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Corporate Social Responsibility

Definition :

Corporate Social Responsibility concerns how companies manage their business processes to produce an overall positive impact on society.

Companies need to answer to two aspects of their operations. 1. The quality of their management - both in terms of people and processes 2. The nature of and quantity of their impact on society in the various areas.

Corporate Social Responsibility can refer to a company's ability and drive towards being environmentally friendly in its operations. Being sustainable in its practices, ensuring that their operations are not casing damage to the environment. For example, making sure that mailing materials are recyclable or recycled, and actively avoiding wasted mailings where possible. And limiting waste from their overall every day processes.

Other definitions used include:

"Corporate Social Responsibility is the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large. Corporate Social Responsibility is about capacity building for sustainable livelihoods. It respects cultural differences and finds the business opportunities in building the skills of employees, the community and the government" The World Business Council for Sustainable Development in its publication "Making Good Business Sense" by Lord Holme and Richard Watts.

"Operating a business in a manner that meets or exceeds the ethical, legal, commercial and public expectations that society has of business?" Used by Business for Social Responsibility.

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