Do you care about corporate social responsibility and why?

[jaking]

At NI, we are committed to being a responsible corporate citizen in communities around the globe and for our four key stakeholders: employees, customers, suppliers, and shareholders.

As it becomes more common for companies to report on things like social and environmental performance, rather than just quarterly profits, tell us - do you care about corporate social responsibility? If so, why?

You can learn more about NI Citizenship efforts around the globe at ni.com/citizenship.

Jennifer King

NI Content Coordinator

[altenbach]

Personally, I think NI is doing a great job, especially in helping inspire the next generation (FIRST robotics, etc.). This is extremely important for the future. Of course I am also in academia so a dominant presence in higher education and academic research is very appreciated.

These days, a lot of companies do what some call "greenwashing", but I think also here NI is really listening and more honest. It was not too many years ago when the SSP renewal certificate came packed in a set of boxes similar to a Matryoshka doll. (Another company might have simply added a huge green sticker proclaiming that the boxes were made with 5% recycled material. :D).

Or course such changes are actually directly beneficial for the bottom line. An e-mailed document (or even a first class letter) is singificantly cheaper than a fedex box.

[jcarmody]

I care about corporate social responsibility, but worry that it gets taken too far.  I appreciate Altenbach's mention of "greenwashing", because I was going to respond that companies would work to metrics rather than in ways that are beneficial (like schools teaching to standardized tests).  My biggest issue is that publishing metrics begs any questions as to whether the things being measured are valuable.  I think they're often merely fashionable.

[JackEver]

Agree that it can be taken too far...Just use common sense.: respect all, conserve and give to worthy causes regardless of their underlying beliefs, just watch out for terrorist fronts.

Measuring and publishing "targets" does not impress me.. Just simply say the company is correcting errors and being a responsible citizen of its community.

Individuals and not corporate entities should be the ones to provide "social" responisibility.

[Ben]

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@JackEver wrote:

Agree that it can be taken too far...Just use common sense.: respect all, conserve and give to worthy causes regardless of their underlying beliefs, just watch out for terrorist fronts.

Measuring and publishing "targets" does not impress me.. Just simply say the company is correcting errors and being a responsible citizen of its community.

Individuals and not corporate entities should be the ones to provide "social" responisibility.

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Megga-Dittos to you Jack!

Re: Do you care about corporate social responsibility and why?

No, I do not care about it.

It (and others forms of PCness) has no meaning in my life and if it went away I would not notice it.

From where I sit, it looks like it was societies answer to the question "Well now that we can not talk about God in schools, what will be the standard of right and wrong?'

I liked the version Moses passed along and the new arbitrary standard is just a shadow of the original.

So no, I do not care about if companies claim they do it.

Just my 2 cents,

Ben

[Mark_Yedinak]

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@Ben wrote:

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@JackEver wrote:

Agree that it can be taken too far...Just use common sense.: respect all, conserve and give to worthy causes regardless of their underlying beliefs, just watch out for terrorist fronts.

Measuring and publishing "targets" does not impress me.. Just simply say the company is correcting errors and being a responsible citizen of its community.

Individuals and not corporate entities should be the ones to provide "social" responisibility.

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Megga-Dittos to you Jack!

Re: Do you care about corporate social responsibility and why?

No, I do not care about it.

It (and others forms of PCness) has no meaning in my life and if it went away I would not notice it.

From where I sit, it looks like it was societies answer to the question "Well now that we can not talk about God in schools, what will be the standard of right and wrong?'

I liked the version Moses passed along and the new arbitrary standard is just a shadow of the original.

So no, I do not care about if companies claim they do it.

Just my 2 cents,

Ben

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While I understand what both Ben and Jack are saying I do think that companies should take an active part in being responsible. As others have said I'm not interested in how loud they can toot their own horn but rather the steps they take to be responsible citizens. As individuals we can't have nearly the impact on conversation of resources as companies can have. In addition, many of these conservation efforts would help the bottom line of the company so it would be beneficial for them to undertake the initiative. For example, lets consider a common office building. The vast majority of the work will be done from 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Yet drive by many of these builds late at night and they are ablaze with every light in the building turned on. Imagine the impact on energy conservation if these builds had timers and motion detectors on the lights. Naturally for security purposes some lights would remain on but most could be turned off. I don't really see this as a "PC" effort but as a company acting responsibly.

[JackEver]

Turn the lights off is what I mean by simple conservation and responsibility. Just do it, there is no need for hype internal or external or press releases saying look a us!

[Ben]

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@Mark Yedinak wrote:

... As individuals we can't have nearly the impact on ...

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Emphesis added by me.

Hi Mark,

In my gut I have to question that point in this context as well as others.

Case in point:

There is a clear line we can look at here on the Forums. The Indiviuals that choose to help out and the blue bars being dicatated by a corporate decision.

As I see it it has been the Indivuals that have made this forum the success it is. They were not dicated to do go but saw the oppertunity and stood up to the call.

Corporate responsibilty (in my minds eye) is an artificial construct and ends when the fad shifts to another "goal".

The social responsibility exibited on this form stands as an example that may well out lives those that have shaped to culture.

So my main motivation in taking exception to that point is that all too often we are being told that we can not make a difference as an individual and we HAVE to work as a group.

I admit groups bring assets that the indivual may lack and that is a good thing. My objection is prompted by the "we can't" part of your statement.

I hope you do not find offense in this reply. If we were sitting across from each other, I would be looking you in the eye and asking the same thing.

(Any wonder why my wife lays-down rules before we go out in public?)

Take care,

Ben

[14gipper]

Corporations are socially responsible when they ensure a properly run business. That means a company that returns a profit for its investors and provides a stable and reasonable wage to its employees. A socially responsible corporation does this without overcharging customers and engaging in unfair competition. A socially responsible corporation follows all laws. To ensure this, a socially responsible corporation must continue to improve their product and service to a level that exceeds their competitors.

Yes, a socially responsible corporation matters to me.

[jcarmody]

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@14gipper wrote:

Corporations are socially responsible when they ensure a properly run business. That means a company that returns a profit for its investors and provides a stable and reasonable wage to its employees. A socially responsible corporation does this without overcharging customers and engaging in unfair competition. A socially responsible corporation follows all laws. To ensure this, a socially responsible corporation must continue to improve their product and service to a level that exceeds their competitors.

Yes, a socially responsible corporation matters to me.

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My libertarian knee just jerked...