Parable Of The Acorns

Addressing the Top Citizenship Concerns of Canadians: Perspectives from Fourteen Sustainable Canadian Corporations

By:

Marilyn Friedmann

For: Ron Knowles The Certificate in Corporate Social Responsibility September 18, 2006.

University of St. Michael’s College in The University of Toronto In Collaboration with The Conference Board of Canada

Marilyn Friedmann

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Profile • • • •

Advise CEOs and senior management teams on market development and stakeholder engagement opportunities and issues Lead strategic assessment and marketing change initiatives Establish priorities for carrying out strategic change plans that are precise, efficient and effective Lead corporate social partnership strategies and projects, particularly those involving partnering for social and / or environmental benefit, sustainable development and stakeholder engagement

Representative assignments •

•

•

•

•

Led the Development Division at World Vision Canada through strategic change and cultivation of expertise to realize growth opportunities available in the major donor and corporate market segments Negotiated World Vision Canada’s first corporate social engagement contract with Barrick Gold, thereby establishing business processes and nurturing organizational readiness for corporate partnering Conducted organizational assessment, delivered recommendations and wrote position descriptions for new marketing department structure within credit insurance division of major bank Led change management initiative for Canadian Life Insurance division to transition from channel-centric marketing strategy to incorporate stronger end customer orientation and more disciplined planning process Led North American brand development strategy to move niche brand into mainstream through extending usage occasion from side dish special occasion to main meal solution

Marilyn A. Friedmann, Principal •

Financial services marketing with Manulife Financial, Sun Life, Scotiabank

• •

Packaged goods marketing with Nestle, Best Foods, Campbell’s Soup Company and Mattel Not-for-profit major donor and corporate fundraising with World Vision Canada

•

Corporate social partnerships for sustainable development and brand relevance

•

Visionary strategist, high integrity, results-focused, committed to transfer of knowledge and expertise

Marilyn Friedmann

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

I.Purpose...........................................................................................................................4 II.Scope / Methodology....................................................................................................4 III.Findings........................................................................................................................7 IV.Conclusions................................................................................................................11 Under-utilized opportunities to improve competitive differentiation / brand reputation through pursuing global citizenship strategies...................11 So many opportunities, so little time!!........................................................11 Convergence: It’s no longer just a PR thing or a philanthropic thing!.......12 Economic and environmental components of CSR tend to be more effectively linked with overall business strategy at present than social component does..................................................................................13 V.Recommendations......................................................................................................13 VI.Appendices................................................................................................................18 Appendix 1: Companies selected to request interviews...........................19 Appendix 2: Copy of letter sent to corporations........................................20 Appendix 3: Survey instrument.................................................................21

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Marilyn Friedmann Ron Knowles The Certificate in Corporate Social Responsibility September 18, 2006. “Let us choose to unite the power of the market with the authority of universal ideals.” - Kofi Annan I.Purpose The purpose of this research is to obtain insight into where leading Canadian corporations are positioned in addressing the top citizenship concerns of Canadians, how they are currently responding to social issues, what changes they anticipate in their investment in addressing social concerns and finally their attitudes towards and experience with private / public partnerships aimed at addressing social objectives. These insights will be relevant to readers who have an interest in CSR within a Canadian market context, including progressive corporate leaders and management, not for profit leaders and managers with an interest in nurturing corporate engagement and consultants, researchers and educators working in this arena. II.Scope / Methodology Globescan’s Social Responsibility Monitor was used to define the parameters for consumers’ citizenship expectations of Canadian companies. The most recent Monitor study was completed in 2005 and is conducted every other year. Globescan’s Monitor research asks consumers to rate the extent to which companies should be held responsible for 13 different actions, using a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is not hold responsible, 3 is hold partially responsible, and 5 is hold completely responsible. The most notable finding in the CSR 2005 Monitor research was that: … societal expectations of companies appear to be increasing. Compared to 2001, when this question was first asked, consumers across the

