Corporate Social Responsibility
Question
This assignment requires you to submit, in week 4, a single page project plan. This project plan will contain three components:
A] A ‘field of research’ which pertains to your understanding of your profession. This short statement will include how this field relates to the work of your profession and an industry.
B] A source of secondary data linked to their chosen field of research. Students will be required to either include a website with a link to a publicly available secondary data set, or a short description of how they will use publicly available sources as secondary data.
C] A research question or questions that can be answered with the secondary data set they identified, including a clear expression of the variables you will be using, and the relationships you plan to explore.
D] The search terms you propose to use in Google Scholar to identify literature in the field of the research question.
E] You will be asked to pick five articles that arise from the result of your search that you will think be suitable sources to write a literature review in the area of your field of research. You will be asked to write two sentences that combine at least three of these sources (referenced correctly) and provide the (at least three) sources in a reference list.
Background and definition of the issue/problem, including a justification why the issue/problem is crucially relevant to your profession;
• Your project’s aim and objectives/research questions;
• A more detailed critical and well-structured literature review;
• A detailed discussion of how you carried out your project (commensurate with a ‘Methodology’ chapter);
• Findings from your secondary information analysis;
• Discussion of findings in light of previously reviewed literature;
• Conclusion – this may address recommendations for (soon-to-be) professionals, possible areas of further research, and limitations of your project.
Table of Contents
Aim and objective of the Project 2
Benefits for employees relating to equality. 5
Conclusion & Recommendations. 6
Introduction
Diversity and corporate social responsibility are two most important aspect of any organization. It is the duty of any concerned person of the organization to manage relationships between diversity and corporate social responsibility which help in achieving the future goal of the organization. In the context of this, the study will shed light on the above managing relations of any organization which will help to attain certain profitability. The literature review which will be prepared will help in the understanding of the facts of these relations. Further, the findings and recommendations will help the readers to get an idea about the managing of the relations.
Background of the issue
Diversity and corporate social responsibility are the most important of any business. Diversity is related to working conditions while corporate social responsibility is lined up with that of responsibilities of any business towards its customers. Gap analysis to any research helps in understanding the underlined issue of the research taken under. In this research, the business may not provide a sufficient fair system of delivering effective corporate social responsibility towards the customers. This will exploit the nature of the business and reduction in customer base. Other issues may be of kind of benefits that the employees are receiving. Lastly, the faults in providing benefit and consideration of factors of employee benefits of an organization are essential.
Aim and objective of the Project
This research field of the study will aim at solving issues of the experience gain at managing the relationship between the diversity in an organization and corporate social responsibility. The main area of the study will highlight the relationship of these relationships with the concerned business.
- To explore the fair system of delivering effective corporate social responsibility
- To explore the kind of benefits offered to the employees in the company.
- To explore the other factors and features which one should consider that are required to be added for delivering equitable benefits to all the employees.
Literature review
Diversity in corporate social responsibility can be defined as the alignment of activities of a company with that of social, environmental and other expectation of the stakeholders. This alignment helps in understanding the connection with the business and the stakeholders and also the value stakeholders carries for growth in the business (Jamali, & Dirani, 2014). The stakeholders feel the need of business ethics in terms of diversified corporate social responsibility. It is the duty of the company to understand the need of delivering the proper ethical responsibilities which will contribute to a healthy work force (Galbreath, 2016). Diversity in business can be different in terms of the business that the company is carrying on. The factors which need to keep in mind are:
Responsibility
It is the responsibility of the executives of corporate social responsibility to find the ideal solution to make a difference in the business that is carried on (Gupta et al., 2017). The executives are accountable to attract the right set of employees who have the good capability to join the organization through providing the right set of working environment. It is believed that having a higher value of workplace than the competitors will attract more talented personnel’s in the organization. It is the right and best set of imperatives that the business can take for a good profitability in the organization (Zentes et al., 2017).
Impact measurement
To achieve a long lasting relationship and have an impact of investment the company should follow the right set of business practice in the form of diversified CSR (Tran, 2018). The economic pressure should be kept in mind which will generate a good rate of profit with that of the significant change in dynamic of the business world (Galbreath, 2016). The impact of investment can only be measured through this factor only.
