Corporate Social Responsibility And Carroll Pyramid

The global financial meltdown uncovered many social norms previously unimagined. The number of people who lost their Jobs due to the financial situation is appalling. Interestingly, this does not mean that multi-national corporations are necessarily suffering. Most of the established companies with branches all over the world took the excuse of the financial breakdown to benefit. All of a sudden, it was okay to lay off people on the pretext of financial gloom. This means that a few people were benefiting from the woes of a thousand more.

The issue of corporate social responsibility presents itself in this situation in that, the multi-corporations are run by a board of governors. The board of governors is usually composed ofa few individuals that call all the shots. It is common knowledge that these corporations employ a huge number of persons in many sectors of the economy. When the profits of these gigantic companies fail to reach a certain goal, the running costs of the business have to be checked. This is why, the few persons at the top, not wanting to lose, resort to firing some people. This is done so as to maintain the profits at a certain level.

The problem is that when all of the multinational companies resort to firing a few employees, the net effect is that, a large number of persons end up losing their Jobs. Corporate social responsibility ensures that corporations the world over are engaged in other activities that give back to the community (Crowther and Rayman-Bacchu 172). Many activities that are considered helpful include; organizing activities that seek to involve the community in such events as fund raising for the eedy, events that seek to help out the disadvantage in society and other similar activities.

In the financial and corporate world, corporate social responsibility a given with a positive impact on performance. There are, however, several factors that show the need for corporate social responsibility. The first factor is population. The expanding population in developing regions will create larger markets dominated by younger individuals with questionable access to the developed world''s standard of living. Statistics show that more than eighty five percent of the world''s population will ive in developing countries by 2025 (Crowther and Rayman-Bacchu 165).

This presents a challenge to companies seeking to involve themselves in corporate social responsibility, since it is clear that a lot of financial support will be required for these populations. The second factor is wealth. Despite the fact that global wealth is rising, the income gap has grown wider, threatening civil society. Seventy eight percent of the world can be classified as poor, with eleven percent in the middle class, and only eleven percent can be classified as rich. Each and every company should strive to be nvolved in attempting to balance this distribution of wealth.

The trend of the rich growing richer while the poor grow poorer should be eliminated, since it is unethical for some people to have so much, and others to have nothing at all. The third factor is nutrition. There are millions of people who are malnourished, amidst an abundance of food. Thousands die of hunger every year, while rich corporations blow millions on fancy holidays for their executives. It is crucial for each company to take time and retlect on the finances it spends on benefits tor its executives, as compared o that spent on helping the needy in society.

While these benefits are vital for employee motivation, they should not be taken overboard at the expense of the suffering masses. Education is another critical factor that should be considered in the design of corporate social responsibility programs. Basic education is widespread, but opportunities for learning continue to elude many. Over one hundred million children are not in school, with ninety seven percent of these being in developing countries. One in every five adults globally is illiterate, which are taggering fgures given the widespread opportunities to learn available today.

Corporate are faced with the challenge of promoting education by setting up schools, and funding educational development programs. Education can also be encouraged by taking in interns and trainees and giving them an opportunity to learn the tricks of the Job, which will enable them compete fairly in the corporate world (Crowther and Rayman-Bacchu 169). In conclusion, this paper has shown that corporate social responsibility is a vital element for nay business corporations. It has been shown that here are many different areas in which a company may choose to focus its corporate social responsibility.

The first area of focus in corporate social responsibility is with regard to the environment. Other areas that should be considered in the development of corporate social responsibility programs are education, health, nutrition and employment. "Social responsibility investment combines investors'' financial goals with their obligation and dedication to factors that ensure the well being of society such as environmental friendly practices, economic growth and ustice in society'' (Anderson 9).

These elements are not only aspects of corporate social responsibility, but also a show of the ethical standards of a company. It is unethical for some individuals to own so much and earn so much, at the expense of other suffering members of society. It is also unethical for companies to engage in environmentally degrading practices that result in illnesses and loss of life. It can be concluded that Social corporate responsibility and the maintenance of high ethical standards is not an option but an obligation for all business. Works Cited Anderson, Jerry.

Corporate Social Responsibility: Guidelines for Top Management. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1989. Print. Banerjee, Subhabrata. Corporate Social Responsibility: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Northampton: Eward Elgar Publishing, 2007. Print. Crowther, David and Rayman-Bacchus, Lez. Perspectives on Corporate Social Responsibility. Burlington: Ashgate Publishing, 2004. Print. Werther, William and Chandler, David. Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility: Stakeholders in a Global Environment. Carlifonia: Sage Publications, 2006. Print.