Business meets the community
September 3, 2008
Organisations have an important impact on the communities they operate in, with the provision of employment opportunities, activities for residents or the provision of supplies. Many companies go beyond these basic links to the local community by organising or participating in specific schemes as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy. CSR has become a more prevalent aspect of corporate management in recent years, and is now seen to be an important part of organisational strategy. The CIPD says that CSR:
“can be seen as a form of strategic management, encouraging the organisation to scan the horizon and think laterally about how its relationships will contribute long-term to its bottom line in a constantly changing world”
CSR also has an effect on company reputation and employee engagement, with many employees now actively seeking organisations which they feel conducts their business ethically and responsibly. Examples of CSR include local community projects, environmental policies, schemes involving charitable donations or fair trade or ethical purchasing.
One current example of a very topical CSR related scheme is in Birmingham, where companies are being encouraged to employ young people who are involved in local gangs, through apprenticeships. It is hoped that this scheme will contribute towards tackling the much publicised problem with gun and knife crime relating to gang culture in the city, by offering an ‘exit route’ to the young people who have been sucked into a life of crime. The scheme will initially be piloted with six young people between the ages of 16 and 25, with plans to extend this if it proves successful.
The scheme is aimed not at the ‘hardened criminals’ at the centre of gangs in the city, but to those on the edges, in the hope that this will reduce the chances of those individuals being drawn into a life of crime. Councillor Alan Rudge from Birmingham city council said:
“Every business in the city and every person in the city will benefit from it. Community cohesion is about all people living in harmony together.”
This sounds like a promising scheme, and one which looks to tackle the gun and knife crime issue from a different angle than that of the police force. However I can imagine lots of businesses being very reluctant to take part in this scheme and it will need to be well supported by the local authority for it to be a success. The individuals involved will need a lot of support and encouragement to complete the apprenticeships and move away from their former lives.
What do you think of this scheme? Is CSR an important part of your organisational strategy and what do you do if it is?
Things to consider:Things to see and do at Birmingham Universities
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