I want to thank Brad Googins, the Executive Director of Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship, and Steve Rochlin, Head of AccountAbility North America, for commenting on my post on Corporate Social Responsibility.
This is the beginning of the conversation I’d like to see more of, namely:
Does the progress that has been made so far in CSR (on diversity and volunteerism and Environment, Health and Safety) give us hope for a future with a different kind of corporation (one that makes real progress on green initiatives, supply chain, serving the “base of the pyramid,” building fuel-efficient cars, etc. etc. etc.)? Or will we always be stuck nibbling around the edges, never getting to real change in the “center” of the enterprise, its goals, standards, and how it makes decisions.
What do YOU think?
I’m hopeful because every day I see ways that the traditional business model is changing to reflect a new awareness about sustainability and broader CSR concerns. For instance, the vast majority of the S&P 100 now report on their sustainability efforts. (See an analysis by the Sustainable Investment Research Analyst Network (SIRAN) http://www.siran.org/pdfs/SIRANPR20080717.pdf for more details.) Successful businesses are beginning to understand that sustainable business practices benefit the bottom line and that consumers want to support responsible manufacturers.