can gain competitive advantage, attract customers with good message, can obtain easy certification from local and national government by complying with regulations, and manage their functional and economic liabilities. With these requirements, it is clearly justified that CSR claim is more compared to that greenwashing. The reason is clearly reflective with the fact that mere paper representation for contribution towards society, environment, and national development is not the requirement of present hours; rather there needs a substantial requirement for authentic responsibility-profitability connections (Crane, Matten and Spence, 2013, pp. 3). The quantitative analysis of these requirements can be performed based on portfolio comparison using theoretical framework as well as constructed model. Importantly, the analysis must be made using threshold level of time constraints, risk adjustment, and re-weighting of portfolios based on market status and resource availability. Likewise, the impact on social and environmental issues must be analysed using short-term contract and benchmarking testing. According to a report by Salzmann et al. (2005), the lack of optimal effort in terms of empirical testing as well as significance testing may reflect adequate greenwashing strategies; irrespective of having exact positive outcomes. According to several organisation such as International Labour Organisation, Grameen Bank in Asia, Department for Business Innovation (UK), and Foreign Affairs and International Trade have specified their CSR objectives. The significance of these framework is that the approach and their productivity in terms of outcome can be evaluated using any survey and interview results. The core characteristics of CSR activities thus demand voluntary steps in terms of managing externalities and aligning with multiple stakeholder orientation, such that their contribution towards customers, practice values in favour of community members, and alignment with reference to social and economic issues should be reflective with adequate transparency. In another report by Crane et al. (2013), the authors have highlighted that CSR framework actually varies according to their firm size. For example, formalisation of CSR in large firms aim toward formal and bureaucratised, whereas the same in a medium/small sized firm is informal in nature. The rationale behind this differentiation is linked with aims such as building corporate brand and managing public legitimacy for large firms. In contrast, for small sized firms, is only limited to building trust and framing networks with personal relationship to customers. Hence, it will be worthy to state that CSR part for any company should not only be stated as their mission, but should be integrated within business procedure and that it must be reflective with adequate outcomes in social and environmental context. References: Carroll, A.B. and Shabana, K.M., 2010. The business case for corporate social responsibility: A review of concepts, research and practice. International journal of management reviews, 12(1), pp.85-105. Crane, A., Matten, D. and Spence, L.J., 2013. Corporate social responsibility in a global context. Chapter in: Crane, A., Matten, D., and Spence, LJ,'Corporate Social Responsibility: Readings and Cases in a Global Context, 2, pp.3-26. Crane, A., Matten, D. and Spence, L.J., 2013. Corporate social responsibility in a global context. Chapter in: Crane, A., Matten, D., and Spence, LJ,'Corporate Social Responsibility: Readings and Cases in a Global Context, 2, pp.3-26. Illia, L., Zyglidopoulos, S.C., Romenti, S., Rodrguez-Cnovas, B. and del Valle Brena, A.G., 2013. Communicating corporate social responsibility to a cynical public. MIT Sloan Management Review, 54(3), p.2. Pope, S. and Wraas, A., 2015. CSR-Washing is Rare: A Conceptual Framework, Literature Review, and Critique. Journal of Business Ethics, pp.1-21. Salzmann, O., Ionescu-Somers, A. and Steger, U., 2005. The business case for corporate sustainability:: literature review and research options. European Management Journal, 23(1), pp.27-36. Schoeneborn, D. and Trittin, H., 2013. Transcending transmission: Towards a constitutive perspective on CSR communication. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 18(2), pp.193-211. Tsagas, G., 2012. Reflecting on the value of socially responsible practices post takeover of Cadburys PLC by Kraft foods inc: implications for the revision of the EU takeover directive. European Company Law, Kluwer Law International, Special Issue on CSR and SRI, 9(2), pp.70-80. Vries, G., Terwel, B.W., Ellemers, N. and Daamen, D.D., 2015. Sustainability or profitability? How communicated motives for environmental policy affect public perceptions of corporate greenwashing. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 22(3), pp.142-154.