Dear All, Could you please help me with some info on corporate social responsibility. Ours is a multinational travel org. I Have been told to build some for our org...jst needed some help.
From India, Pune
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From India, Pune
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Corporate Social Responsibility: An Overview
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) came into the light after the Bhopal tragedy. It is essentially about giving back to the society where the factory is situated. The villagers would have given their lands, paddy fields, and any immovable properties for the sake of setting up the factory. Moreover, they are the people nearby bearing the pollution menace in any form that may come from the factory. The Public Relations Department bridges the villagers and the Management to meet the needs of the villagers and facilitate the smooth functioning of the organization.
CSR Initiatives and Benefits
Normally, CSR will address the educational, medical, and infrastructural needs of the villagers. The organization will have an annual budget, and some emergency expenditures, such as for natural calamities, can also be met on special sanction. Many companies, in addition to seeking the goodwill of the people, use CSR for advertisement purposes by flashing the news in print and electronic media.
CSR in Non-Manufacturing Units
You mentioned that yours is a travel organization and not a manufacturing unit. CSR is not essential for establishments like yours. In case you have to operate big trucks and container lorries carrying abnormal, voluminous goods hindering public traffic, you can consider it; otherwise, CSR can be used as an advertising activity.
I hope I have answered your question to your satisfaction. Did I?
All the best,
Regards,
Ganesh Ramachandran
Founder: LIME
From India, Tiruppur
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179Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) came into the light after the Bhopal tragedy. It is essentially about giving back to the society where the factory is situated. The villagers would have given their lands, paddy fields, and any immovable properties for the sake of setting up the factory. Moreover, they are the people nearby bearing the pollution menace in any form that may come from the factory. The Public Relations Department bridges the villagers and the Management to meet the needs of the villagers and facilitate the smooth functioning of the organization.
CSR Initiatives and Benefits
Normally, CSR will address the educational, medical, and infrastructural needs of the villagers. The organization will have an annual budget, and some emergency expenditures, such as for natural calamities, can also be met on special sanction. Many companies, in addition to seeking the goodwill of the people, use CSR for advertisement purposes by flashing the news in print and electronic media.
CSR in Non-Manufacturing Units
You mentioned that yours is a travel organization and not a manufacturing unit. CSR is not essential for establishments like yours. In case you have to operate big trucks and container lorries carrying abnormal, voluminous goods hindering public traffic, you can consider it; otherwise, CSR can be used as an advertising activity.
I hope I have answered your question to your satisfaction. Did I?
All the best,
Regards,
Ganesh Ramachandran
Founder: LIME
From India, Tiruppur
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You can have a donation drive in your office for a week, where you can ask all your employees to donate clothes, books, toys, etc. You can also collect monetary donations. All these collections can be donated to any small or big NGO near your office location.
Additionally, if you can arrange a Blood Donation camp, that would also be a very good action for CSR.
Regards,
From India, Pune
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Additionally, if you can arrange a Blood Donation camp, that would also be a very good action for CSR.
Regards,
From India, Pune
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Corporate Social Responsibility in the Travel Industry
In just over two short years since the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) introduced Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a major industry initiative, the number of travelers and companies embracing environmental awareness has more than doubled. A joint ACTE/KDS industry-wide survey indicates that 59 percent of respondent companies now have a CSR charter, and that the same percentage of their travelers (59 percent) look to these charters in making environmentally sound travel decisions.
Speaking at a joint ACTE/KDS press conference at the Business Travel Show in London on 5 February 2008, Susan Gurley, ACTE Global Executive Director, said, “CSR is establishing new levels of what is environmentally acceptable to the global business travel industry. Ten years ago, this was the farthest thing from anyone's mind. The fact that it has become a core business component for 59 percent of these survey respondents clearly indicates that a growing majority of organizations have incorporated CSR into their business DNA.”
“This major industry shift clearly indicates companies and their travelers support Corporate Social Responsibility,” added Gurley, pointing out that in 2005, less than seven percent of the association's membership supported CSR. “Those figures grew to 14 percent the following year and now up to 20 percent for 2007. CSR has quickly become a fundamental in the business travel process.”
“Travelers are becoming increasingly eco-conscious and their travel booking behavior is starting to impact corporate travel management,” said Stanislas Berteloot, marketing director of KDS. “With an overwhelming majority of corporations now using a self-booking tool (69 percent), the communication of sustainable travel guidelines is facilitated. Travel managers now need to think of using online tools to not only control costs but also to travel smarter and greener.”
