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Learning About Corporate Social Responsibility at the BSR Conference @USA |
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BSR* hosted its annual conference, November 8-10 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City this year. It was their 8th annual conference and their first to welcome more than 1,000 participants from various companies and organizations of all sizes belonging to different industries, among which major companies with BSR membership, such as Levi Strauss & Co., Johnson and Johnson, and Hewlett Packard Company, were included.
Recently, more and more companies around the world are taking active roles in making social contributions.
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Conference Registration; crowded with participants |
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It is no longer just a matter of donating a portion of the proceeds to activities. Rather, the activities that are carried out propel the economy by becoming the driving force in creating a better society.
Take "Fair Trade" as an example: Companies are continuously purchasing raw materials and goods globally, from people who are struggling against adversities both socially and economically. While companies are provided raw materials necessary in the production of their products as well as other unique miscellaneous goods for their stores, in return, the people of the communities selling the raw materials to these companies are being provided means of becoming economically sufficient.
The idea that supports these activities is CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility). As it is made obvious from the growing number of consumer-led boycotts in North America and Europe, which refuse the purchase of products made in sweatshops in Asia and South America, it is difficult to conduct any kind of business today without paying proper attention to CSR.
In response to this time and age, membership organizations have been established around the world to support member companies in establishing socially responsible behavior. The following is a report of my attendance at the annual conference hosted by one such organization, the BSR, which was open to non-member companies and individuals.
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2. CSR as a common practise in world business |
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"Adding Value: Strengthening Corporate Social Responsibility Strategies"
was the theme of this year's BSR annual conference. On the second day, BSR conducted a conference via satellite with its newest partner, CSR Europe*, with Johnson & Johnson CEO Ralph S. Larsen in New York City, and Franck Ribout, Group Danone CEO in Brussels to discuss how the concept of CSR has become a new global business standard. "BSR activities appear to be expanding. Next year, we may even expect to see them linking Asia." Said Ms. Maki Saito, a social responsibility consultant based in NYC, on BSR's new partnership with CSR Europe and their transatlantic plenary.
Plenary in a big hall |
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The speaker at Welcoming Plenary Session, Doris "Granny D" Haddock: a 90-year-old great-grandmother who'd campaigned Finance Reform walking from coast to coast. She has appeared on the news on the major networks such as NBC, CNN and ABC. |
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3. Learning at the BSR Conference: Workshops |
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According to Mr. Robert H. Dunn, President and CEO of BSR, the "strategy" for their theme is "strategies that work for the benefit of everyone-that add value for all stakeholders, parties involved, such as consumers, investors, and community members, etc." BSR, therefore, offered many workshops for participants from various companies whose responsibilities include relationships with stakeholders to learn about the strategies necessary in meeting their demands of corporate responsibility.
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Sessions were conducted by representatives from companies and NPOs of various fields, of all sizes. Listening to people who are taking active rolls in fields where CSR is highly required, such as environment, ethics, relationship with investors and working environment, I felt the eagerness of people to make contributions to society.
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At a workshop
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There was a workshop for managers in companies dealing with bosses, colleagues, and subordinates skeptical about the expansion of CSR efforts**. Then there was another gathering with high school entrepreneurs in NY on learning how to build business responsibly from the ground up**. As seen here, not only were there a variety of topics to choose from, but also there were workshops targeting different levels of participants. This was a good way to experience one of BSRfs policies; their membership is "open to companies of all sizes and sectors and welcome not only 'leadership' companies, but also 'learning' ones."
What impressed me most after having participated in several workshops is that the major companies are cooperating with other major companies and/or private organizations in making effective contributions to society by maximizing their mutual advantages.
Take the session, "Leveraging Technology to Address Community Education Needs", where Mr. Peter Broffman, executive director at Intel Foundation introduced their project titled "Teach to the Future*".
Intel has established partnerships with other corporations, private foundations and non-profit organizations, which share the same goal, which are to address community education needs. They share responsibilities according to their strengths: corporations provide goods and/or services, private foundations provide grants, and non-profit organizations offer their expertise, which result in communally achieving their goal more efficiently than trying to do so respectively.
There are new challenges, of course that the partnerships can bring about, such as overcoming different corporate policies and maintaining communication with all participants. Under good partnerships, however, the common goal is being achieved because "everyone" helps to make the project a success. Seeing the concept "WIN-WIN for everyone*" being realized was very encouraging. In the United States, great contributions to society have already been made everywhere, through a proposal made by one company, which cooperates with a competitor company, as well as with other companies and organizations of various sizes and industries.
