goodwill hunting: the end of 'corporate social responsibility'?

Goodwill huntingThe end of ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’?

The debate around Google vs. China - and the need for freedom on the internet - continues to dominate conversation the world over

“…the internet is a network that magnifies the power and potential of all others. And that’s why we believe it’s critical that its users are assured certain basic freedoms.”

Hillary ClintonUS Secretary of State: 21 January 2010

Many people applaud the decision Google has taken in leading the cyber charge against the abuse of civil liberties

Many people applaud the decision Google has taken in leading the cyber charge against the abuse of civil liberties

But what does this mean for the future of Corporate Social

Responsibility (CSR)?

“Google has made a brave corporate decision… But if you’re Microsoft and Cisco, and you’re giving tools that can be used for repression then...you’ve got to think about...corporate social responsibility.”

Tom Watson MPBBC Radio 4’s Today programme21 January 2010

“Pulling out of China is a moral decision. Today, moral decisions are also business decisions. The economist Umair Haque argues that when we can all talk about

companies online, the price of doing evil has increased.

Google is repairing its social standing.”

Jeff Jarvis, The Guardian: 29 March 2010

As activities of other brands operating in China come under scrutiny, how do they sit within a wider CSR policy back home?

As activities of other brands operating in China come under scrutiny, how do they sit within a wider CSR policy back home?

Choosing a programme of CSR isn’t enough; it’s increasingly clear if you’re not ‘being good’ then ‘doing good’ can mean very little

The financial sector has a more tarnished reputation than most as issues around trust and corporate responsibility - or rather irresponsibility - have a huge impact on consumer and corporate relations

21%

21%Of people in UK trust banks to

‘do’ what is right

72%

72%Of people in UK

name ‘a company I can trust’ as driver

of corporate reputation

64%

64%Of people in UK

name ‘transparent and honest business

practices’ as driver of corporate reputation

“Public attention will focus on the decisions that boards make about bonuses.”

Lord Myners in the Financial Times: 2 February 2010

The consequences that flow from...

The consequences that flow from...

The banking crisis

The consequences that flow from...

State ownership of high street banks

The banking crisis

Public anger surrounding MPs’ expenses

The consequences that flow from...

State ownership of high street banks

The banking crisis

Public anger surrounding MPs’ expenses

The consequences that flow from...

State ownership of high street banks

Britain’s senior management bonus culture

The banking crisis

Public anger surrounding MPs’ expenses

The consequences that flow from...

State ownership of high street banks

Britain’s senior management bonus culture

The banking crisis

...suggest a powerful schism

Between the ‘social’...

Between the ‘social’...

...that is in the public interest

And the ‘anti-social’...

And the ‘anti-social’...

...the pursuit of private interests at

the apparent expense of wider society

Financial institutions need to act as ‘corporate

citizens’

Financial institutions need to act as ‘corporate

citizens’

It will not be enough to be responsible just to shareholders, but

to society as a whole

The shift away from the dominance of

traditional media is significant here

The rise of the social web means that everyone has the power to

publish

So traditional ‘boundaries’ - like State borders or organisational perimeters - seem more diffused and diluted

The rise of the social web means that everyone has the power to

publish

And the ability of businesses tonurture a currency of goodwill

among stakeholders has become important

So traditional ‘boundaries’ - like State borders or organisational perimeters - seem more diffused and diluted

The rise of the social web means that everyone has the power to

publish

Consumers have the ability to draw attention to behaviour they

consider socially irresponsible

“…A new media system is being born…Spectatorial culture is giving way to participatory culture.”

Henry Jenkins, on power of media in a 21st century transmediated world

“A society based on a small number of companies controlling the storytelling apparatus is giving way to a much more complex mediascape where average citizens have the ability to seize control over media technologies and tell their own stories in powerful new ways.”

Professor Henry JenkinsMassachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Those seeking only to convey the impression of being good by seeming to do good

Those seeking only to convey the impression of being good by seeming to do good...

...by using CSR programmes as a kind of ‘get-out-of-jail-free card’...

...are being found out

Those seeking only to convey the impression of being good by seeming to do good...

...by using CSR programmes as a kind of ‘get-out-of-jail-free card’...

“I have it from impeccable sources that several of them [banks] have rung up their mates and contacts in 10 Downing Street, the Treasury and BIS, to ask if they can be let off the 50% one-off bonus tax…In return they would make a one-off contribution to some worthy project or other…”

Robert Peston, BBC Business Editor16 December 2009

If you’re not demonstrating social responsibility, you may ultimately stand accused of being socially irresponsible

So if you don’t consistently apply social responsibility to business decisions...

…should you really be seeking to give the impression that you do?

So if you don’t consistently apply social responsibility to business decisions...

www.twitter.com/jenny_mrm

www.mrm-london.com

Sources & Acknowledgements1 Goodwill Industries image: Josh [unemployed IT dude] photostream hosted at Flickr (http://bit.ly/c7yS83)4 Hillary Clinton image: marcn photostream hosted at Flickr (http://bit.ly/ajh1p)7 Quote from Tom Watson MP interview broadcast on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: 21 January 2010 (http://bit.ly/ax0hPK) 7 Tom Watson MP image: Benjamin Ellis photostream hosted at Flickr (http://bit.ly/c51fIL)8 Quote from Jeff Jarvis: Google is defending citizens of the net, The Guardian: 29 March 2010 (http://bit.ly/9NAXwo) 11 Demonstration image: Iain Winfield photostream hosted at Flickr (http://bit.ly/cDAXJu)12-17 Statistics and findings from Edelman trustbarometer 2010 | Annual Global Opinion Leaders Study: 26 January 2010 (http://bit.ly/d7LcPF) 18 Quote from news article on letter City Minister Lord Myners wrote to fund managers, Call for funds to be stricter on bank pay, Financial Times: 2 February 2010 (http://bit.ly/b0uzI2) 18 Boardroom image: smallritual photostream hosted at Flickr (http://bit.ly/ddq4lI)19 Duck pond image: neilalderney123 photostream hosted at Flickr (http://bit.ly/9IpVl9) 25 Crowd image: hipposrunsuperfast.com photostream hosted at Flickr (http://bit.ly/bxvcVP) 31 Newspaper stand image: Pieter Musterd photostream hosted at Flickr (http://bit.ly/ckbatX)36 Screenshot and quote from Henry Jenkins discussing new media landscape on YouTube.com (posted by HCDMediaGroup): 21 September 2009 (http://bit.ly/cxayeZ) 40 Quote from Peston’s Picks: Banks try to deal away bonus tax, BBC.co.uk: 16 December 2009 (http://bit.ly/d1B9Hx)40 Robert Peston image: Steve Punter photostream hosted at Flickr (http://bit.ly/aoB8LA)