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countries surveyed are more inclined than before to hold companies responsible for nearly all of the various social, environmental, and economic actions tested. Expectations for corporate responsibility are rising, having potentially important effects on corporate reputation and the adoption of CSR as a business imperative.1

Corporate Responsibilities “Companies Held Completely Responsible for,” 2005

Expectations of Companies

1

As can be seen in the chart above2, Globescan classifies corporate responsibilities into Operational and Citizenship categories. Operational responsibilities “are defined as actions that are directly related to a company’s operations. These types of actions are seen as the standards that companies should achieve in their normal course of business”.3 Citizenship responsibilities “are defined as actions that are more socially oriented, which companies need not undertake in their normal business operations”.4

While operational responsibilities are important, their accomplishment is

a basic expectation of consumers today. Because expectations for operational responsibilities are high, companies must perform impeccably in these areas; experience has shown that failure to 1

Globescan Corporate Social Responsibility Monitor 2005, Executive Report, p. 17. Globescan Corporate Social Responsibility Monitor 2005, PowerPoint presentation 3 Globescan Corporate Social Responsibility Monitor 2005, Executive Report, Expectations of Companies, page 16. 4 Ibid. 2

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live up to these expectations has dire reputation consequences. However, it is difficult to enhance corporate reputation by meeting the public’s expectations on matters which they simply consider a company’s “license to operate.” Rather, top performance on operational responsibilities is important more for the sake of risk management than for brand distinction. In contrast, focusing on citizenship responsibilities, for which expectations are more reserved, allows a company to exceed stakeholder expectations, thereby differentiating itself from competitors. Although much more challenging to achieve, these are the actions that can impress stakeholders, improve competitive advantage, and have a positive impact on corporate reputation.5

While there may be some degree of skepticism in the business community regarding the degree to which consumers actually make decisions based on perceptions of corporate social responsibility, consumers surveyed by Globescan reported that they can and do select against companies that they perceive as not behaving in responsible ways and that they will reward companies that demonstrate progressive responses to social responsibility issues through their purchase behaviour and investment decisions. While Globescan’s Corporate Social Responsibility Monitor evaluates consumer expectations of corporate responsibility, this research project focused on obtaining insight into where leading Canadian companies are positioned in terms of the importance they place in their business strategies and tactics on these same citizenship responsibilities and how they see their involvement changing in the near future. For the purposes of this project, the sample base was drawn from corporations, with operations in Canada, which have been subject to rigorous analysis that has qualified them as leaders in sustainability. Several sources were referred to in selecting companies for this survey: • •

5

Corporations that are listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes Corporations that are listed on the Jantzi Social Index

Ibid. p. 17

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• •

Corporations that report using the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) framework Corporations that have signed on to the U.N. Global Compact

Internet research was used to find contact information for relevant staff members / leaders within these companies. Phone contact was made and email letters sent outlining the purpose of the research and requesting to interview a senior business manager (i.e. Manager, Director or above) involved in leading corporate social responsibility programs and strategies. Of the fourteen interviews completed, six were completed face-to-face in the company’s office and eight were completed over the phone. While the response rate was high, the sample is not statistically projectable. However, the results are both interesting and valuable, providing an interesting indicator of where leading corporations are positioned with respect to engagement in citizenship responsibilities.

III.Findings 1) Increasing economic stability and solving social problems appear to be tied as the most important citizenship issues for participating companies as part of their overall business / CSR / citizenship strategies.

These two broad social issues both

received a Top 2 box score6 of 79% with the mean score7 for increasing economic stability being slightly higher at 3.36 out of 4 versus solving social problems at 3.21. Reducing human rights abuses also fits in as a most important issue with a Top 2 box score of 72% and a mean score of 3.29.

6

A top-2-box score represents the sum of the top two scaled responses in each question. For example, in an importance question with a four-point scale (very important, somewhat important, not very important, and not at all important), the top-2-box score would represent the results of those that responded with very or somewhat important to the social issue at hand. 7 The mean score is also known as the average score and is calculated by adding each respondents score together and then dividing by the total number of respondents.

