There has been some recent buzz about a few large corporations making an effort to display corporate social responsibility. Many communities are not affected, however, forcing the question of what corporate social responsibility really means.
Over the last few years there have been many attempts by big business to act as though they care about “the little guy.” It is easy for corporations to get a bad reputation in the community, so they must do something to ensure that doesn’t happen.
Among those noted local projects are a donated playground, a commitment to only buy locally-grown vegetables, donations to charitable organizations, and volunteer hours. Once these projects were completed, these businesses believed they had proven their commitment to the local community.
Many communities, however, are not impressed. A new playground won’t put food on the table once you’ve been laid off. They are telling corporations that this isn’t enough.
In order to show a true commitment to corporate social responsibility, big businesses need to make large changes to their policies. The problems cannot be solved with a yearly donation or a community project here and then. These are short-term solutions to a very large problem.
With unemployment rates at an increasing high, it is now the corporate social responsibility to create jobs. In some cases this means a commitment to end outsourcing, in other cases it could simply mean opening a new branch.
The exact solution remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure; the status quo isn’t cutting it. With the New Year behind us, 2012 could be a year of great prosperity, but it all depends on the decisions of an elite few. Let’s hope they have social justice on their minds.
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