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4. Voices of the Participants |
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When I asked some of the participants why they decided to attend the BSR conference, many of them replied, "To keep abreast of new developments and strategies in the social responsibility arena" or "To be aware of issues that may become problems for companies in the future." They think of the BSR Conference as the "place/chance to learn with like-minded people."
One participant said, "We have to be concerned about the impact that our business has on our communities and on resources. We also have a responsibility to our community because it is our community, our customers, that make our business successful." This is a notion commonly shared among many of the participants, which has already become the norm in the business world.
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Booths of companies showing their business/activities related to social responsibilities
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| Booth of BSR (for admission) |
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| Coffee Break: companies sponsored meals at conference |
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"I am proud that our company is doing something that makes a good impact on our society" said a participant from one of the sponsor companies. Making contributions to society is the right thing to do, of course, and that is one of the reasons that made the conference a success. However, I also realized that one couldn't do business today without a strategy in this concept. Actually, there was one participant who said of the CSR, "It makes good business sense." |
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5. Keeping Abreast of the World |
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BSR is an organization that supports member companies establish socially responsible behavior. At its annual conference, CEO's of multinationals, start-up venture business companies, a popular environment radio shows producer and representatives of a rating organization for American companies in terms of social responsibility all gather. There they learn and discuss with like-minded people on their mission in CSR. Where else could we find meaningful opportunities like this? I was very impressed with what BSR had to offer to the world and encouraged by the zeal of people working on socially responsible practices. |
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Bag and Name Card Holders
Repeated use and recycling was being promoted; "We (BSR) hope that you can put these gifts to further use (for travel or for ski). If you do not wish to keep the them, please return them to the box provided..." |
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Programs were printed on 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper |
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Recordings of the sessions were being sold on site.
Those of the most popular sessions were sold out quickly. |
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Title of the Book:
"The New Measurement for Corporate Performance"
Author: Maki Saito
Publisher: Japan Productivity Center for Socio-Economic Development
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After graduating from the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University in NY, she worked at Council on Economic Priorities, a rating organization for American companies in terms of social responsibility. She is now a consultant for Corporate Social Responsibility issues as well as a co-founder of an Internet company, Earth Sector International, which empowers NPOs. In her book, she writes about strategic alliances of corporations and NPOs and also about "being good is a good business." |
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BSR (Business for Social Responsibility)
http://www.bsr.org/
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A membership organization founded in 1992. Headquarter: San Francisco, USA.
Their mission is "to support companies seeking to sustain their commercial success in ways that demonstrate respect for ethical values, communities and the environment."
(Cf. "The New Measurement for Corporate Performance" by Maki Saito (Japan Productivity Center for Socio-Economic Development))
Member companies: 1,400+, FY2000 budget: 7 million dollars
BSR conference is an event that is held annually by BSR for three days. Former US President Clinton and Ms. Mary Robinson, the former and the first female president of Ireland and current United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights, joined the conference as a speaker in the past.
Next conference will be held in Seattle, WA, USA, 7-9 November 2001, with "Learning for the Future of Corporate Social Responsibility" as a theme. |
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CSR EUROPE
(Corporate Social Responsibility in Europe)
http://www.csreurope.org/
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An organization in Europe with the similar function as BSR's. Formally known as "the European Business Network for Social Cohesion (NBNSC)" |
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Workshop for company managers in relating to bosses, colleagues, and subordinates skeptical about the expansion of CSR efforts.
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"Conversation with Disbelievers : Measuring Benefit, Persuading Skeptics" |
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(Workshop) together with high school entrepreneurs in NY to learn how to build our business responsibly from the ground up.
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"From the Ground Up: Building Your Business Responsibility" With high school students involved in "Youth Venture", a not-for-profit organization that enables young people to create and launch their own enterprises.
One of the session speakers was Mr. Seth Goldman, President, TeaEO of "HONEST TEA", who started his beverage enterprise with his professor's support. Its proceeds are expected to be as much as 350 million dollars within three years from its foundation. |
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Teach to the Future
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Intel's project aimed at increasing effective use of computers in classroom and student learning through teacher training. The goal is to train 1,000 teachers in 1,000 days in the United States and 400,000+ teachers in 20 countries in the world.
Organizations participating:
Corporations: Hewlett Packard, IBM, Toshiba and many others
Foundations: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Nonprofit organizations: ASSET(Arizona School Service Through Educational Technology) and many others related to education. |
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WIN-WIN for everyone
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"In a relationship between corporations and stakeholders, the common profit and value are to be pursued, making it a relationship that works for both sides (some lines omitted) both of them are winners, not any one of them is a loser."
(Cf. "The New Measurement for Corporate Performance" by Maki Saito (Japan Productivity Center for Socio-Economic Development)) |
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Report: Aiko Nakajima - Think the Earth Project
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