1. Should social responsibility be a matter of business strategy (deciding whether the practices will boost profits in the long term), ethics (deciding whether the practices are morally right), or both? Why?
2. Review the functions and responsibilities of human resource management, and identify areas where HRM might contribute to social responsibility. In deciding whether to take a socially responsible approach in each of these areas, consider what ethical principles you could apply.

In a recent poll, almost 7 out of 10 Americans rated the reputation of American companies as either "not good" or "terrible." But they did identify some firms they thought had good reputations. Ranked among the best were Microsoft, Johnson & Johnson, and 3M Corporation. Respondents admired companies that focused on quality, were environmentally responsible, and were engaged in activities that helped the needy.
Philanthropy by Microsoft's founder, Bill Gates, helped put his company in first place.
Companies that act on a belief they should go beyond legal requirements to demonstrate concern for the environment, labor issues, and human rights are often called "socially responsible." For some companies, an important area of social responsibility is clean water-protecting water resources and/or making clean water available where the companies make or sell their products. The Beck Group, which designs and builds commercial structures, uses its employees to serve as volunteers who build wells (and also schools and other structures) in poor communities in Latin America. The HR department assists in identifying employees with the skills needed for particular projects. Nestlé India teaches hygiene programs and has built wells at village schools near Nestlé factories and in rural areas that supply the company with milk. Along with doing good, Nestlé expects that such efforts help it ensure safe water for its suppliers.