Csr Assignment By Manish Srivastava

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A BUSINESS POLICY ASSIGNMENT ON

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IS FAST BECOMING BENCHMARK FOR THE IMAGE & HEADS INDIRECTLY PROFITABILITY OF ANY COMPANY

SUBMITTED BY

Manish Srivastava

Navin Kanaujiya

BBA VIth sem

BBA VIth sem

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Roll No-23

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to take an opportunity to thank all the people in collecting the necessary information and making of the report. I am grateful to all of them for their time and wisdom. My assignment becomes a reality only because of cooperation of many people who had helped me in completing this project. I sincerely extend my gratitude to Mr. Asim Rastogi who has given me this golden opportunity to have an insight in the corporate world and who has been a source of guidance and support.

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Manish Srivastava Navin Kanaujiya

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III INTRODUCTION

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a concept whereby organizations consider the interests of society by taking responsibility for the impact of their activities on customers, employees, shareholders, communities and the environment in all aspects of their operations. This obligation is seen to extend beyond the statutory obligation to comply with legislation and sees organizations voluntarily taking further steps to improve the quality of life for employees and their families as well as for the local community and society at large. Development and analysis Business ethics is a form of the art of applied ethics that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that can arise in a business environment. In the increasingly conscience-focused marketplaces of the 21st century, the demand for more ethical business processes and actions (known as ethicism) is increasing. Simultaneously, pressure is applied on industry to improve business ethics through new public initiatives and laws (e.g. higher UK road tax for higher-emission vehicles). Business ethics can be both a normative and a descriptive discipline. As a corporate practice and a career specialization, the field is primarily normative. In academia descriptive approaches are also taken. The range and quantity of business ethical issues reflects the degree to which business is perceived to be at odds with non-economic social values. Historically, interest in business ethics accelerated dramatically during the 1980s and 1990s, both within major corporations and within academia. For example, today most major corporate websites lay emphasis on commitment to promoting non-economic social values under a variety of headings (e.g. ethics codes, social responsibility charters). In some cases, corporations have redefined their core values in the light of business ethical considerations (e.g. BP's "beyond petroleum" environmental tilt). The term CSR itself came in to common use in the early 1970s although it was seldom abbreviated. The term stakeholder meaning those impacted by an organization's activities was used to describe corporate owners beyond shareholders from around 1989. Approaches to CSR Some commentators have identified a difference between the Continental European and the Anglo-Saxon approaches to CSR. An approach for CSR that is becoming more widely accepted is community-based development projects, such as the Shell Foundation's involvement in the Flower Valley, South Africa. Here they have set up an Early Learning Centre to help educate the community's children, as well as develop new skills for the adults. Marks and Spencer is

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IV also active in this community through the building of a trade network with the community - guaranteeing regular fair-trade purchases. An often alternative approach to this is the establishment of education facilities for adults, as well as HIV/AIDS education programmes. The majority of these CSR projects are established in Africa. A more common approach of CSR is through the giving of aid to local organizations and impoverished communities in developing countries. Some organizations do not like this approach as it does not help build on the skills of the local people, whereas communitybased development generally leads to more sustainable development. Human resources A CSR programme can be seen as an aid to recruitment and retention, particularly within the competitive graduate student market. Potential recruits often ask about a firm's CSR policy during an interview and having a comprehensive policy can give an advantage. CSR can also help to improve the perception of a company among its staff, particularly when staff can become involved through payroll giving, fundraising activities or community volunteering. Risk management Managing risk is a central part of many corporate strategies. Reputations that take decades to build up can be ruined in hours through incidents such as corruption scandals or environmental accidents. These events can also draw unwanted attention from regulators, courts, governments and media. Building a genuine culture of 'doing the right thing' within a corporation can offset these risks. Brand differentiation In crowded marketplaces companies strive for a unique selling proposition which can separate them from the competition in the minds of consumers. CSR can play a role in building customer loyalty based on distinctive ethical values. Several major brands, such as The Co-operative Group and The Body Shop are built on ethical values. Business service organizations can benefit too from building a reputation for integrity and best practice. So businesses should be more responsible for their environment. License to operate Corporations are keen to avoid interference in their business through taxation or regulations. By taking substantive voluntary steps they can persuade governments and the wider public that they are taking current issues like health and safety, diversity or the environment seriously and so avoid intervention. This also applies to firms seeking to justify eye-catching profits and high levels of boardroom pay. Those operating away from their home country can make sure they stay welcome by being good corporate citizens with respect to labor standards and impacts on the environment.

