The CSR field is growing. And companies are starting to respond to what was primarily a movement driven by activists, students and academia, by creating CSR departments and integrating corporate citizenship into business strategy. Why is this?
I’ve been reading a lot of reviews on Tim Mohin’s: “Changing Business from the Inside Out: A Treehuggers Guide To Working in Corporations”. I’m ready to buy the book. If you’ve read it, what do you think?
I wasn’t initially attracted because of the descriptor of the title: “A Treehuggers Guide to Working in Corporations.” While I do my share of recycling and I do what I can to reduce my carbon footprint, I can’t admit to being an environmental zealot.
However, I am embracing the inevitable evolution in American Capitalism through a more transparent and responsible focus on corporate purpose as opposed to the single focus of “maximizing shareholder value.” The age of “Greed is Good” is giving way to “The Age of Meaning?”
In my opinion, operating an organization with focus on the triple bottom line (People, Planet, Profit) will become table stakes whereas today, enlightened companies are using this strategy as a point-of-difference. Those organizations that “get it” and are now proactively pushing in that direction, will be the survivors and corporate heros of tomorrow.
Mohin writes: “Culture eats policy for breakfast;” corporations are just groups of people who learn to interact with each other in a certain way. Navigating those interactions, and tailoring your efforts around corporate culture realities, will trump any CR mandate you can write.”
Emile Durkheim said it best: “When mores are sufficient, laws are unnecessary. When mores are insufficient, laws are unenforceable.”
Kurt Schusterman 