For a long time we believed that corporate social responsibility was demonstrated through initiatives of community use, chosen in complete autonomy (often self-justified), which compensated the damaging effects of any irresponsible actions by some enterprises.
The economic crisis that exploded in 2008 and prior to that the financial scandals and emergency waste situation, showed us how superficial it is to talk about responsibility without first considering whether companies are truly aware that they are part of a bigger picture and that they are willing to cooperate in this on an equal level. Without this awareness it is unlikely that corporate strategies and the resulting actions will have a social impact and bear witness to their commitment.
This revolutionary change in perspective, which takes the focus away from companies onto that of a more complex system, does not only lead to a radical review of various corporate processes and structures but also the profound evolution of management culture. An effort of this magnitude must be founded on an exchange and mutual support between companies and all parties with which it interacts (stakeholders); without dialogue based on listening it is impossible to identify optimum solutions and find the right motivation to implement them.
This represents a huge commitment and requires significant investment on the part of organizations, but there is no other way to cross the fine line between traditional company practices and attaining long-term objectives that reconcile the interests of the company with sustainable development. For this purpose, identifying stakeholders and creating more effective communication channels that are conducive to the exchange of information are prerequisites for social responsibility.
1. Consolidate practice that allow the effective involvement of all stakeholders in the processes to which they pertain. For this purpose at least two panels relating to the reporting process should be organized each yaer alongside other meetings relating to facts, projects, activities, which bearing direct or indirect consequences for one or more stakeholder categories require their prior intervention to secure their valuable participation in the process.
2. Subsequent to each meeting, demonstrate the way in which each contribution was tackled and any resulting actions.