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V CSR from a Business Perspective It is apparent that in today’s business practice, CSR is entwined in many multinational organizations strategic planning process. The reasons or drive behind social responsibility towards human and environmental responsibility is still questionable whether based on genuine interest or have underlining ulterior motives. Corporations are fundamentally entities that are responsible for generating a product and or service to gain profits to satisfy shareholders (Prof Malloy, 59). As Milton Friedman believes, there is no place for social responsibility as a business function. However a business still comprises people those posses both the humanistic and naturalistic view points. The humanistic view is that a deteriorating environment and planet is of no relevance in sustaining human life let alone a business. The naturalistic view is where we draw the line between exploiting our natural resources and destroying our fauna and flora for the sake of profiteering and sustainability (Grace and Cohen 2005,144). The need to create an ideal scenario that is “pareto efficient” may be the main reasons such mediators are there to adjudicate. Influence from the population, government and competitors are possible forces that can destabilize an organization should its motives or unethical processes become clear. Legal structures in place, are created to ensure international borders are not left exposed to multimillion dollar organizations' self interest. Stringent laws and penalties are governed by legal bodies such as the International Court of Justice that are capable of sanctioning non abiding organizations (ICJ 2007). CSR has been an issue of some debate. There are some people who claim that Corporate Social Responsibility cherry-picks the good activities a company is involved with and ignores the others, thus 'greenwashing' their image as a socially or environmentally responsible company. There are some other people who argue that it inhibits free markets. Disputed business motives Critics of CSR will attribute other business motives, which the companies would dispute. For example, some believe that CSR programmes are often undertaken in an effort to distract the public from the ethical questions posed by their core operations. Some that have been accused of this motivation include British American Tobacco (BAT) which produces major CSR reports and the petroleum giant BP which is well known for its high profile advertising campaigns on environmental aspects of their operations. Critics who believe that CSR is self interested This group argues that the only reason corporations put in place social projects is for the commercial benefit they see in raising their reputation with the public or with government. They suggest a number of reasons why self-interested corporations, solely seeking to maximize profits are unable to advance the interests of society as a whole. They would point to examples where companies have spent a lot of time promoting CSR policies and commitment to Sustainable Development on the one hand, whilst damaging revelations about business practices emerge on the other. For example the McDonald's

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VI Corporation has been criticized by CSR campaigners for unethical business practices, and was the subject of a decision by Justice Roger Bell in the McLibel case (which upheld some of these claims, regarding mistreatment of workers, misleading advertising, and unnecessary cruelty to animals). Similarly Shell has a much publicized CSR policy and was a pioneer in triple bottom line reporting, but was involved in 2004 in a scandal over the misreporting of its oil reserves which seriously damaged its reputation and led to charges of hypocrisy. Since this has happened the Shell Foundation has become involved in many projects across the world, including a partnership with Marks and Spencer (UK) in three flower and fruit growing communities across Africa. These critics generally suggest that stronger government and international regulation rather than voluntary measures are necessary to ensure that companies behave in a socially responsible manner. Other views from this perspective include: Corporations really care little for the welfare of workers or the environment, and given the opportunity will move production to sweatshops in less well regulated countries. Companies do not pay the full costs of their impact. For example the costs of cleaning pollution often fall on society in general. As a result profits of corporations are enhanced at the expense of social or ecological welfare. CSR BENEFITS Social responsibility of a business refers to what the business does, over and above the statutory requirement, for the benefit of the society. The term corporate citizenship is also commonly used to refer to the moral obligations of the business to the society. This implies that just as individuals, corporates are also integral part of the society and their behaviour shall be guided by certain social norms. The operations of business enterprises affect a wide spectrum. The resources they make use of are limited to those of the proprietors and the impact of their operations is felt also by many a people who are in no way connected with the enterprise.

