Any corporate social responsibility strategy (CSR) must be fully integrated with the organization's brand management and commercial strategy. This means that the CSR strategy must support the undering commercial requirements for the business and deliver to its customers or the ultimate consumer safe goods, products and services that are fit for purpose and deliver optimum quality, optimum price and the expected level of customer service. Internal and external stakeholders are increasingly becoming more concerned about the way an organization proceeds its commercial and marketing strategy especially how it balances the economic, social and environmental aims and objectives within this strategy. Ethical objectives that need to be embedded within the CSR element of organizational strategy include:
– Service related issues – service design, management of customer care initiatives, quality assurance and sustainable sourcing and supplier approval, ethical trading protocols;
– Product related issues – product design, quality assurance, quality control, sustainable sourcing and supplier approval, ethical trading protocols;
– Operational issues – management of resources including raw materials, land, energy, water, control of waste produced as a result of activities, including disposal, packaging recycling strategies, management of logistics including transportation of goods and product distribution strategies;
– Colleague issues – development of social policy and practice including worker facilities, terms and conditions of employment, personal welfare, health and safety, training and development;
– Community issues – management of the organization impact on the local, national or global community including environmental issues, such as noise, smell, visual impact, use of resources, production and disposal of waste;
– Brand and organizational risk management – management of legislative, commercial, operational and brand risks
Does your organizational strategy address all these areas or do you need to revisit your management of CSR?