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2) Reducing the rich – poor gap appears to be somewhat less important in terms of the focus corporations are placing on this in their strategies. It received a Top 2 box score of 64% and a mean score of 2.71 3) Preventing and reducing the spread of HIV / AIDS appears to be of less importance as part of the strategies of companies participating in this survey. It received a Top 2 box score of only 36% and a mean score of 2.36. While this may seem surprisingly low, it is important to bear in mind that 4 of the 14 companies participating in the survey are focused on Canada as their market and, of the 9 that are focused internationally, only those in the extractives sector (mining, oil and gas), a total of three responding companies, perceive that HIV / AIDS has a major impact on this business. It is very clear that companies face a plethora of opportunities to engage in social issues and they tend to select those issues that are most relevant to their stakeholders, including employees, customers, investors and government. 4) There is a fair degree of correspondence between what respondents report as important to their company strategies and how effective they believe their company is at present in engaging in these issues. 5) A statistically valid comparison of consumer versus corporate responses is not possible given corporate sample size and slight difference in the way the questions about social actions were asked. For example, consumers were asked to rate using a scale of 1 to 5 the extent to which companies should be held responsible for each action (e.g. Reducing human rights abuses) while corporations where asked to rate on a scale of 1 to 4 how important the social action was to their company as part of its Citizenship / CSR / Community Involvement / overall business strategy. Despite these limitations I believe it is worth at least a glance at the directional differences in consumer versus corporate responses within Canada.

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Comparing Consumer Expectations with Corporate Importance Reduce human rights abuses

50 14

Prevent spread of HIV/AIDS

43 29

Reduce rich-poor gap

57

Increase economic stability

Corporations Consumers

43 64

41

Solve social problems

32 0

20

43

40

60

80

Consumers were asked to rate the extent to which companies should be held responsible for these areas of action. Light blue bars indicate percentage of respondents who held companies completely responsible for the action specified. Corporate respondents were asked to rate the importance of each area as part of company’s Citizenship/ CSR/ Community Involvement or overall business strategy. Corporations score represents the percentage of respondents who gave a response of very important for the action specified (top box).

Where we observe the largest gaps between consumer expectations and the importance placed on these actions by the 14 participating companies are: •

Preventing the spread of HIV / AIDS

•

Increasing economic stability

•

Reducing the rich – poor gap

The gaps are interesting to note but, given statistical limitations of corporate sample size and differences in how the question was asked, doing much comparison based on this data is not recommended.

Overall, there is a directional sense that Canadian

consumers perceive that companies should hold some fairly significant level of responsibility for a few key global issues, while companies in this study tend to focus on actions that are more related to what is happening in their own backyard, unless they

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are operating in an international context where these issues are relevant to the communities they operate in. 6) Looking forward, over the next 12 to 18 months, nine in ten respondents expect that their company will boost the effort invested in increasing economic stability. Seven in ten respondents expect their company to increase efforts invested in solving social problems and six in ten expect their company will increase investment in reducing human rights abuses and reducing the rich-poor gap.

Three in ten

respondents saw investment in preventing and reducing the spread of HIV / AIDS as increasing over the next 12 to 18 months while seven in ten saw it remaining unchanged. It appears that this is driven by the perception that HIV / AIDS does not register as a high priority issue amongst their stakeholders. Please note that there were no pharmaceutical companies included in this survey.