Success
Involvement with the community should be done such a manner that it brings success to the business community. Without proper success, a business can fail drastically (Lins et al. 2017). This failure can only be eradicated with a proper application of diversity in the working environment.
Methodology followed
The researcher in order to collect suitable information for the study has taken the help of positivism philosophy where all the gathered information was scientifically proven (O’Leary, 2017). With the help of the deductive method, information has been gathered from the already existing literature. The literature was selected on the basis of the validity and reliability criteria (Willig & Stainton-Rogers, 2017). On the other hand, the descriptive design has been used to view all the gathered information from a different perspective. Secondary data has been collected from literature which is relevant to the research topic (Weber, 2017). The collected data is analyzed based on the findings gathered from them. This helped the study to achieve the objectives that it has set for them (Brannen, 2017). On the other hand, all the information that was collected was done based on the ethical considerations. Certain limitation affected the study. However, everything was done according to the requirement (Eisner, 2017). Utilization of the suitable methodology made it easy for the study to gather appropriate information for the details of the study.
Findings
Policies
The main findings that have been made from the secondary sources are that transparency policy is a requirement for enhanced CSR behavior in all companies. As opined by Dubbink et al., (2014) the current scenario is that though the government has policies in alignment with CSR, it is based on self-governance of the organizations in support with the government felicitation. Apart from transparency, another factor is the reactions of the employees on the CSR activities of the organization, which is mainly measured on the fairness of the company in different situations to its employees. And last but not the least the CSR policies in a global perspective. Many MNCs are facing this issue of difference in policies in different countries posing a dilemma for them.
Benefit of employees
CSR often implies many benefits offered to employees in building the organizational culture for the company. Benefits like “40 hours of paid time off” for performing community service, part time employees, getting 16 hours per year have been path breaking initiatives by companies in order to promote CSR activities and encourage employee participation in it (Kilpatrick et al.,2015). The Fortune magazine has also identified such initiatives and companies practicing these have been identified as the best employers. Hence dual achievement of CSR and employee satisfaction is nurtured.
Benefits for employees relating to equality
This has found a particular place in organizations to help employees blend with the company culture. Equality in benefits regarding gender, ethnicity, mental health, age is all being embedded in the company culture to promote CSR within each employee (Ruthergien, 2016). Attempts are being made in this regard to also balance work and family responsibilities benefitting employees in giving an environment of peaceful relaxation and more commitment towards the work assigned in his job at the workplace. Equality in benefits is also nurturing teamwork beating differences in culture, age, ethnicity, gender, and others.
Discussion on findings
The above findings very clearly show that employee plays a major role in delivering Corporate Social Responsibilities and the policies formed by the organizations also go a long way in delivering the corporate social responsibility which in turn benefits the organization, the business and also the customers involved in the business. Policies like transparency, affect the relationship of the company with its employees in the purview of the organization and the relationship of the company with other external factors in the purview of the market (Al‐Hadi et al., 2017). The employee’s reactions also help a company in attracting good talent and building a positive image with respect to CSR. An employee always judges or reacts to any company based on the fairness that the company has exhibited with respect to its employees. An employee’s perception of the company steers the company forward in building the image. This apart, the benefits that the companies offer to its employees also helps in building a corporate social responsibility culture in it (Crane et al, 2013). Unless the company is responsible towards its employees, how can it be responsible to the society of which the employee is also a part? So offering benefits so that employee can also portray the social responsibility and carry the banner of the company forward, plays a major role in CSR. Moreover, it is of utmost importance that benefits to employees with respect to governance should be devoid of any discrimination. Discrimination invites issues that are not very healthy and often affects the work culture of the company. This, in turn, makes employees unhappy. Unhappy employees can never nurture positive work culture. It gives rise to more conflict, communication gap and spoils the organizational culture (de Jong & van der Meer, 2017). This helps in understanding the importance of equality in terms of benefits in an organization open to CSR.
