Test 2 CSR

• Read : “5 ways to implement design ethics” and think about the points made in the
article.

• Research
All group members should find real-life examples of companies that do or do not implement these
points.

• Prepare to discuss your personal convictions

• Do you believe in CSR?
• Do you feel it is feasible?
• Do you believe in company’s motives when they try to implement CSR?
• Is it just “greenwashing”?
• etc

Language objectives

To get a good mark :

• Use precise, idiomatic English (note key words from your reading/research/the CSR
vocab file on Savoir).
• Refer to relevant, real-life examples of company practices and experience

To get a really good mark :

• Show you are learning to translate better by using more idiomatic English (try using
phrasal verbs!) / and that you are expanding your vocabulary base (use expressions and words that don’t
look like French!)

Above all, the Volkswagen case represents an absolute failure in terms of Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR). The company deliberately set out to devise a way to circumvent emissions
controls – a ploy known at the highest levels – in an attempt to give the company an unfair advantage
over its competitors that made it the world's leading automaker, largely on the plan on the basis of its
supposedly environmentally friendly cars; meanwhile, he was poisoning the planet.

This rejection of any ethical standards in engineering, which led to the resignation not only of the CEO,
but also of Audi's head of R&D and Porsche's head of engines, makes one thing absolutely clear: the
CSR department of company had to know what was going on. on. The chain of command which led to
the development of certain lines of software capable of putting an engine in test mode then putting it
back into “dirty mode” is recorded, all the tests carried out are documented: those responsible can be
identified, and found at all levels at Volkswagen. While software takes care of all the complexities of a
product, the only way to avoid problems is to be completely transparent, document every step of the
process, and embrace open source.

AVIS
The conclusion can only be that for Volkswagen, CSR is a marketing exercise.

But the sad truth is that this conclusion applies to the vast majority of companies: a head of
CSR is appointed and runs a department the job of which is to keep the company’s image
clean as is clearly the case with Volkswagen. Once again, we have allowed ourselves to be
duped into believing that companies can and will regulate themselves, when of course the
sordid reality is that as their actions show, beyond the occasional symbolic act, their sole
objective is to maximize profit, and by any means (competitiveness)
The problem with CSR pretty much comes down to this: we are asking companies to self-
regulate. Furthermore, we must be doing something wrong when the majority of people see
CSR as superfluous, a luxury that mustn’t get in the way of making profits or giving us that
delicious feeling of acceleration when we put our foot down. Most heads of CSR know this
reality, and they know which side their bread is buttered on.
IT’s the law of supply and demand, example : as long as drivers want
their car run faster and better and hear the sound, the roar of the engine
the problem will not be solved.