BENEFITS FOR BUSINESSES

Being socially responsible is not just good business practice but also makes good business sense. CSR has positive effects on the economics of the company, its public relations, customers, employees and shareholders. If integrated into the business strategy, CSR is a potent business tool. There are several benefits to companies:

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VII 1. Getting license to operate from key stakeholders not just shareholders: Certain industries like mining etc that displace people or have environmental impact require a license to operate from the community whom they impact by their operations. Failure to do so could not only make the operations difficult, but the hostility can sometimes make the operations even unviable in extreme cases.

2. Enhanced reputation and brand value: The business environment is increasingly sensitive to a company’s social, ethical, and environmental performance due to globalization, the communication revolution, and mobility of customers and suppliers. Reputation is an important sustainable competitive asset, because it is difficult and time consuming to develop and cannot be easily mimicked by competitors. Brand identity is also growing in importance. Interbrand, a leading international branding consultant, predicts that the brand worth of companies will rise to 45 percent of stock market capitalization by 2010. This is up from five percent in 1960 to 30 percent in 2000.

3. Increased efficiency in operations: Using the CSR framework in corporate business strategy can result in high efficiency in operations, for instance, improved efficiency in the use of energy and natural resources; reduced waste such as reducing emissions of gases; and selling recycling materials. Better human resources also benefit business. Work-life programs that result in reduced absenteeism and increased retention of employees often save companies money through increased productivity and by a reduction in hiring and training costs. For example, companies that improve working conditions and labor practices among their offshore suppliers often experience a decrease in defective or unsalable merchandise. A study of 15 large employers conducted by the Medstat Group and the American Productivity and Quality Center found that health benefit programs can increase productivity and decrease company costs related to absenteeism, turnover, disability and health-care claims by 30 percent.

4. Increased Sales and Customer Loyalty: According to the Millennium Poll on Corporate Social Responsibility, the majority of 25,000 people interviewed in 23 countries want companies to contribute to society beyond making a profit. While businesses must first satisfy customers’ key buying criteria – such as price, quality, appearance, taste, availability, safety and convenience – studies also show a growing desire to buy based on other values-based criteria, such as “sweatshop-free” and child-labor-free clothing, smaller environmental impact.

5. Increased Ability to Attract and Retain Quality Employees: In interviewing 150 top employees in 24 organizations, the UK consulting firm, Stanton Marris, learned that

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VIII employer reputation was a key factor in accepting a job offer. Seventy-six percent of those polled by the Cone/Roper Corporate Citizenship Study said a company's "commitment to causes" was an important consideration in deciding where to work. Attracting and retaining a committed and skilled workforce is vital to business success.

7. Innovation in market and product development through cooperation with local communities: Cooperation with local communities helps in tailoring products and services to local markets. For e.g. IBM's community partnership programs have produced six new products for market and 15 patent applications in 2000 alone.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY EXAMPLES:

BG INDIA LTD Natural gas is becoming the fuel of choice in a world increasingly concerned with the environmental impact of its energy consumption and India is no exception. Demand for natural gas in India is expected to more than double over the next two decades, rising to 13,700 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) by 2025 With its natural gas industry expertise, BG India is well placed to make a significant contribution to the country’s future energy needs. 1995: Formation of Mahanagar Gas Ltd: joint venture with the Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) 1997 : BG acquires majority interest in Gujarat Gas Company Limited 2000 : GGCL commissions 73 km Hazira-Ankleshwar transmission pipeline 2002 : BG acquires 30% interest in Panna, Mukta and Tapti fields BG India’s exploration and production assets include a 30 per cent interest in the Tapti gas field and the Panna/Mukta oil and gas fields. Significant investment is planned for further development in the fields. BG India has a 65.12 per cent controlling stake in Gujarat Gas Company Limited, which supplies natural gas to the cities of Ankleshwar, Bharuch and Surat in south Gujarat. BG India also has a 49.75 per cent stake in Mahanagar Gas Limited, which is developing a natural gas distribution system in Mumbai. Both companies deliver piped natural gas to domestic, commercial and industrial customers as well as compressed natural gas (CNG) for natural gas vehicles.

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IX BG India is part of BG Group, a leading international energy company that has expertise across the spectrum of the natural gas chain.

