Everywhere the term "social responsibility" came into use in the 70s of the past century. As a rule, it means corporate obligations. In accordance with this concept, organizations should take into account the interests of the whole society, and not just their own.
This means that they must be held accountable for the impact their activities have on customers, suppliers, shareholders and other parties involved in the workflow. At the same time, the obligations assumed may go (and even must) go beyond those established by law. That is, the social responsibility of management is, among other things, the independent adoption of measures to improve the lives of people working for the company, and the whole society.
Approaches to Commitment to Society in Europe
Many researchers pay attention to the fact that corporate activity is understood differently in the English-speaking countries of the world and in Europe. Some organizations are limited to helping the poor or local communities. WhereasProponents of a different, more active approach believe that the social activity of corporations should not be manifested at once, but should improve the education of the local population, give them the opportunity to apply the newly acquired knowledge in accordance with their interests. Only through such actions, in their opinion, a stable environment is created in society.
Reporting social performance
The company is also obliged to report to society for its actions, constantly keep records. Thus, the social responsibility of a corporation, as a concept, should take into account the environmental, economic and other types of impact of its activities on certain interested groups or on the whole society. The main principles for maintaining this kind of accounting are a number of developed reporting standards and guidelines.
Momentum for corporate commitment
The decision to put social activity into practice is made by organizations under the influence of a range of incentives.
1. Ethical consumerism. Impact of user awareness of the environmental or social aspects of their purchasing decisions.
2. Globalization. Many corporations strive to be present in global markets in order to remain competitive.
3. The level of education of society and its awareness. Using the Internet and the media to improve one's ownpopularity and activity.
4. Legislation. State regulation of business processes.
5. Forced responsibility for the consequences of crises.
Social responsibility of the state
It is a more general concept than discussed above. Its effectiveness can be judged by the policies it implements. So, the tougher it is, the lower the level of responsibility of the state to society. Conversely, the better it is thought out, the less business representatives violate the law, and the more citizens support the government.
