1

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Sustainability, Challenges,

and Recommendations

Christine Ann McCalla, NorthCentral University

Abstract
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has evolved as not only a current trend but a competitive
one. Combined with sustainability, a strategic plan can emerge that will challenge the
competitive environment, impact the issues of ethics and technology, as well as integrate other
strategic players within the organization. Additionally, the challenges, competitive environment,
and business environment can be managed by the implementation of various strategies and their
developmental efforts, forcing the issue of foreseeable challenges and optimal solutions.

Introduction
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become a most well-discussed trend, and significant
efforts have been exerted in promoting it within our environment. Reason being, Taran & Betts
(2015), p 55, it is an organizations successful manner of promoting escalating commitment
through financial donations to charities, social and environmental issues, etc. While CSR has
value by association, additional strategies are required and can be implemented through various
developmental efforts. These include incorporating human capital management, cost efficient
and effective initiatives (employee think tanks), and risk management (addressing foreseeable
challenges) into the organizational strategies.

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Taran & Betts, p 56, defines CSR as a companys actions that appear to further some social
good, beyond the interests of the firm and that which is required by law... Set-Pamies &
Papaoikonomou (2016), p 528, defines corporate sustainability as the application of sustainable
development on the corporate level that addresses the short and long-term economic, social and
environmental performance of corporations. Set-Pamies & Papaoikonomou, p 529, noted the
similarities of both CSR and corporate sustainability as they both share the same vision
(balancing economic responsibilities with social and environmental ones). Set-Pamies &
Papaoikonomou, p 529, also distinguishes between CSR and corporate sustainability asCSR
places more emphasis on stakeholders than corporate sustainability. Second, the temporal scope
of corporate sustainability is broader than the CSR scope CSR fits within the existing business
paradigm, whereas corporate sustainability is seen as a paradigm shift on the business-society
relationship. In our conceptual framework, sustainability can be analyzed as a continuation of
efforts which is defined by Polman & Bhattacharya (2016), p 36, as ... corporate change
initiatives (such as a transition to a sustainable business model).

Recommend One Social Responsibility Initiative

Our recommended Social Responsibility Initiative is philanthropy, and the designated technology
I will recommend to the CEO are platforms that support social media to not only facilitate CSR,
but for the branding and name recognition contributions this platform provides. Philanthropy can
be executed using targeted initiatives suggested by our employees including Avon Walk for the
Cure, Georgetown 5K Race Against Homelessness, etc. The employees can choose initiatives to
support, their methodology of fundraising, and then human resources will schedule them on a

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calendar. The methodology will include QGivs / Bloomerangs peer-to-peer campaigns

including, Time-Based Peer-to-Peer Fundraising, Giving Days, and Peer-to-Peer Fundraising,

On Giving Days, there will be certain opportunities for employees to make donations for the
cause of choice, select the amount, the total fundraising amount will be accumulated, and then
the donation made to the organization. Additionally, this fundraising initiative can be extended to
include the employees networks including friends, relatives, parties, and affiliates. The
difference is that instead of relying on your organization and its personnel to manage the
collections and its recordkeeping complications, a customer relationship management (CRM)
module which is included in the fundraising platform (crowdfunding / crowdera). Marin, et al,
(2016), p 248, discussed the many forms CSR assume:...philanthropy, cause-related marketing,
environmental responsibility, and humane employee treatment..., as well as the motivations for
engaging in it, p 218 including economic and positive duty (values-driven and strategic). This
includes CRM where donors, gift amounts, contact information, and opt-in contact information
indicating if they would like to be including in regards to future events. The CRM module
includes disbursements of receipts by email as well any other information requested. Additional
information may be included such as a calendar of events, newsletters updating / detailing the
events and their progress. Once the target amount is reached, payment can be made to the cause
of choice. Along with the fundraising, the crowdfunding ability provides outreach and branding
capabilities including social media initiatives including blogging. This will accomplish Jamali, et
als (2015), p 127, ... CSR initiatives that are intended to improve the welfare of those in
society and also to contribute to organizations resources and competitive positioning

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While personnel will be required to create / manage the social media initiatives, your
organization can generate more interest and reach a greater audience than relying on employees
alone and their direct connections. When the various networks can make their donations directly
and receive their receipts, donations are likely to be higher and extend to supporters who may be
limited to future donations.

Foreseen Challenges and Provide Recommendations - CSR

The foreseen challenge will be control and accuracy of donations as both cash donations from
employees, and online donations from networks will be received. This is due to multiple
employees having access to both the cash and online access to the marketing strategy /
fundraising / CRM modules, which can generate additional competition. This can be mitigated
by giving receipts from a cash receipt book, and then be entered online so the reconciliations can
be more accurate and easier. Additionally, there must be executive reviews and approvals for any
refunds and disbursements of collections to the social advocacy organizations or donors. As for
the ethical component, human capital management can address this issue through policies.

