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corporate social responsibility and ethical careers |
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What is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)?CSR, sometimes referred to as CR (Corporate Responsibility), is concerned to ensure that companies conduct their business in a way that is ethical. This means taking account of their social, economic and environmental impact, and consideration of human rights. It can involve a range of activities such as:
“It 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” (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development). Some businesses go one step further and have as their main purpose the fulfilment of social or environmental goals (as opposed to a business that tries to achieve its financial goals while minimising any negative impact on society or the environment.). These businesses are called Social Enterprises. Why has it become important to organisations? There have been increased demands from employees, customers and government bodies for businesses to be more open about their activities and that they reach and maintain acceptable standards in their business practice. For employers, CSR is now seen as an important way to increase competitive advantage, protect and raise brand awareness and build trust with customers and employees.
Where are the jobs? Due to the diversity of this career area, opportunities exist within the private, public and voluntary sectors. It is important to highlight that many CSR roles may not be titled as such but their job content may reflect CSR activities. Private Sector - Larger companies may have CSR departments or have CSR functions located within particular areas including marketing, communications, environmental management, public affairs, investor relations, finance, operations and human resources. Opportunities are also opening up in the large accounting and consulting firms, many of which are trying to compete with the niche CSR consulting firms by offering their own CSR client services. Public Sector - CSR career options can be found in both national government agencies and international organisations. The UK government has put forward its vision for CSR within businesses and government departments. Originally created by the DTI (now the Department for Business Innovation and Skills), responsibility for the CR Academy, now falls to Business in the Community (BITC). It is a resource for organisations of any size and sector wanting to develop their corporate responsibility skills through training, advice and support. Global Compact is an initiative launched by the United Nations Secretary General to convince international companies to commit themselves to universal principles in relation to protection of human rights, labour rights and the environment. The 10 principles of the UN Global Compact can be found on the Global Compact website, together with details of participating companies and case studies.
Nonprofits and research - There are a wide variety of non-governmental organisations (NGO’s), industry associations, think tanks and academic institutions engaging in learning and/or advocacy within the CSR arena. Such groups promote and examine the use of CSR concepts within the private and public spheres. For example: Corporate Responsibility (CORE) Coalition - represents over 130 charities and campaigning organisations. Friends of the Earth - highlight the environmental impact of some multi-nationals and campaign for stronger laws on environmental responsibility. Amnesty International - also campaigns for human rights and organisational responsibility in this area. CSR – still an emerging profession? There is no such thing as a typical career path in CSR and there is no single professional body at present that represents the needs and interests of all those working in the field. This is due to the diverse disciplines involved and also the complexity of the roles and responsibilities of a CSR practitioner. The process of establishing and responding to the CSR agenda within an organisation, will require specialists with specific CSR competencies. What qualifications are needed for a CSR role? There are no specific qualifications required for this field but there are an increasing number of qualifications becoming available at Masters level and as part of MBA courses. Key words to look for when searching include, corporate governance and corporate administration as many such courses contain elements of CSR and business ethics. However, because it is relatively new, transferable skills and knowledge from other related specialisms such as environmental management, ethical finance, marketing and HR, are valued (see What further training or education is available in CSR?).
What skills or competencies would be required for a CSR role?This is hard to clarify due to the diverse roles and range of disciplines involved. In 2004, the then Department for Trade and Industry (now the Department for Business Innovation and Skills) categorised the skills and competencies required into three main areas:
From this, they developed 6 core competencies for managers involved with CSR in organisations:
For more detailed explanations of these competencies, visit the CR Academy website.
How do I find out more about CSR roles?
How do I find a job in CSR?This very much depends on which area of CSR you are interested in and the type of organisation you want to work for. Many direct CSR roles require specialist knowledge and business experience and therefore may not be open to those on graduate programmes or just starting out with a company. You may have to take a longer term strategy and build up your skills and experience in relevant areas first. However, there are jobs out there so here are a few tips:
There are sample adverts (including some from SAGE) in the CSR folder in the Getting Started section of the Careers Service.