It is likely that

pharmaceutical companies, in particular, those which produce HIV / AIDS drugs, would rate this area as higher in importance. 7) 13 of the 14 respondents reported that their company has engaged in partnering with non-governmental organizations in the past. 8) Forming partnerships with NGOs is perceived as an effective way for corporations to engage in addressing social issues. This received a strong top 2 box score of 92% and a mean score of 3.4 out of 4. 9) There was very high awareness in general of the international non-government organizations (NGOs)8 probed in the survey, however, there was a low level of outright commitment to consider specific international NGOs for partnership in addressing citizenship responsibilities, with some NGOs scoring quite low in terms of 8

“A non-governmental organization (NGO) is a non-profit group or association that acts outside of institutionalized political structures and pursues matters of interest to its members by lobbying, persuasion, or direct action. The term is generally restricted to social, cultural, legal, and environmental advocacy groups having goals that are primarily non-commercial. NGOs usually gain at least a portion of their funding from private sources. Because the label "NGO" is considered too broad by some, as it might cover anything that is non-governmental, many NGOs now prefer the term private voluntary organization (PVO) or Private Development Organization (PDO).” Source: Wikipedia.org

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being considered for potential social partnerships. This is perhaps one of the most interesting observations coming out of this research, especially for international NGOs. It would seem that no internationally-focused NGO stands distinctly above the rest in being broadly perceived as a potential social partner. Part of the rationale for this is attributable to the fact that four of the fourteen corporations are focused on the Canadian marketplace and tend to currently perceive that international NGOs do not have a mandate that is of high enough relevance to their stakeholders. However, there appears to be an opportunity for international NGOs to seek to establish themselves as viable and suitable partners for highly sustainable companies operating in Canada with an international market focus.

IV.Conclusions A.Under-utilized opportunities to improve competitive differentiation / brand reputation through pursuing global citizenship strategies There is an opportunity for companies to better address consumer expectations through more strategic investment of time and energy in global citizenship issues, such as working to prevent the spread of diseases like HIV / AIDS and helping reduce the gap between the rich and the poor. Alcan seems to be at the leading edge of Canadian companies who are demonstrating more proactive leadership and action in their role on the global citizenship stage.

B.

So many opportunities, so little time!

Many of the companies that are recognized for their sustainability efforts are overwhelmed by the number of requests they receive for interviews and information from social index and market research firms, CSR academics and the time demands associated with being available for interviews, researching information to respond to

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index firm requests, and responding to changing approaches to rules of engagement such as recent changes to the Global Reporting Initiative standards and the Equator Principles. We seem to be approaching a tipping point in the area of sustainability reporting and CSR. Companies are looking for ways to more effectively handle the requests that are put before them and to establish priorities in terms of selectively opting out of interviews, information requests, etc. that are not perceived to provide a reasonable return for the amount of time and effort expended. The larger organizations have created multiple staff positions to address voluntary CSR reporting requirements on top of all the legal reporting requirements. We seem to be approaching a point where some rationalization is needed in the CSR / social indexing sector.

C.

Convergence: It’s no longer just a PR thing or a philanthropic thing!

Many respondents indicated that they are becoming increasingly selective in defining social priorities and whom they might partner with. Many spoke in terms of clearly identifying what is important to stakeholders within a local community context and finding ways to engage at a grassroots level.

They desire to partner with

organizations that understand their business objectives and are looking for win – wins, not just handouts to fund the charity’s mission.

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Philanthropy, corporate social responsibility and community engagement seem to be converging and falling into line as aspects of core business strategy, not just cost centers. Increasingly, these companies are looking for tighter alignment and integration of these areas with business strategy and ways to measure impact of CSR investment. Unless there is a well-established corporate history of philanthropic giving, NGO’s would be well-advised to do more homework upfront to identify those companies where there is reasonable alignment in social priorities and then to demonstrate professionalism, accountability and seek to completely understand what the company’s objectives are and to deliver effectively upon those objectives.

In many cases, company’s

expectations seem to be on the rise for employee volunteerism opportunities and for providing the company with feedback on outcomes. In essence corporations seem to prefer to work with social agencies that demonstrate strong commitment to cultivating a partnership approach and value system.

D.

