Corporate Social Responsibility
Increasingly corporations are examining the interaction between operations and their interface with societal issues specific to a program area or product line. On one level, this is progressive and to be encouraged, on another it can lead to disconnected and disjointed "tag ons" that do not readily fit with either corporate strategy or corporate culture. The Acacia Group works to fully integrate a corporate socially responsible mindset into the organization by working closely with leaders and engage them in the new thinking and behaviour required for corporate, environmental and social responsibility.
Any typical change initiative can be led from the top, mandated, supported and communicated in an attempt to make the change last. This is a predictive and prescribed model where outcomes are assumed. Well developed corporate social responsibility change initiatives tend to be more adaptive and responsive; nimble to the changing environment. In such an approach, the lack of predictability is considered part of the process. This type of thinking is typical of the experience that will be encountered on one of our retreats. The best laid plans evaporate, the rules shift, the goal remains. - We create opportunities in a real learning lab, where the experiences will leave an indelible impact.
Books Beyond Good Company - Bradley Googins, Phillip Mirvis and Steven Rochlin - 2007 - Palgrave MacMillan
Blessed Unrest - Paul Hawken - -2007 - Viking
Just Good Business - Kellie McElhaney - 2008 - Berret-Koehler
Natural Capitalism - Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins and L. Hunter Lovins - 1999 - Little, Brown
The number of websites relating to CSR is ever expanding and can be sorted based on interest areas from environmental impacts to traditional philanthropy. Frankly, the established search engines do a far better job than we can. Our three favourites however, and a great place to start are:
www.wiserearth.org - WiserEarth is an online community space for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and those that support their work: businesses, government agencies, funders, social entrepreneurs, students, organizers, academics, activists, scientists, and other concerned citizens of the world. WiserEarth provides the tools to help these 'communities of action' find each other, make connections, share resources, and build alliances.
www.csrwire.com - CSRwire is the leading global source of Corporate Social Responsibility news. As they continue to expand their core distribution and archiving, they are moving beyond the traditional newswire to include innovative techniques to get news to a passionate, professional audience.
www.netimpact.org - Net Impact is an international nonprofit organization whose mission is to make a positive impact on society by growing and strengthening a community of leaders who use business to improve the world. They offer a portfolio of programs to educate, equip, and inspire more than 10,000 members to make a tangible difference in their universities, organizations, and communities.
Increasingly corporations are examining the interaction between operations and their interface with societal issues specific to a program area or product line. On one level, this is progressive and to be encouraged, on another it can lead to disconnected and disjointed "tag ons" that do not readily fit with either corporate strategy or corporate culture. The Acacia Group works to fully integrate a corporate socially responsible mindset into the organization by working closely with leaders and engage them in the new thinking and behaviour required for corporate, environmental and social responsibility.
Any typical change initiative can be led from the top, mandated, supported and communicated in an attempt to make the change last. This is a predictive and prescribed model where outcomes are assumed. Well developed corporate social responsibility change initiatives tend to be more adaptive and responsive; nimble to the changing environment. In such an approach, the lack of predictability is considered part of the process. This type of thinking is typical of the experience that will be encountered on one of our retreats. The best laid plans evaporate, the rules shift, the goal remains. - We create opportunities in a real learning lab, where the experiences will leave an indelible impact.
Some select resources:
Books Beyond Good Company - Bradley Googins, Phillip Mirvis and Steven Rochlin - 2007 - Palgrave MacMillan
Blessed Unrest - Paul Hawken - -2007 - Viking
Just Good Business - Kellie McElhaney - 2008 - Berret-Koehler
Natural Capitalism - Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins and L. Hunter Lovins - 1999 - Little, Brown
Websites
The number of websites relating to CSR is ever expanding and can be sorted based on interest areas from environmental impacts to traditional philanthropy. Frankly, the established search engines do a far better job than we can. Our three favourites however, and a great place to start are:
www.wiserearth.org - WiserEarth is an online community space for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and those that support their work: businesses, government agencies, funders, social entrepreneurs, students, organizers, academics, activists, scientists, and other concerned citizens of the world. WiserEarth provides the tools to help these 'communities of action' find each other, make connections, share resources, and build alliances.
www.csrwire.com - CSRwire is the leading global source of Corporate Social Responsibility news. As they continue to expand their core distribution and archiving, they are moving beyond the traditional newswire to include innovative techniques to get news to a passionate, professional audience.
www.netimpact.org - Net Impact is an international nonprofit organization whose mission is to make a positive impact on society by growing and strengthening a community of leaders who use business to improve the world. They offer a portfolio of programs to educate, equip, and inspire more than 10,000 members to make a tangible difference in their universities, organizations, and communities.
"It has been estimated that in 2006 large corporations in the US spent over $30 billion on corporate responsibility services. Over two thirds of the monies were spent on auditing and financial reporting, business protection and compliance. This is a sign of risk management -not proactive, progressive, integrated practice. Alternately, a company can chose to build citizenship based on identity and values. This serves as a value proposition for CSR that aligns actions and mobilizes leaders behind those actions". - Porter and Kramer, Harvard Business Review
