1. A Few Introductory Remarks:
Corporate Social Responsibility and the Mineral Resource Industry St-Andrews – Dundee Workshop 26 September 2008
A Few Introductory Remarks:
Ambitions and rules of engagement
The personal element of comment
The extant CSR literature
Towards critique?
Systems and sustainability
Relationships and accountability
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3. Preamble Rules of engagement?
Despite the literature – CSR remains open question
Recognise importance of debating CSR
voluminous literature
vast and unsubstantiated claims by corporations
Pursue critique: no moral high ground; watch cliches
The personal bit
accountant; systems; relationships; accountability;
personal voyages through the literature
terribly slippy and no closure
parochial?
business schools and `warranty’
why uncritically pro-business? Intellectual freedom?
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4. Who says what…?
“A corporate executive .. Has a direct responsibility .. To conduct the business .. To make as much money as possible while conforming to the basic rules of society…”
Friedman M. (1970)
“Philanthropy does little or nothing to help companies make profits, while all CSR activities are linked to improving a company's bottom line.”
MHCi Monthly Feature (pdf/e-journal) April 2004 (p2)
Social Responsibility “is a concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interactions with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis. Being socially responsible means not only fulfilling legal expectations, but also going beyond compliance and investing “more” into human capital, the environment and relations with stakeholders”
Commission of European Communities (2001)
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5. A brief (!) review of extant literature
40 years of effort:
Inconclusive
Circular
Frederick: CSR 1, 2, 3
CSR 4: Rhetoric?
Recent paper claims otherwise
Review 3 models
all use Economics, Legal, Ethical and Philanthropy
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6. Some of the remaining issues…
Organisation as moral agent
corporation as individual, judged as a person?
Individual responsibility within organisations
difference between individuals and individuals
Economics
Changes relationships (helping old ladies for money)
Financial markets
Reduces discretion; usually ignore in literature
Evidence: “it pays to be good”
Very powerful; probably tautological
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7. Towards critique? Systemic Issues?
Doing well that which we shouldn’t be doing at all (Lowe and McInnes)
Presuppositions in debate:
e.g. is extant activity taken for granted?
Capitalism
Friedman’s views + influence on “rules”?
Can capitalism deliver “responsibility”?
Size + Growth
distance/closeness of ownership, control, responsibility
ubiquity in international markets
dominance of neo-liberal values in LDCs and elsewhere
Sustainability
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8. Responsible Sustainability?
“The performance of companies implementing sustainability principles is superior because sustainability is a catalyst for enlightened and disciplined management...”
Dow Jones Sustainability Group Indexes Report Quarterly 3/9
“Sustainability pays off…..Companies favouring the concept of sustainability outperform the broad market”
Oberndorfer (WBCSD), 2004: cover and p3
“all CSR activities are linked to improving a company's bottom line.”
MHCi MONTHLY FEATURE (pdf/e-journal) April 2004 (p. 2)
“By working sustainably, we can increase financial capital. Sustainable development aims to improve the quality of life for everyone. ……”
United Utilities, 2004, pp 1+ 3
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9. Relationships and Accountability
Systems view of the world
individual – organisation – organisation – society- environment- planet – etc
Responsibility
= a function of society’s expectations
≠ a function of what corporation would lie it to be
Accountability
an accounting of responsibility
of extent to which expectations are met
Parkinson:
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10. Money Talks
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