How can I find out about a company’s CSR activities?Many larger companies now publish information on their CSR activities on their websites. There are also a number of indices such as the FTSE4Good, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and Business in the Community’s Corporate Responsibility Index. FTSE4Good - designed to measure the performance of companies that meet globally recognised corporate responsibility standards, and to facilitate investment in those companies. Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes - track the financial performance of the leading sustainability-driven companies worldwide. Business in the Community - Top 100 companies from the Corporate Responsibility Index 2007 (compiled 2008). What further training or education is available in CSR?There are three main types of training providers: Business schools - Increasingly, issues such as business ethics, socially responsible investment (SRI), corporate governance, sustainability and corporate citizenship are being incorporated into existing business modules and MBA programmes. Universities - There are a growing number of specialist postgraduate degrees in CSR and sustainable business and CSR has also begun to be included as modules in other programmes and degrees. Independent training providers - tend to provide executive, specialist and short courses in CSR. The most numerous types of courses are focused on environmental and quality standards with the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) extensively involved with companies in the provision of training in EMS auditing and environmental management systems. Another growth area has been in accountability and sustainability with specialist courses developing in areas such as social auditing, accounting and reporting. For further information on CSR related courses, visit the CR Academy website. Useful websitesGeneral information AccountAbility - is the Institute of Social and Ethical Accountability, an international non-profit institute that brings together members and partners from business, civil society and the public sector from across the world to promote accountability for sustainable development. Business in the Community (BITC) - is an independent business-led charity whose purpose is to inspire, engage, and support and challenge companies, to continually improve the impact they have on society. This comprehensive website includes a directory of members, an excellent resource section (including a case studies directory), the latest Corporate Responsibility Index and national and global CSR news. Business Environment Partnership (BEP) - provides environmental assistance to small and medium sized businesses throughout Scotland. BEP also arranges 8-week student placements. Business for Social Responsibility - is an US-based CSR site with a vacancies section. CSR Europe - is a leading European business network for corporate social responsibility with many multinational corporations as members. It has a good web links section and provides global CSR news. Corporate Social Responsibility Careers - provides news updates, salary surveys and jobs in CSR Ethical Investment Research Services (EIRIS) - is a global provider of independent research into the social, environmental and ethical performance of companies. Ethical Performance - is a global independent business newsletter on corporate social responsibility and reports how companies are addressing human rights, ethics in the supply chain, the environment and related issues. Forum for the Future - is a UK charity that works in partnership with business, the public sector and others to build a sustainable future. They offer an internship programme. Green Engineering Jobs - an international job and information website for the renewable energy and environmental industries. Institute of Business Ethics (IBE) - raises public awareness of the importance of doing business ethically, and collaborates with other UK and international organisations with interests and expertise in business ethics. Shared Interest - is a co-operative lending society that aims to reduce poverty in the world, by providing fair and just financial services. They work with fair trade businesses all over the world, both producers and buyers, providing credit to enable producers to be paid in advance and to help fair trade develop. SustainAbility - is an independent think tank and strategy consultancy. The website has a careers section including tips for students. UK Social Investment Forum (UKSIF) - is UK's membership network for socially responsible investment (SRI). Its primary purpose is to promote and encourage the development and positive impact of SRI amongst UK based investors. The site advertises vacancies.
Ethical careers BeTheChange - website designed by Ethical Properties tom profile, debate and support the social change sector. It includes a careers section. Environment Job - is a website with environment jobs and volunteering opportunities. Ethical Careers - is a UK website devoted to ethical careers. It has a 'jobs and internships' section plus career articles and information. Ethical Consumer - is the website of the Ethical Consumer Research Association (ECRA). It provides information on the companies behind the brand names and promotes the ethical use of consumer power. While much of the information is subscriber-only, there are a number of accessible reports. Ethical Jobs - is a global jobs website which includes CSR vacancies. Green Guide - is comprehensive directory of eco-friendly goods, services, contacts and organisations available in the UK. ELDIS - is a gateway to information about development. It has a comprehensive CSR resource section and an excellent web links directory. One World - has job and volunteering opportunities and career resources. People and Planet - is a UK student organisation which campaigns to alleviate world poverty, defend human rights and protect the environment. They advertise permanent and voluntary positions and offer graduate internships.
CSR recruitment websites Acre - is a UK recruitment agency for CSR, sustainability, environment and engineering . Allen & York - is a recruitment agency for the built and natural environment. Evergreen - is an environmental recruitment agency. Lifeworth - is a CSR vacancies site. Ruston Wheb - is an executive search firm including CSR and sustainability.
Related career areasThese can range from areas as diverse as health and safety, marketing, human resources, environmental management, ethical investment, public relations, ethical science research, social research, environmental protection and development work. It could also involve administration for public bodies, charities or industry and commerce. Please refer to the Green careers information folders in the Careers Service and the relevant sections of our website covering these career areas where you will find much more information about the roles and where to find jobs in these career areas.
You may also want to look at the sections of our website which covers self-employment, alternative work styles and voluntary work. Information can also be found in the Getting Started section of the Careers Service.
Social EnterpriseWhat is a Social Enterprise?
Well known examples of social enterprises include The Big Issue, Jamie Oliver's restaurant Fifteen, and the fair-trade chocolate company Divine Chocolate. Websites
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