Ethics and Technology Management - CSR

Ethics and technology can be managed through the use of human capital management and human
resources policies. The policies must be written to create cause and effect relationships,
consequences, and foster their reliance on the processes themselves. Based on the social
responsibility initiatives chosen, we are recommending policies with consequences for
intellectual infringement and related offenses, slander of the employer, related parties, networks,
and affiliates, blogging, social media, and donation / CRM management. A customized or turn

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key human resources management software and crowdera / crowdfunding platforms can address
the technological aspect.

Recommend One Sustainability Initiative

The sustainability initiative we are recommending for short term growth is the utilization of
employee think tanks, based on Polman & Bhattacharya, p 36, eight practices for sustainability
(table 1): strategic planning through human resource management. These think tanks are
employees suggesting process improvement and ideas for existing or new product line or
services. As a result, we have created sustainability using Alonso-Almeida eta als (2014) p 320,
integration of strategy and operations with the involvement of different stakeholders in the
corporate strategies using HR tools, stakeholders, and structural transformation. The participants
and benefactors will be the employees, consumers, management, governance teams, and the
bottom line which will reflect the effectiveness and efficiency of the structural changes. Because
of organizational excellence, the participants and benefactors are the same based on the dual
contribution and direction each party presents for both the investment in the bottom line and its
returns. This is due to Parks & Hilvers (2016), p 12, general avoidance of lacking of vision,
urgency, capabilities, incentives, resources, and action plan.

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Table 1: Short-term Sustainability Initiative Matrix

Define long-term
purpose

(7)Make
sustainability
for the company

Spell out economic case

ORGANIZATIONAL
CHANGE SUSTAINABILITY
(Think Tank)

(8)Creating
organization

(3)Create
knowledge
and competence
(4)Make every
employee a
champion
(5)Cocreate
sustainable
practices with
employees
(6)Creating

competition
among them

Foreseen Challenges and Provide Recommendations - Sustainability

The challenge for this sustainability initiative is that the branding / marketing aspect does not
move in tandem with expectations, but stellar human resources management will address this.
This strategic organizational change is strictly a human resource initiative which creates
expectation of all participants. In the employees case, merit compensation will be expected.
Given the developmental changes and the learning curves, the employees may decide to
transition into better or larger roles with other employees creating turnover. Another challenge is
the mentoring of the confidence required for employees to walk into a supervisors / executives
office and share their ideas. Addressing the matter of autopsies without blame, Collins p 77 - 78,
is never possible as failure must be addressed in the manner of arrival. So the human resources
management strategy must include performance improvement processes as to the criterion

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selection for project management to make the determination of accept / reject and failure /
success processes and outcomes. Finally, ethics and intellectual infringement is a criminal
offence and must be addressed in advance, if it is proven that the processes / product
improvements result in patents and copyrights derived from stolen work products.

Ethics and Technology Management - Sustainability

The question of ethics covers a plethora of topics including ethics itself, integrity, criminal
prosecution, disclosure, and transparency and must be addressed through effective policy
management. The most effective and efficient manner of doing this is through the continuation of
human resources management strategic plans, which addresses the implementation, review, and
revision of policies. While much of the ethics topics were presented earlier as challenges, they
are surmountable through the use of transparency where policies are reviewed and acknowledged
upon hire and annually through the use of signed organization-wide disbursed acknowledgement
statements, training, and technology.

The technology required are an interactive human resources management system (customized or
other), and the intranet. For this process, the combination allows employees to get performance
feedback continuously and at times remotely, facilitating mentoring and development. Training
can be provided through archived distance education as well as live, grouped, scheduled training.
Additionally, professional development and continuing education may be required as strategic
knowledge and nonfinancial personnel accounting training is required, specifically for
benchmarking and metrics analysis and development. Basic accounting training is required to
impart knowledge transfer in the understanding of the bottom line concept: a stakeholder,

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participant, and benefactor, and this also helps in the accept / reject and failure / success criterion
processes.

Conclusion
Parks & Hilvers, p 12, describes organizational excellence and include organizational values as
vision and strategies cascaded throughout the organization and guide all work, actions, and
decisions. While social responsibility and sustainability are closely related and similarly requires
continuous ongoing efforts, their main differences are outcomes, initiatives, and implementation
efforts. Accurate identification, classification, and implementation of both classes of progress,
can create and maintain sustainable, cost effective, and cost efficient organizational change by
means of employee utilization, knowledge transfer, and increased employee commitment.

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