Economic and environmental components of CSR tend to be more

effectively linked with overall business strategy at present than social component does The social component of CSR is slowly beginning to link more closely with overall business strategy but, in several cases, there still seems to be more of a philanthropic approach, where money is given to charities that are important to employees or other stakeholders. V.Recommendations B.For Corporations 1.Strive to improve alignment of social aspects of Corporate Social Responsibility with overall business strategy. More progress seems to have been made on the Economic and Environmental aspects of CSR. Marilyn Friedmann

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While employee and local community engagement are critical stakeholders to consider, diffusing financial and other resources may not provide the best opportunity for impact – on the issues, on brand reputation and on stakeholder engagement. As in marketing strategy, it is important to take time to stop and consider what your organization stands for and align citizenship strategies tightly with this. 2.While a decentralized approach to C.S.R. for companies that operate internationally makes sense in terms of empowering and engaging local leaders and their staff, there may be a trade-off in terms of diluting impact if efforts are too diffused. Some companies are seeking to develop a hybrid loose-tight approach where central themes for citizenship strategy are developed jointly and then country offices have flexibility to identify local partners who can most effectively deliver on those citizenship objectives. C.For Social Agencies / NGOs 1.Be prepared. Know your value proposition. Companies are inundated with requests to fund citizenship initiatives. There are simply too many “funding opportunities” chasing too few resources. While leading sustainable companies, by and large, mastered the importance of “knowing your customer” and offering a “unique value proposition”, social agencies, for the most part, have a long way to go to establish a deep understanding of the needs and expectations of corporate partners and to deliver a differentiated value proposition that is relevant to the corporate sector. A few savvy social agencies have made admirable progress on this front in recent years and are becoming recognized as valuable brands on a global basis. This requires an upfront investment of funds and time that many social agencies are not comfortable with and / or don’t believe it is an appropriate use of funds. Marilyn Friedmann

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It is also an investment that most donors would not value. In an overcrowded market, cultivating a brand value proposition is critical to achieving sustainable partnerships. 2.Demonstrate a higher level of financial transparency and accountability. By and large, corporate respondents sense that social agencies are not subject to anywhere near the same level of accountability and transparency as the business world is, particularly in the Sarbanes-Oxley era. Corporate respondents tend to see the focus on 80 percent of funds to program and 20 percent to administration as somewhat of a black box that is inadequate to demonstrating financial stewardship. Corporations want to have a better understanding of how funds are used and know that they can expect highly accountable measurement of impact over time. 3.Decide whether your organization comprehends the extensive investment in change required to engage the corporate sector, including addressing cultural divides. Corporations do not want to work with social agencies that are critical of the company’s operations. Many respondents suggested that NGO’s don’t need to agree with the company’s business objectives and that corporate / NGO attempts at partnership in the past have sometimes been undermined by social activists who refuse to acknowledge that corporations play a legitimate and very valuable role in economic development. Overcoming cultural differences / biases is a significant challenge. 4.Change leadership expertise is vital The rapidly developing language of partnerships for sustainability that bring corporations and NGOs Marilyn Friedmann

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together requires the development of new ways of thinking, relating and operating. The rules of the game for NGOs, who may be very comfortable with fundraising and grant seeking, are not the same rules that are being developed in the area of corporate social partnerships. While the two sectors are starting to become more aligned around environmental and other operational elements of sustainability, there are rapidly developing opportunities for social agencies focused on citizenship issues such as human rights and poverty mitigation to adapt to the changes required to attract and retain strong corporate partners.

D.For Both Corporations and Social Agencies / NGOs 1.Translation skills are critical Businesses and NGOs frequently experience a cultural chasm in cases where they lack experience in working together. The two sectors think differently, speak differently and, for the most part, place primary focus in different areas. Businesses think in terms of maximizing long-term shareholder value. They use the language of business and competitive markets and drive for measurable return on investment. NGOs tend to think more in terms of social change, the language of fundraising (e.g. gifts), and social cause. NGOs are perceived to place higher value on the process than

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business people do. Business people are more energized by results. Several of the people interviewed expressed frustration with the level of bureaucracy they had encountered in trying to work with NGOs. They would like to see tighter alignment of objectives and stronger commitment to timely and quality reporting that measures impact and outcomes against established objectives. The one language that is starting to draw the corporate and social sectors together is the language of sustainability. In seeking to broker partnerships for sustainability between corporations and NGOs, it is important to ensure effective translation and to help each group seek to deepen their understanding of the other and to respect their differences.

