Corporate Citizenship

• Corporate citizenship involves the social responsibility

of businesses, and the extent to which they meet legal, ethical and
economic responsibilities, as established by shareholders.

The goal is to produce higher standards of living and quality of life

for the communities that surround them and still maintain
profitability for stakeholders.

All businesses have basic ethical and legal responsibilities,

however the most successful businesses establish a strong
foundation of corporate citizenship, showing a commitment to ethical
behavior by creating a balance between the needs of shareholders
and the needs of the community and environment in the surrounding
area. 
Philanthropy and Social
Initiatives

Corporate philanthropy involves a corporation

making a direct contribution to a charity or cause, most often
in the form of cash grants, donations, and/or in-kind services.
Example: Indigo Books & Music Inc. founded the Indigo of
Love of Reading Foundation in 2004 to address the
underfunding of public schools, their libraries and the resulting
literacy crisis. Through its Literacy Fund grant, the Indigo Love
of Reading Foundation commits $1.5 million each year to 20
high-needs elementary schools so they can rebuild their
libraries with new books and education resources
• Corporate social responsibility not
only deals with corporate philanthropy but also other
issues that affect the environment, consumers, human
rights, supply-chain sustainability and transparency
for the greater good of the world at large. Businesses
that integrate social responsibility into their missions
acknowledge that their business processes have an
impact beyond the company. Therefore, they address
issues like philanthropy, environmental-impact
assessments and providing good working conditions,
among others, to try to better their communities or
diminish potential harm, such as greenhouse gas
emitted from their manufacturing plants.
Ways on How to Spot
Greenwashing

1.) Visit the company’s website

 A good place to start in any greenwashing investigation is on the
company’s website. Many companies will have a part of their
website devoted to their advances in green practices and
sustainable operations. Find this information — if it’s available —
and read through it to get the details. If a company’s green info is
limited or vague, it could be a red flag — especially if the
company’s advertising is much louder about what it’s doing to
help the earth. It’s hard to get anything conclusive from a
website, but a quick search should give you some leads to check
out.
2.) Check with environmental advocates and organizations
 Environmental organizations are in the know when it comes to
company green practices. Many such organizations offer
certifications that companies crave, because it improves their
reputation among the public. Find out what, if any, environmental
certifications a company has, and what environmental advocates
are saying about the company. When a company is publicizing big
strides in green reform but no certifying organizations have been a
first-hand witness to those changes, there’s a definitely possibility
that the company isn’t being entirely honest.

3.) Learn more about their business partners

 When it comes to businesses implementing green practices, the
company you keep matters. Look at a company’s various business
partners, including distributors and suppliers, to get a better idea
of what their green practices are like. Partnerships with other
green organizations are a positive sign, in part because the
company in question is putting its business toward other green
entities. But if all or most of its partnerships have poor green
reputations, there’s reason to start getting pessimistic.
CSR in Global Context: Potential Roles
of Governments in the CSR Agenda

Spans social, economic and environmental spheres including

issues of corruption, poverty reduction and human rights.

Goals differ from country to country. However, a broadly

defined goal of public engagement in CSR is the alignment
of business activities and public policy. It’s clear vision
may increased the likelihood of success of corporate
contribution to national development.