CSR with corporations
Question 6: Should corporations be regulated by government to ensure that agreed policies in respect of CSR are fully implemented?Global markets need global rules. While governments may not want to regulate their firms, they should want to find ways to encourage best practices. Poll after poll reveals that citizens are concerned about globalization and, in particular, the role of corporations. Strategies such as codes of conduct and reporting standards may be tools to address some of the concerns. But in the United States, as in most of the world, citizens are not aware of these strategies and their costs and benefits. No one code can fit all sectors, all corporations, or all issues that make globalization controversial. Governments can provide guidance to corporate officials on how to respond to the plethora of codes. Governments can also help promote a rationalization among the codes, many of which are redundant or lack mechanisms for accountability. Moreover, by promoting widespread business adherence to the codes, governments can help ensure that responsible corporate actors are not disadvantaged in global markets. The following resource provide information on public policies governments can use and
Consumer groups have pressed companies such as NIKE or Starbucks to use their considerable market power to promote higher labor standards, more effective environmental stewardship, or yield greater income to small farmers from the developing world. In a document published for the British public and industry, "Global Citizenship," the Blair government tried to justify a governmental role. For example, executives from Coca Cola came to understand that inadequate public health and education programs in Africa thwarted efforts to limit the spread of AIDS. Market conditions are also forcing executives to think differently about social and environmental issues. In October 2001, the UK government issued guidelines on corporate environmental reporting, following a call by Prime Minister Tony Blair for all top firms to start issuing environmental reports. Yet more than almost any other government, the British government has also adopted a wide range of policy initiatives to promote CSR. Working with the governments of Ireland, the Netherlands, and Denmark, ministers and civil servants formed an informal governmental network on social responsibility in order to share best practices and experiences. Since 2000, neither the Bush nor Blair Administration seems to have done much to encourage corporate implementation of these Voluntary Principles around the world. As a result, the pension funds soon started to require more information from the firms they invested in, which forced greater numbers of these firms to publicize information on their social and environmental performance. Global firms bring investment, technology, employment, and cost efficiencies. · Bring attention to CSR by creating a Minister for CSR. The company responded to this threat by encouraging its bottlers in Africa to promote AIDS education and encourage condom use. In our opinion, the most influential action taken by the British government is its decision to require UK pension trustees to disclose how they take account of social, environmental, and ethical factors in their investment decisions. By operating in such nations, executives can reassure their stakeholders (consumers, employees, and investors) that they are not abusing workers and/or the environment.
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