Why businesses become socially responsible
The socially responsible organisation. There are a great many, in all shapes and sizes and in every industry. A focus not just on profits, but also on the impact a business has on its environment, is important in that it builds consensus and goodwill, increases sales and, ultimately, increases profits as well. Corporate social responsibility is quite a bit more than just a marketing tool. It is an attitude that transforms the way of doing business, changes corporate culture, and alters the outlook of the business.
“Social responsibility” is a Bachelor thesis in Management by Alexander Baumann and Bob Oskar Kindred, which the two presented on 28 May for their studies at the School of Business and Economics of Linnaeus University in Växjö, Sweden. The work starts from the classical assumption of enterprise as a means of making profit before looking at how the work of an enterprise can also have a positive impact on local communities by applying the concept of corporate social responsibility.
The study opens with a clear presentation of the theory of entrepreneurship and of corporate social responsibility before moving on to a series of interviews with senior executives of firms in a given area of Sweden in order to determine what leads to efforts to unite profits and social responsibility. As the authors explain, “The motivation behind our respondents taking on a social responsibility in the local community could be explained by factors [such] as them wanting to feel appreciated, respected, [or] internal motivation – like personal agenda, context and economic factors.” The study lists four motivations in particular: the need to earn the respect of those who matter in a community; the presence of specific, personal motivations; a social context that pushes towards an interest in the issues of the community; and, of course, a series of economic factors that push towards corporate social responsibility.
“Social responsibility” by Baumann and Kindgren helps to understand an important aspect of business management and the culture of enterprise and makes for interesting reading.
Social responsibility
Alexander Baumann, Bob Oskar Kindgren
Bachelor thesis in Management, Linnaeus University, Växjö (Sweden), May 2014
The socially responsible organisation. There are a great many, in all shapes and sizes and in every industry. A focus not just on profits, but also on the impact a business has on its environment, is important in that it builds consensus and goodwill, increases sales and, ultimately, increases profits as well. Corporate social responsibility is quite a bit more than just a marketing tool. It is an attitude that transforms the way of doing business, changes corporate culture, and alters the outlook of the business.
“Social responsibility” is a Bachelor thesis in Management by Alexander Baumann and Bob Oskar Kindred, which the two presented on 28 May for their studies at the School of Business and Economics of Linnaeus University in Växjö, Sweden. The work starts from the classical assumption of enterprise as a means of making profit before looking at how the work of an enterprise can also have a positive impact on local communities by applying the concept of corporate social responsibility.
The study opens with a clear presentation of the theory of entrepreneurship and of corporate social responsibility before moving on to a series of interviews with senior executives of firms in a given area of Sweden in order to determine what leads to efforts to unite profits and social responsibility. As the authors explain, “The motivation behind our respondents taking on a social responsibility in the local community could be explained by factors [such] as them wanting to feel appreciated, respected, [or] internal motivation – like personal agenda, context and economic factors.” The study lists four motivations in particular: the need to earn the respect of those who matter in a community; the presence of specific, personal motivations; a social context that pushes towards an interest in the issues of the community; and, of course, a series of economic factors that push towards corporate social responsibility.
“Social responsibility” by Baumann and Kindgren helps to understand an important aspect of business management and the culture of enterprise and makes for interesting reading.
Social responsibility
Alexander Baumann, Bob Oskar Kindgren
Bachelor thesis in Management, Linnaeus University, Växjö (Sweden), May 2014