Four out of five human resource managers report that their organisations take part in corporate social responsibility practices, according to a new report from the Society for Human Resource Management. However, smaller numbers reported that these practices were formally implemented as policies.
Corporate Social Responsibility: A Pilot Study surveyed human resource professionals in seven countries – the US, China, India, Mexico, Brazil, Australia and Canada – and found that Brazil had the highest rate of participation in corporate social responsibility practices, with China having the lowest rate. Interestingly, HR professionals from Australia, India, Mexico and Brazil were more likely than those from the United States to report that their companies had formal policies with regard to corporate responsibility.
Two out of three people surveyed reported that their organisations documented corporate social responsibility efforts in their newsletters and other publications. The survey also found that the main benefit of corporate social responsibility practices was reported to be an improvement in public image. The main obstacle identified by the survey was cost.
Contact Society for Human Resource Management 001 703 548 3440 www.shrm.org
Moral markets
Assumptions about business and work are changing globally with a significant shift towards moral markets according to a review of corporate social responsibility from professional services firm, Lifeworth.
Tipping Frames: The Lifeworth Review of 2006 suggests that the changing attitudes in cities worldwide have major implications for competitiveness, and Prof. Michael Powell, dean and pro-vice chancellor of Griffith Business School in Australia, emphasises this in the foreword by saying: “The dominant paradigm for business success is changing to recognise the absolute necessity of social and environmental sustainability in tandem with financial viability.”
It is argued in Tipping Frames that the shift is due to changes in technology and industry and that there is more “work-life blending”, which breaks down the barriers between what people aspire to in their lives, who they work for and what they are working towards.
Business in the Community is taking over the management of the Corporate Social Responsibility Academy, which was formerly run by the Department of Trade and Industry.
Julia Cleverdon, chief executive of BITC, stated that the organisation’s “immediate plans include conducting a review of the marketplace for CR training and development” and that it will also “consider how the academy can add further value to the business community”.
The CSR Academy was established in 2004 and has collaborated with a number of partners including the British Chambers of Commerce, AccountAbility and the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development.
Oil and gas companies must clearly demonstrate that multi-stakeholder initiatives work and they must also integrate Chinese, Indian, Russian and Latin American oil and gas companies, and their associated governments, into the process.
That is the conclusion of a report by human rights consultancy, TwentyFifty, which looks at the role of multi-stakeholder initiatives – for example the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative – in filling governance gaps in the oil and gas industry as well as how these initiatives are managed and whether the programmes add any value.
The Effectiveness of Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives in the Oil and Gas Sector found that the value delivered by the initiatives was notable but that “greater accountability and clearer governance” are needed and that renewed leadership from businesses, NGOs and governments is essential.
Small and medium-sized enterprises can also be affected by bribery and corruption but are less aware of it and only one-fifth feel able to distinguish between bribery and corruption and facilitation fees according to a report from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants published on April 12.
Bribery and corruption: The Impact on UK SMEs reveals an uncertainty among SMEs as to what bribery and corruption means in practice. The survey also found:
70% of ACCA members said that the potential for bribery and corruption exists in all commercial deals;
63% agreed that cross-border negotiations were at risk;
62% believe that there is not enough guidance and support for SMEs to deal with issues of bribery and corruption;
19% of respondents believed that SMEs would not seek guidance on bribery and corruption;
67% believed that high-profile cases would raise awareness;
51% of respondents stated that SMEs are unaware of UK law relating to bribery and corruption and that cases could be heard in UK courts, even if the offences were committed outside of the UK.
The members surveyed consisted of two groups – those working in SMEs as accountants or general managers, and those in public practice that provide professional services to SMEs.
COMMENTS