Looking beyond the travel program, survey respondents were also familiar with their respective company's overall approach to CSR. This included neighborhood educational activities, emission offsetting, and carbon reduction at production plants. Fifty-one percent believed their company was doing the “right” thing, while 39 percent believed more could be done. (The remaining 10 percent was divided on their companies' CSR performance but rated it as insignificant.)
The joint survey revealed that cost reduction and traveler security were given an equally high priority for 2007. Yet corporate social responsibility climbed in priority to the top spot for 29 percent of the respondents, up nine points from last year.
“This is a very good report card for the CSR concept,” said Gurley. “Travel departments are now increasingly tasked with reporting on travel-related carbon emissions, showing a 15 percent increase over last year. This is significant as it shows CSR is beyond the tipping point with companies and will continue to grow as a corporate initiative.”
Among ACTE's current CSR initiatives for 2008 are a white paper, which is being written in collaboration with the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom, on Global Sustainable Travel, and a partnership with Verkehrsclub Deutschland, a major transport and environmental organization in Germany on the Green Business Travel Project, which will be used to create guidelines for environmentally friendly business travel processes and alternatives to business travel.
In addition, Gurley noted, “Interest in CSR as an educational must has continued to build at five of ACTE's global education conferences in the past two years.”
At ACTE's Global Education Conference in Washington, D.C., 18-20 May 2008, CSR will be the topic of two sessions: Green Taxes vs. Cap and Trade, and Light Green, Dark Green – What Color is Your Company?
The ACTE/KDS survey also drew a much larger field of participants this year, with the number of respondents growing by 127 percent (263). Participants hailed from Africa, Asia, Canada, Continental Europe, Eastern and Central Europe, Ireland, the Middle East, Northern Europe, South America, the United Kingdom, and the United States. According to Gurley, this increase indicates the significance the industry attaches to CSR and ACTE's efforts to promote it. The diversity of respondent origin reflects ACTE's global presence, which now extends to 82 countries.
Noted Gurley, “Through championing the CSR cause, ACTE has helped to move it to the C level at more and more companies. We've made tremendous strides in the promotion of sustainable travel, but there is still much work to be done; although 59 percent of companies have CSR charters, only 34 percent promote sustainable travel.”
Regards
From India, Hyderabad
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In just over two short years since the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) introduced Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a major industry initiative, the number of travelers and companies embracing environmental awareness has more than doubled. A joint ACTE/KDS industry-wide survey indicates that 59 percent of respondent companies now have a CSR charter, and that the same percentage of their travelers (59 percent) look to these charters in making environmentally sound travel decisions.
Speaking at a joint ACTE/KDS press conference at the Business Travel Show in London on 5 February 2008, Susan Gurley, ACTE Global Executive Director, said, “CSR is establishing new levels of what is environmentally acceptable to the global business travel industry. Ten years ago, this was the farthest thing from anyone's mind. The fact that it has become a core business component for 59 percent of these survey respondents clearly indicates that a growing majority of organizations have incorporated CSR into their business DNA.”
“This major industry shift clearly indicates companies and their travelers support Corporate Social Responsibility,” added Gurley, pointing out that in 2005, less than seven percent of the association's membership supported CSR. “Those figures grew to 14 percent the following year and now up to 20 percent for 2007. CSR has quickly become a fundamental in the business travel process.”
“Travelers are becoming increasingly eco-conscious and their travel booking behavior is starting to impact corporate travel management,” said Stanislas Berteloot, marketing director of KDS. “With an overwhelming majority of corporations now using a self-booking tool (69 percent), the communication of sustainable travel guidelines is facilitated. Travel managers now need to think of using online tools to not only control costs but also to travel smarter and greener.”
Looking beyond the travel program, survey respondents were also familiar with their respective company's overall approach to CSR. This included neighborhood educational activities, emission offsetting, and carbon reduction at production plants. Fifty-one percent believed their company was doing the “right” thing, while 39 percent believed more could be done. (The remaining 10 percent was divided on their companies' CSR performance but rated it as insignificant.)
The joint survey revealed that cost reduction and traveler security were given an equally high priority for 2007. Yet corporate social responsibility climbed in priority to the top spot for 29 percent of the respondents, up nine points from last year.
“This is a very good report card for the CSR concept,” said Gurley. “Travel departments are now increasingly tasked with reporting on travel-related carbon emissions, showing a 15 percent increase over last year. This is significant as it shows CSR is beyond the tipping point with companies and will continue to grow as a corporate initiative.”
Among ACTE's current CSR initiatives for 2008 are a white paper, which is being written in collaboration with the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom, on Global Sustainable Travel, and a partnership with Verkehrsclub Deutschland, a major transport and environmental organization in Germany on the Green Business Travel Project, which will be used to create guidelines for environmentally friendly business travel processes and alternatives to business travel.
