The importance of social responsibility

Western businesses are increasingly focused on social responsibility, making a point of thinking not just of profits but of the environment and workplace safety, for example. It is not just a matter of “doing good”: today, the market demands such attention. The consumer is aware, and a company’s social responsibility is a meter by which it is judged – turning good works into a clear marketing tool. Social responsibility represents value added, and is considered part and parcel of a given organization. Needless to say, “doing good” also covers issues such as keeping a balanced budget and making transactions transparent: anything less works against a company’s image and thus its profits.In England, for example, law demands that companies factor environmental damage into their calculations. Administrators must prove themselves ethical and “correct” in order to maintain a positive reputation, and thus increase sales. Elsewhere, such actions are voluntary, but increasingly necessary for good business.Participants discussed social responsibility as a tool for democracy; it helps companies respect norms and behavioral demands not only at home, but wherever it operates. Oases of progress all over the world can spring up from a better respect for social responsibility, influencing local politicians and consumers worldwide. The suggestion was made to establish an observatory to bring the experiences of companies everywhere to light, to encourage the exportation of democracy, of respect for the rule of law, and of norms that can improve business both in the West and in the Thirld World. Perhaps “social responsibility” is the upside of globalization: the opening of markets, the importance of the consumer, and the development of a civic sense have worked together to spread an attitude of commitment that, until recently, was hardly considered linked to economics, to profits, to the business profile.Finally, social responsibility leads to a sense of leadership. To cite one example: Confindustria in Sicily successfully worked against the Mafia, changing businesspeople’s approach to the need to pay for “protection”.