Corporate Social Responsibility And Corporate Government Flashcards
Corporate social responsibility
Voluntary steps taken to improve quality of life and welfare of all stakeholders (employees, customers, suppliers, community and competitors)
Corporate social investment
The resources (money, manpower,products, machinery, premises) that businesses spend on the community to improve the standard of living
Sustainability
- the ability to be maintained at a certain level
- sustainable projects are products that continues without the presence of the business
- example of sustainable products:
1. Vegetable garden that the community is taught to maintain
2. ABET (Adult basic education and training) classes
3. Teaching entrepreneurial skills
CSR benefits for business
- helps recruit best employees
- gives a favourable image of the business
- builds employee loyalty
- creates customer loyalty
- attractions investors
CSR problems for the business
- business does not always have the skills to solve societal problems
- CSI costs a lot of money which a small business may afford to budget for.
- CSR is time consuming, which may distract employees from meeting targets and deadlines
- the community may have high expectations. If expectations are not met it will result in bad publicity
- managers may not be trained and lack experience to handle social programmes
Benefits for community
- improves the quality of life of the community through provision of economical and social development opportunities.
- generates employment through skills development
- provision of education and training to enhance employment opportunities
- changes future of employees and their families by providing bursaries
- improvement and or building of infrastructure in community
Problems for community
- Community may not take responsibility for their own actions because they assume the business CSR initiatives will provide for them
- The community may become dependant on CSR initiatives
- Some CSR initiatives are not sustainable which mwanza that the project will collapse/stop should the business leave
- Some businesses may use CSR initiatives to distract the public from other unethical issues the business may be involved in.
- Spending money on CSR means that the money has to be recovered elsewhere, this may lead to higher priced on goof and services which will negatively impact the economy.
Poverty
- Poverty is the state of having little or no money as well as few or no material possessions
Two levels will be discussed: - Extreme poverty
- moderate or subsistence poverty
Extreme poverty
- people who constantly struggle to survive
- incapable of fighting diseases due to lack of nutrition or medical care
- have little to no access of education, medical care or other basic human needs
- particularly devastated by additional disasters such as storms or droughts
Modern or subsistence poverty
- These people have little income and face chronic financial hardship
- lack basically necessities such as clean water, medical facilities and sanitation
Triple bottom line
- Known as reporting on the 3P’s: 1. Profit, 2. People (not employees in this case) and 3. Planet
King code and corporate governance
Currently have king code IV
- It requires companies to apply and explain which recommended practices business has adopted and how they have been adopted as well as which ones business plans on implementing in the future.
- States that Board of Directors is accountable to ensure the following outcomes are achieved:
1. Ethical culture
2. Good performance
3. Effective control
4. Trust and good reputation
A governance framework
- should be set out as code of principles and practices
- companies should not be narrow minded about corporate governance but operate in an accountable and responsible manner
- JSE has made it compulsory for all listed companies to comply with the king code by introducing JSE SRI criteria
- directors must conduct themselves within the boundaries of the law
- they must act with care, skill, diligence etc.
Primary characteristics of good governance
- Transparency
- Independence
- Accountability
- Fairness
- Integrity
- Discipline
- Promoting ethical and responsible business decisions
- Social issues
- Duties and responsibilities of directors
- Sustainability as part of the king code
Benefits of good corporate governance
- maintains investor confidence
- minimises wastage, corruption, risks and mismanagement
- helps with company brand formation and development
- provides incentives to owner and management to achieve objectives
- is a positive impact on share prices and SRI rating
- helps company in lowering capital acquisition costs
- ensures corporate success and economic growth
- contributes to political stability and enhanced international relations