Conclusion & Recommendations
There have been a huge number of researches being done on the topic of CSR and how it has influenced both the external as well as the internal environment of a company. There is a strong connection between CSR and improvement in a company’s traditional performance drivers (O’Brien et al., 2015). Moreover, the employees are also on a quest of a company in which not only can they develop professionally but also personally making them socially responsible. So companies should make genuine efforts in this regard to Promote CSR within the organization. Every company should have a definite curriculum that matches with its image and work. A successful CSR activity or policy for one organization may not hold true for another. The introduction of metrics to measure the outcome and impact of the CSR activities will also help in developing this. Actively involving employees in this will infuse a sense of responsibility and authority in them. Metrics will also help in displaying the benefits that the employee has got for being a part of the CSR activities of the company. Finally, it is essential for all companies to communicate effectively about the CSR policies and programs to both its internal and external customers (Lee et al., 2013). This will not only keep all the stakeholders updated but will also encourage more participation from all quarters. It would also give the shareholders an idea of the cost involved and the outcomes of the incurred cost. These few suggestions can definitely create a difference in the CSR function helping employability too. Though it is not possible to solve all issues of the society or the organization by following a regular CSR regime, it will definitely create a better world and a better workplace.
Reference List:
Al‐Hadi, A., Chatterjee, B., Yaftian, A., Taylor, G., & Monzur Hasan, M. (2017). Corporate social responsibility performance, financial distress, and firm life cycle: evidence from Australia. Accounting & Finance.
Brannen, J. (Ed.). (2017). Mixing methods: Qualitative and quantitative research. Routledge.
Crane, A., Matten, D., & Spence, L. J. (2013). Corporate social responsibility in a global context.
de Jong, M. D., & van der Meer, M. (2017). How does it fit? Exploring the congruence between organizations and their corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. Journal of business ethics, 143(1), 71-83.
Dhanesh, G., & Duthler, G. (2017). CSR and public relations in the Middle East: Relationships among diversity climate, perceptions of CSR and employee engagement.
Eisner, E. W. (2017). The enlightened eye: Qualitative inquiry and the enhancement of educational practice. Teachers College Press.
Galbreath, J. (2016). Is board gender diversity linked to financial performance? The mediating mechanism of CSR. Business & Society, 0007650316647967.
Gupta, A., Briscoe, F., & Hambrick, D. C. (2017). Red, blue, and purple firms: Organizational, political ideology and corporate social responsibility. Strategic Management Journal, 38(5), 1018-1040.
Jamali, D., & Dirani, A. (2014). 4. Synergies of CSR and diversity management: a converging agenda. Corporate Social Responsibility and Human Resource Management: A Diversity Perspective, 51.
Lee, E. M., Park, S. Y., & Lee, H. J. (2013). Employee perception of CSR activities: Its antecedents and consequences. Journal of business research, 66(10), 1716-1724.
Lins, K. V., Servaes, H., & Tamayo, A. (2017). Social capital, trust, and firm performance: The value of corporate social responsibility during the financial crisis. The Journal of Finance.
O’Brien, I. M., Jarvis, W., & Soutar, G. N. (2015). Integrating social issues and customer engagement to drive loyalty in a service organization. Journal of Services Marketing, 29(6/7), 547-559.
O’Leary, Z. (2017). The essential guide to doing your research project. Sage.
Rao, K., Rao, K., Tilt, C., & Tilt, C. (2016). Board diversity and CSR reporting: an Australian study. Meditari Accountancy Research, 24(2), 182-210.
Rupp, D. E., Wright, P. M., Aryee, S., & Luo, Y. (2015). Organizational justice, behavioral ethics, and corporate social responsibility: Finally the three shall merge. Management and Organization Review, 11(1), 15-24.
Ruthergien, G. (2016). Employment Discrimination Law, Visions of Equality in Theory and Doctrine. West Academic.
Tran, B. (2018). Corporate social responsibility. In Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, Fourth Edition (pp. 671-681). IGI Global.
Weber, M. (2017). Methodology of social sciences. Routledge.
Willig, C., & Stainton-Rogers, W. (Eds.). (2017). The SAGE handbook of qualitative research in psychology. Sage.
Zentes, J., Morschett, D., & Schramm-Klein, H. (2017). Corporate social responsibility. In Strategic Retail Management (pp. 207-226). Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden.
Leave an answer