Overview

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a concept that many companies have embraced over the last several years. CSR consists of various factors, including a company's environmental impact (e.g., reducing their carbon footprint and producing less waste). A healthy economy allows companies to find ways of operating more efficiently and with less waste. Companies are looking for ways to conduct their business effectively, but have less impact on the environment around them.This shows that the company cares about more than just the bottom line; they have good intentions of leaving the environment how they found it.

See the website Investopedia for a detaileddefinition of CSRLinks to an external site..

There have been many trends in CSR as this movement continues to gain traction. Read this article,Top Corporate Social Responsibility Trends in 2022,Links to an external site.detailing the year's top CSR trends.

Finally, watch the video below, which gives a brief, five-minute history of CSR:

YouTube Video. Smart Simple Software.A 5-minute History of CSRLinks to an external site..(Links to an external site.)To view the subtitles for this video, click the CC button in the toolbar.

Cases From The Real World -[from the textbook, section 3.4, page 86]

When an Image of Social Responsibility May Be Greenwashing

Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream started as a small ice cream stand in Vermont and based its products on pure, locally supplied dairy and agricultural products. The company grew quickly and is now a global brand owned by Unilever, an international consumer goods company co-headquartered in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, and London, United Kingdom. According to its statement of values, Ben and Jerry's mission is threefold: "Our Product Mission drives us to make fantastic ice creamfor its own sake. Our Economic Mission asks us to manage our Company for sustainable financial growth. Our Social Mission compels us to use our Company in innovative ways to make the world a better place." With its expansion, however, Ben and Jerry's had to get its milkthe main raw ingredient of ice creamfrom larger suppliers, most of which use confined-animal feeding operations (CAFOs). CAFOs have been condemned by animal-rights activists as harmful to the well-being of the animals. Consumer activists also claim that CAFOs contribute significantly to pollution because they release heavy concentrations of animal waste into the ground, water sources, and air.

Read the web page aboutBen and Jerry's Values and Mission Statement.Links to an external site.

Assignment Prompt

Respond to the following questions:

1. In the article "Top Corporate Social Responsibility Trends in 2022," which trend stood out to you as the most impactful? Why?

2. Many companies struggle with hypocrisy to some extent in their attempts at CSR. What can management do to avoid looking like hypocrites to their customers? Is there a perfect solution to this? Why or why Not?

3. A company's growth can lead it to compromise its CSR efforts. Is there any way to avoid this? Why or why not?