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VII.

Appendices

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Appendix 1:

Companies selected to request interviews:

Marilyn Friedmann

Company

Interviewed?

Alcan

Yes

Bank of Montreal

Yes

Bank of Nova Scotia

Yes

Bell Canada

Yes

CIBC

Yes

Enbridge Inc.

Yes

Encana

No

George Weston Limited / Loblaw Companies Limited

No

Inco Ltd.

No

Manulife Financial Corp.

Yes

Nexen Inc.

Yes

Nortel Networks

Yes

Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)

No

Shell Canada Ltd.

Yes

Suncor Energy Inc.

No

TELUS Corp.

Yes

TD Canada Trust

No

TransCanada Pipelines Corp.

No

Barrick Gold

Yes

Goldcorp

Yes

Falconbridge (now Xstrata PLC)

No

Sun Life Financial

Yes

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Appendix 2: Copy of letter (names masked) sent to corporations Marilyn Friedmann 357 Markland Drive Toronto, Ontario M9C 1S1 Re: Request to Participate in Executive Interview on Corporate Social Responsibility as it relates to the social concerns of Canadian consumers and investors My name is Marilyn Friedmann. I am currently completing a certification program in Corporate Social Responsibility at University of St. Michael’s College, which is associated with University of Toronto. One of the key requirements in order to complete the certificate program is to complete a major research project on Corporate Social Responsibility. I would like to respectfully request one hour of time from a senior business executive involved in leading corporate social responsibility programs and strategies for XXX. This time would be used to conduct a one-to-one interview, either face-to-face or over the phone. My desired sample includes companies that are included in either or both of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and / or the Jantzi Social Index. Results will be confidential and only aggregate results used for reporting. A copy of the report will be sent to those participants who wish to receive a copy. It is my intention that this research will be valuable to your company in planning and assessing Corporate Social Responsibility priorities and programs. I would be pleased to debrief on results, should you wish to do so. I would expect that you receive a lot of requests of this sort and that it is difficult for someone in your role to find the time. I am hopeful that my extensive work experience and understanding of strategic engagement and marketing strategy will make this a worthwhile investment of your time. I have 19 years of work experience in marketing and business development leadership, primarily in the corporate world of consumer packaged goods and financial services. Over the past several years I have become involved in leadership in the international development N.G.O. sector. I am now focused on building my knowledge and expertise to serve as a consultant in strategy, marketing and corporate development, particularly focused on stakeholder engagement and facilitating partnerships for sustainable development. The purpose of my research is to obtain insights into: • The degree to which a sample of well respected Canadian corporations perceive the top social concerns that Canadian citizens hold corporations responsible for to be important issues for their company • how effective these companies have been in engaging in the top social concerns and what sorts of actions / programs they have been involved in • anticipated changes in investing efforts in these social concerns • what the opportunities and barriers are to improving performance in these areas • previous experience in and likeliness in future of partnering with non-governmental organizations such as international development organization • awareness of various non-government organizations • attitudes towards engaging in corporate social partnerships with NGOs in order to contribute to social objectives. Would you be willing to participate in this research please? May I please request the honor of scheduling a time to meet with you either in person or over the phone for a maximum of 60 minutes sometime before August 25th? Thank you very much for your time and consideration! I look forward to the opportunity to speak with you.

