This post is dedicated to a Fortune 500 company where a friend of mine is employed. At a recent meeting in a Canadian branch, several top executives spoke about the company's commitment to environmental sustainability. Just as the presentation highlighted the many years it takes for plastics to break down, the refreshments arrived with little plastic water bottles for all.  Oops!

As far fetched as this story sounds, there's an important lesson to be learned. Businesses can significantly reduce carbon emissions and donate millions of dollars, but overlooking particular small items can raise big questions about your seriousness and commitment to CSR. They may not be the most material issues that your business faces, but they often contribute to larger areas of commitment, and can raise eyebrows when not addressed.

As the old Chinese proverb goes, "Men trip not on mountains, they trip on molehills." … Continue Reading: "Small CSR Blunders that Raise Big Questions" »

Don't miss out on this premium webinar offered by Provictus Consulting, available now for no cost.

The Basics of CSR: Drivers & Benefits You Can't Ignore

Does your business see Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as an obstacle or opportunity?

While you may consider implementing responsible business practices, are you fully aware of the forces driving CSR and the benefits it can bring? This webinar will help you understand how Corporate Social Responsibility has evolved to become an integral part of successful business, and why you can't afford to ignore it. Learn about the major pressures your organization may face to be socially responsible, and how CSR can lead to increased competitiveness on top of social and environmental benefits.

Tom Snell and Nick Morris, managing directors at Provictus Consulting, will help you understand how CSR has evolved in importance, what forces are currently driving it, and the value it can bring.

Join us on Thursday March 25th at 3:00pm (EST) for this exclusive webinar, available this time for free. Learn why the drivers and benefits of corporate social responsibility can help improve both your business and the world. Click the blue REGISTER button below.

 Also, don't miss:

The Basics of CSR: Starting Your Stakeholder Conversation Right (April 29, 3:00pm EST)

The Basics of CSR: Finding the Issues & Opportunities that Matter Most (May 25, 3:00pm EST)

 … Continue Reading: "March Webinar - The Basics of CSR: Drivers & Benefits You Can't Ignore" »

How does your company's social and environmental performance stack up? Are you meeting the expectations of your stakeholders? Are you taking advantage of your corporate social responsibility (CSR) opportunities? Are you having a positive impact on the world around you?

An assessment is the best way to get answers to these questions. While a proper assessment involves investigating a number of areas, such as the expectations of your stakeholders, the pressures for CSR, the potential benefits, the relevant issue areas, and your major opportunities, today we review just one aspect: assessing your social and environmental performance. In other words, how do you determine your major strengths and weaknesses?

There are two major things to think about:

Your Impact: Every company has both positive and negative effects on the world around it. When assessing your company's social and environmental performance, your challenge is … Continue Reading: "Assess Your CSR Strengths and Weaknesses" »

Does CSR mean philanthropy? Is it primarily a PR issue? Is an expensive luxury that hurts competitiveness? Or is it a big business issue only? In this two-part series, I will dispel come of the most common myths, misconceptions and false promises surrounding corporate social responsibility (CSR). In this first article, we look at myths & misconceptions: what mistaken beliefs about CSR are most commonly held and what is the truth behind them?

Some of these myths are also commonly heard as objections - reasons why a business shouldn't or cannot engage in CSR. But as we'll see, they quickly fall apart even when exposed to some simple logic.

1. CSR is a PR/Marketing/Communication Issue

Corporate social responsibility is more often than not the child of those responsible for a company's marketing, public or government relations, or general corporate communications. This setup recognizes that a crucial piece of CSR involves stakeholder engagement and that some of its major benefits involve the company's image and benefits.

But what about the rest of it? What about … Continue Reading: "The Truth About CSR I: 10 Myths & Misconceptions " »