Archive for January 3rd, 2013

A new report reveals that the CSR efforts of many companies, like those of Apple, are not always altruistically driven. Credit: Yutaka Tsutano.

The idea of corporate social responsibility has come a long way since the term became common in the late 1960s and early 1970s. By now, most companies understand and accept the importance of the “triple bottom line.” But as a fully integrated corporate function, CSR is still relatively new.

Paul Klein, founder of CSR consulting firm Impakt recently wrote in Forbes that, “Every business, in every sector, of every size has a social purpose.” He argues that, “Social change isn’t the responsibility of business, it is the result of business.”

A research report by New York University student Julia Bonner and Professor Adam Friedman finds otherwise. The report looks at the state of CSR in 77 Fortune 1000 companies, and asks several important questions about the influence and motivation behind CSR. The research shows a shocking focus on the importance of the opinions and direction from top executives within an organization. More so, it seems that many companies are doing the right thing for the wrong reasons. Read the rest of this entry »