India is one of BG Group’s six core geographic areas of operation. BG India is responsible for managing and developing the upstream and downstream interests of the Group in the country. BG India has been patron of St Teresa's Special School, Santa Cruz, which is for differently challenged children. The company provides support for training materials. According to the information provided by the administration people at St Teresa’s Special School, BG India provided financial support to the school once and that was almost two years ago. Since then, there has been no contact regarding this subject on their part. When asked about the policies to approach the company for donations and other voluntary forms of support, the staff member informed us that the company delays the matter for a couple of months every time they do so. The company claims that Corporate Responsibility (CR) remains a top priority at BG India, based on a recognition that the company has a duty to act responsibly both towards its employees and the wider community in which it operates. BG India mainly contributes to society in several ways: delivering gas to markets; providing energy and infrastructure to support development; creating and sustaining jobs in local economies; and through taxes and duties paid. These benefits are enhanced by the company's CR strategy, which not only ensures that it behaves in a socially responsible manner, but also makes a positive and meaningful contribution to community development. Tata Tea Presently Tata Tea is running its campaign on motivating Indians to vote in elections. It has launched a website to help voters in registering them into voter list. Dr. Reddy’s Foundation • Founded by Dr. K Anji Reddy in 1996 • Engaged in promoting PPP models linking life, learning and livelihoods • Addresses the cause of poverty alleviation • Believes in empowering people to support themselves • Believes in giving back to the society. Dr. Reddy’s is one pharmaceutical company that has evolved from a social initiation backdrop into a corporate giant. CSR rating agency - Karmayoga states that Dr. Reddy’s & Lupin Laboratories are the only two pharmaceutical companies that are making genuine efforts for the society. The company continuously tries to meet society’s expectations by developing innovative medicines that enable people to live longer and healthier lives . To facilitate policy

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X development, implementation and communication, a cross-functional team was established at the beginning of 2002 to ensure a comprehensive and coordinated approach. The team is made up of representatives from the key business areas who ensure that policies are in place and mechanisms exist for their implementation and monitoring. They also contribute to reporting progress through this report and in other ways, for example through conference presentations and on company’s website. Ranbaxy Being an innovation led pharmaceutical company, Ranbaxy encourage scientific endeavors through Ranbaxy Science Foundation that offers annual Research Awards aimed at recognizing and rewarding excellence in original research work. Over two decades ago, in 1979, in the wake of grim health scenario of India, Ranbaxy started a campaign to reach those who had little or no access even to basic health care and instituted ‘Ranbaxy Rural Development Trust’ • The main objective of the programme was to deliver primary health care to the underserved and underprivileged section of the society to achieve positive health for them and thus to contribute to the national objective ‘Health For All’ • As the scope of the programme and company’s commitment grew, in 1994, a professionally managed, nonprofit, independent body ‘Ranbaxy Community Health Care Society’ (RCHS) was established against the backdrop of full moral and financial support of the company. RCHS firmly believes in a focused and integrated approach to the basic issues of health care that are elementary and directly responsible for the state of community health in RCHS service areas • With a view to plan future strategies for need based interventions, RCHS regularly monitors and records all vital events such as live births, infant deaths, maternal deaths and abortions etc. Company is very passionate towards corporate social responsibility • Takes pride in shouldering responsibility towards society • Works to be recognized as a socially responsible company • Mainly committed towards the welfare of children. Commitment to children’s welfare…. • SOS Children’s Village • Project established by SOS India to help orphaned and homeless children • A proper family like environment is provided there • Sanofi Aventis has sponsored two family homes in Latur and Pune • A partnership of over 150 organizations across 21 states in India • A 24 hour free helpline accessed by dialing 1098 • Ensures that children get the support they need and look forward to a secure future.

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XI CONCLUSION A business with fewer stakeholders to satisfy, their greatest concern appears to be their customers and their own ability to satisfy the demand for products effectively. Businesses are demonstrating that well managed corporate responsibility actually supports business objectives, especially amongst large corporate where improved compliance, reputation and relationships has been shown to increase shareholder value and profitability. For privately held businesses, the pressure to act can stem from the demands of the supply chain, with large multinationals increasingly demanding that suppliers conform to ethical business practices. Incorporating corporate responsibility into a business’s core strategy can also enhance its attractiveness as an employer.

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