In addition, Gurley noted, “Interest in CSR as an educational must has continued to build at five of ACTE's global education conferences in the past two years.”
At ACTE's Global Education Conference in Washington, D.C., 18-20 May 2008, CSR will be the topic of two sessions: Green Taxes vs. Cap and Trade, and Light Green, Dark Green – What Color is Your Company?
The ACTE/KDS survey also drew a much larger field of participants this year, with the number of respondents growing by 127 percent (263). Participants hailed from Africa, Asia, Canada, Continental Europe, Eastern and Central Europe, Ireland, the Middle East, Northern Europe, South America, the United Kingdom, and the United States. According to Gurley, this increase indicates the significance the industry attaches to CSR and ACTE's efforts to promote it. The diversity of respondent origin reflects ACTE's global presence, which now extends to 82 countries.
Noted Gurley, “Through championing the CSR cause, ACTE has helped to move it to the C level at more and more companies. We've made tremendous strides in the promotion of sustainable travel, but there is still much work to be done; although 59 percent of companies have CSR charters, only 34 percent promote sustainable travel.”
Regards
From India, Hyderabad
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As a CSR activity, we can come forward with many ideas such as tree plantation, PUC of vehicles, zero garbage program, etc. I have done all these activities in my organization. You can also conduct such kinds of activities in your organization.
From India, Mumbai
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From India, Mumbai
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First and most importantly, you have to remember that whatever CSR activity you undertake should be sustainable. For your organization, it should not become a cost center; it should be an investment center. I recommend this because, in the background of the Companies Act 2012 passed by the Rajya Sabha, which is waiting for approval in the Lok Sabha before it becomes law, under clause 135, it has been made mandatory for companies/organizations having a profit of 5 Crores and above to invest a minimum of 2% of their profit into CSR. (I am not providing the entire detail since this is not a discussion on that issue).
Common Misconceptions About CSR
There is a common misconception about Corporate Social Responsibility that it is just philanthropy. The most common projects done under CSR include starting schools, starting hospitals, organizing blood donation camps, organizing wellness camps, organizing eye checkup camps, and donating clothes, books, toys, etc. But how does it add value to the brand of a company? It is often considered just an extra overhead cost center for organizations. When this bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha in December, many industries and other establishments wrote against it. This shows a lack of awareness about CSR and its benefits.
An organization earns by exploiting all resources from society. For example, manpower working in the organization comes from society, raw materials are taken by exploiting resources (which may be natural resources, manpower, time, or any other thing), and whatever product or services offered is again directly or indirectly provided (sold) to society, i.e., profit is earned from society.
The Value of CSR
CSR is one of the methods of giving back to society, creating brand value for the organization. It's an opportunity for demonstrating strength and goodwill building for the company.
To demonstrate your strength, you should know what the CTQ (Critical to Quality) and CTP (Critical to Profit) factors are. Your organization's CSR should focus on those. This will help not only in creating goodwill for your organization but also in brand building. The indirect benefits realized from it will make your organization see CSR as an investment center that provides multiple times intangible returns, which will help in the sustainability of your organization's CSR program instead of considering it as an overhead cost center.
You mentioned you are working in a multinational travel organization; this doesn't clarify the type of organization. Is it a logistics company or a Tours and Travel agency (like Thomas Cook or Cox and King)? Please clarify.
You have also not mentioned your location.
CSR Ideas for Your Organization
In the meantime, I propose some CSR ideas that will affect your organization's CTQ (Critical to Quality) factors and can be implemented in any part of the world:
• In India, we have surplus manpower but a lack of properly trained skilled manpower. It affects deliverables/quality in all sectors of the economy, impacting profitability. You can propose starting a skill development center for unemployed/underemployed people, during which a stipend will be paid, and after completion of training, a certificate will be issued. This will help not only in creating a pool of skilled manpower in society but also create awareness among competitors to select skilled manpower certified by your organization.
• Another CSR activity could be providing free counseling services to your direct and indirect customers through camps or other events.
If it's a tour and travel company, you can organize a free "Kumbh Mela" visit for people in old-age homes or orphanages, which can be appropriately covered by different media. The people participating in this tour will speak about the quality of your service and could be used as a value creation tool for the company as well as providing service back to society. This will also be an excellent opportunity for special training for your employees involved in managing package tours in such big events on which scholars from Harvard and other top business schools have come to study.
If your organization is a logistics company, you can offer free counseling for farmers and other small traders for efficient and effective logistics management to increase profitability.
