Corporate Social Responsibility and Workplace Productivity
T9: Work Climate and Internal Relationship Development
1. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
In 1995, Jacques Delors, President of the European Parliament, founded CSR Europe, a non-profit organization with 75 member multinational corporations. Its mission is to achieve profits, sustainable growth, and human progress through the integration of social responsibility and corporate management.
The concept of CSR appeared in the USA at the beginning of the 60’s with the Vietnam war and other conflicts, such as Apartheid. In Europe, CSR began with the “Welfare” government model and social movements that defended the human rights and dignity of the workforce and the less favored classes. CSR started in Spain in the late 90’s when INVERCO introduced the concept of “social responsible investment.”
In March 2000, Lisbon’s European Council claimed the social responsibility of correct business practices that enhance permanent learning, better work organization, equal opportunities, and social inclusion of the less favored classes.
Triple Balance states that the general company’s operation must be evaluated, considering the combined contribution to economic progress, social capital value, and environmental sustainability.
Conclusions about CSR business’ role:
- Guarantees sustainability as it considers human dignity as a goal, ensuring all the stakeholders’ loyalty.
- Fulfills not only performance and productivity targets but also social value contribution.
- Is only possible when all stakeholders are responsible for their actions.
- Understood as a business strategy, it matches business and personal goals, improves planning and work organization, and promotes responsible and sustainable management.
Anthropologic approach to CSR: It is an essential virtue nowadays that should be developed from childhood and continued along the individual maturation process of assuming responsibilities. All stakeholders should be responsible by acting with justice. Rafaél Termes said these values generate credibility, trust, and loyalty.
Leader’s main CSR attributes are: authority, compromise, motivation, and responsibility to accept challenges. Everyone has the capacity to lead others in the company in a specific situation. Everyone in the company develops their personal strengths.
2. Productivity and Personal Satisfaction
Increase Productivity and Life Quality at Work: For many years, workers and organizations thought they were protected against global competition, and hence, few incentives to increase productivity were introduced. This situation has quickly changed due to:
- Longer duration of the economic recession’s cycles.
- Markets globalization / increased competition.
The pressure to increase productivity is growing as companies realize that their survival is jeopardized. Life quality at work and productivity are tied. A healthier, happier, and more satisfied worker is mostly more productive.
2.1 Perspectives in Management and HR
The best way to improve productivity is to divide every job into basic tasks, so simple that any worker with a minimum qualification could do it. Productivity could be increased by speed and improved engineering. Everything must be planned ahead without any individual improvisation or creativity. There are 4 basics:
- Planning
- Organizing
- Directing / Ordering
- Controlling
3. Current Programs to Improve Productivity
- Quality circles and continued improvement.
- Semi-autonomous working groups