Sincerely,

Marilyn Friedmann Email: [email protected]

Marilyn Friedmann

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Appendix 3: Survey instrument Questionnaire on Corporate Social Responsibility as it relates to the social concerns of Canadian consumers 1. Looking at the top citizenship concerns that Canadian consumers hold Canadian corporations responsible for, a) How important are the following global issues to your company as part of its Citizenship / Corporate Social Responsibility / Community Involvement efforts? Very Important

Somewhat Important

Not very important

Not at all important

4

3

2

1

4

3

2

1

Reducing rich-poor gap

4

3

2

1

Increasing economic stability

4

3

2

1

Solving social problems

4

3

2

1

Reducing human rights abuses Preventing / reducing spread of HIV / AIDS

b) How effective do you believe your company is at present in engaging in these global issues? Very Effective

Somewhat Effective

Not Very Effective

Not At All Effective

4

3

2

1

4

3

2

1

Reducing rich-poor gap

4

3

2

1

Increasing economic stability

4

3

2

1

Solving social problems

4

3

2

1

Reducing human rights abuses Preventing / reducing spread of HIV / AIDS

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c) We have looked at 5 social issues so far. Are there other areas that are of specific importance to your company?



What are they?

d) What is influencing your company’s effectiveness in engaging in social issues?

e) Please highlight the most relevant efforts your company has undertaken in terms of engaging in social issues.

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f) Thinking ahead, over the next 12 to 18 months are these areas likely to increase, decrease or remain unchanged in terms of the effort your organization invests? Increase

Decrease

Remain Unchanged

4

3

2

4

3

2

4

3

2

4

3

2

4

3

2

Other from c above

4

3

2

Other from c above

4

3

2

Reducing human rights abuses Preventing / reducing spread of HIV / AIDS Reducing rich-poor gap Increasing economic stability Solving social problems in general

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2. The final section explores attitudes toward corporate social partnerships or public / private partnerships aimed at addressing social objectives. a) Has your company engaged in partnering with non-governmental organizations such as global development agencies to address / support social issues? YES •

NO

If yes, which agencies have you worked with and on what issues?

b) If no to (a), how likely is it that your company will consider partnering with NGOs or other social agencies to address social objectives over the next 12 to 18 months? [Use 4 or 5 point scale for likely?]

•

Very Likely

Somewhat Likely

Not very Likely

Not at all likely

4

3

2

1

If likely, which issues are you most likely to focus on?

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c) What does the word partnership mean to your organization when you think about “partnering” with an NGO to address social issues? Open ended response:

d) (Unaided awareness) Which non-government organizations / agencies would you consider partnering with on social issues? Why?

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e) Which of the following agencies are you aware of and which of the agencies would you consider (top of mind) as potential partners that your organization might work with to address social issues?

Agency CARE World Vision Foster Parents Plan OXFAM UNICEF Other UN Agencies Global Compact Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Global Labour Organization (ILO) United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Save The Children Right To Play VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas) Canada African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) Feed The Children Food For The Hungry CUSO Health Partners Global Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) / Doctors Without Borders Engineers Without Borders

Aware of already (√) Yes / No

Potential partner Yes / No / Don’t Know

f) Attitudes towards partnering with NGO’s 1. Forming partnerships with NGO’s is an effective way for corporations to engage in addressing global social issues Marilyn Friedmann

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Strongly agree

Somewhat agree

Somewhat disagree

Strongly disagree

4

3

2

1

2. Open-ended probe: What could NGOs do to improve their attractiveness as partners in addressing social issues?

3. Open-ended probe: How would you prefer that an NGO approach your company about partnership opportunities?

4. Open-ended probe: What would discourage your company from partnering with an NGO on addressing social issues?

5. Are there any other comments you would like to make that would be helpful in designing effective partnerships between corporations and NGOs?

Thank you very much for your help. Marilyn Friedmann

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Addressing the Top Citizenship Concerns of Canadians: Perspectives from Fourteen Sustainable Canadian Corporations

Please answer the following questions so that we can classify your company: Size – revenue Industry Market focus: Canada / Global Your position Would like a copy of the top line summary? YES

NO

Would like to schedule a debriefing on results? YES

Marilyn Friedmann

NO

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Addressing the Top Citizenship Concerns of Canadians: Perspectives from Fourteen Sustainable Canadian Corporations

Marilyn Friedmann

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