BT’s UK managing director says the Business Impact Task Force report, published in November at the CBI conference, marks a milestone in corporate social responsibility in the UK – and he wants every company, small or large, now to respond by taking action.
People in my position get asked to chair task forces; sometimes these turn into talking shops and, looking back, you think ‘what was the point?’ This one was different. We started in 1998, at the instigation of HRH The Prince of Wales, and put together a balanced team of members, ably supported by Business in the Community and resourced by BT and the DTI.
Right from the outset, I was determined we had to produce a report by business, for business and about business – not an erudite study that ended up on the bookshelf, never looked at again. It had to be of practical help, with real guidelines on how companies whatever their size can enhance their positive impact on the societies and communities of which they are part. Above all, it had to be about improving competitiveness, not just social responsibility, otherwise neither can be sustainable.
We recognised that some companies have long track records in managing CSR, while others are only just starting out. So we structured our action guidelines for three levels of development. Our research found this is not a function of size – many small and medium-sized companies may struggle to survive yet do more for the community than the big household name firms.
We created a web site (http://www.business-impact.org) which is a portal for a huge range of resources and advice. It is now one of the most heavily visited CSR sites in the world, with more than 1.5 million hits since the Prime Minister launched it in 1999. That gives me hope that we have succeeded in providing an effective guide through the maze for companies wanting to take action.
But will they? BITC is planning some concrete ‘next steps’, described elsewhere in this edition. For me, I’ll know we have really succeeded if more and more companies take action and publish progress reports; if business schools integrate CSR into their courses, so the next generation of managers sees CSR as a natural part of doing business; if newspapers like the Financial Times give credit to firms taking this seriously.
To encourage take-up, we are creating an on-line ‘roll of honour’ for chief executives who pledge action; peer group pressure can be highly effective. But I’m conscious many large firms already have strong CSR policies. So an issue for them is to think how to help and encourage suppliers to enhance their impact too.
That’s not easy, I know; in BT we have more than 30,000 suppliers. But I am convinced there is a compelling business case for social responsibility.
If we are to attract and retain skilled employees, grow our market share, persuade governments to award us licences and build successful joint ventures overseas, then we have to see CSR as an essential part of our business strategy.
Bill Cockburn was educated in Edinburgh. In 1961, he joined the Post Office in Glasgow and in twenty years rose to be appointed to the board. In 1995 he left to become chief executive of WH Smith, moving in 1997 to BT as group managing director UK, responsible for all customer-facing operations, products and services, engineering and infrastructure, as well as Yellow Pages and Cellnet.
He is a non-executive director of Lex Services, and member of the BITC board, a trustee of the Princess Royal Trust for Carers, a fellow of the RSA and a council member of the Industrial Society. He is also an Honorary Colonel Commandant of the Royal Logistics Corps. Married with two daughters, he was made a Commander of the British Empire for services to industry in 1989.
Bill Cockburn was educated in Edinburgh. In 1961, he joined the Post Office in Glasgow and in twenty years rose to be appointed to the board. In 1995 he left to become chief executive of WH Smith, moving in 1997 to BT as group managing director UK, responsible for all customer-facing operations, products and services, engineering and infrastructure, as well as Yellow Pages and Cellnet.
He is a non-executive director of Lex Services, and member of the BITC board, a trustee of the Princess Royal Trust for Carers, a fellow of the RSA and a council member of the Industrial Society. He is also an Honorary Colonel Commandant of the Royal Logistics Corps. Married with two daughters, he was made a Commander of the British Empire for services to industry in 1989.
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