• Depending on the number of employees and their location of residence in your organization, you can plan for organizing free counseling camps about the segment of your business (Tours and Travels or logistics) in their locality/society.
If it's a tour and travel company, you can organize free holiday planning or picnic planning camps for Saturday & Sunday in nearby areas in the residential society where your employees stay.
If your organization is a logistics company, you can have free counseling camps for small traders and house shifting for efficient and effective logistics management.
• You can also organize monthly open travel safety training open for all.
• You can organize monthly open energy conservation training for all.
Regards
Yogesh S Pandey
Head (Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability and HSEQ)
KAEFER Punj Lloyd Ltd.
Udyog Vihar II, Gurgaon
From India, Delhi
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Common Misconceptions About CSR
There is a common misconception about Corporate Social Responsibility that it is just philanthropy. The most common projects done under CSR include starting schools, starting hospitals, organizing blood donation camps, organizing wellness camps, organizing eye checkup camps, and donating clothes, books, toys, etc. But how does it add value to the brand of a company? It is often considered just an extra overhead cost center for organizations. When this bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha in December, many industries and other establishments wrote against it. This shows a lack of awareness about CSR and its benefits.
An organization earns by exploiting all resources from society. For example, manpower working in the organization comes from society, raw materials are taken by exploiting resources (which may be natural resources, manpower, time, or any other thing), and whatever product or services offered is again directly or indirectly provided (sold) to society, i.e., profit is earned from society.
The Value of CSR
CSR is one of the methods of giving back to society, creating brand value for the organization. It's an opportunity for demonstrating strength and goodwill building for the company.
To demonstrate your strength, you should know what the CTQ (Critical to Quality) and CTP (Critical to Profit) factors are. Your organization's CSR should focus on those. This will help not only in creating goodwill for your organization but also in brand building. The indirect benefits realized from it will make your organization see CSR as an investment center that provides multiple times intangible returns, which will help in the sustainability of your organization's CSR program instead of considering it as an overhead cost center.
You mentioned you are working in a multinational travel organization; this doesn't clarify the type of organization. Is it a logistics company or a Tours and Travel agency (like Thomas Cook or Cox and King)? Please clarify.
You have also not mentioned your location.
CSR Ideas for Your Organization
In the meantime, I propose some CSR ideas that will affect your organization's CTQ (Critical to Quality) factors and can be implemented in any part of the world:
• In India, we have surplus manpower but a lack of properly trained skilled manpower. It affects deliverables/quality in all sectors of the economy, impacting profitability. You can propose starting a skill development center for unemployed/underemployed people, during which a stipend will be paid, and after completion of training, a certificate will be issued. This will help not only in creating a pool of skilled manpower in society but also create awareness among competitors to select skilled manpower certified by your organization.
• Another CSR activity could be providing free counseling services to your direct and indirect customers through camps or other events.
If it's a tour and travel company, you can organize a free "Kumbh Mela" visit for people in old-age homes or orphanages, which can be appropriately covered by different media. The people participating in this tour will speak about the quality of your service and could be used as a value creation tool for the company as well as providing service back to society. This will also be an excellent opportunity for special training for your employees involved in managing package tours in such big events on which scholars from Harvard and other top business schools have come to study.
If your organization is a logistics company, you can offer free counseling for farmers and other small traders for efficient and effective logistics management to increase profitability.
• Depending on the number of employees and their location of residence in your organization, you can plan for organizing free counseling camps about the segment of your business (Tours and Travels or logistics) in their locality/society.
If it's a tour and travel company, you can organize free holiday planning or picnic planning camps for Saturday & Sunday in nearby areas in the residential society where your employees stay.
If your organization is a logistics company, you can have free counseling camps for small traders and house shifting for efficient and effective logistics management.
• You can also organize monthly open travel safety training open for all.
• You can organize monthly open energy conservation training for all.
Regards
Yogesh S Pandey
Head (Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability and HSEQ)
KAEFER Punj Lloyd Ltd.
Udyog Vihar II, Gurgaon
From India, Delhi
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CSR is something related to what can be given back to society by the corporation that exists. Any company or corporation can design its own CSR. In your case, although you are not a company that manufactures basic needs, your company can allocate a Calamity Fund or Special Fund formulated as a policy of the company. From here, you can draw the amount needed for whatever help you can provide anytime there is a calamity, disaster, or any form of CSR-related concern like environmental protection programs, health programs, or livelihood programs. You may tie up your programs with NGOs or foundations initiating similar programs. Other companies do their CSR in cooperation with media networks.
Regards,
Klaus
From Australia
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Regards,
Klaus
From Australia
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