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A Strategic Binomial: Culture and Social Responsibility

Culture and social responsibility are two characteristics that are part of the socio-cultural reality of organizations, since they are an integral part of the strategic approach that the organization establishes to execute. The above is the analysis of organizational culture and social responsibility as primary factors within the strategy of each organization.

It may be thought that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is of recent appearance, but in its beginnings, it was linked to isolated and personal actions of organizational leaders. Today, it is seen as a fundamental element of the strategy that should be disseminated throughout the culture, because social responsibility is not built in a unidirectional way, but is a social product, both of the members of the organization and of the community, working to meet their needs and seeking a mutually beneficial relationship for all the actors involved.

 

There are companies that have had CSR as part of their practices for a long time, so we can say that it is an important part of their organizational culture, which shows that it is not a new practice. Thus, companies have always established these programs and have adapted or implemented different strategies and approaches, which are the subject of daily discussion, and which also guide the decision-making process of vital importance for sustainability.

Companies have in common a triple objective: to produce, obtain profits and ensure the well-being of the individuals who are part of it; this implies a close link between the company and society, which allows establishing certain components of the organizational culture. When it becomes evident within an organization that there is little or no CSR-oriented culture, thought should be given to directing a process of cultural change, following a methodology that includes the following steps in the process:

  1. Identify the key success factors for establishing change efficiently and effectively. What do we want to achieve?
  2. Evaluate to what extent these factors can be under our control: creating, in this way, the required change capability profile. What capabilities do I have to achieve it?
  3. Define the improvement actions for each factor identified. How to design the roadmap or process?
  4. Establish a process of interaction with information feedback throughout the process. How to modify and correct actions along the way?
  5. Celebrate each step forward. How do I reward? At present, CSR represents a central axis within the thematic functioning of the organizational structures of companies; hence it is a strong motive for an adequate design and application, in accordance with both the regulatory framework and the core of the business.

In addition to the above, we must add the variable of the cultural issue, which, within companies, can be as old as it is current, allowing us to understand human behavior, at all levels, within organizations. This helps to understand how to integrate the values, beliefs and attitudes assumed by the actors within the organizations (a highly important stakeholder group), when they are aware of the social value they can generate within the communities (another important stakeholder group) through the actions promoted by the organization with its CSR design, directing them to the most priority needs of these communities. Specifically, it is imperative to analyze organizational culture and corporate social responsibility as strategic factors within organizations.

Everything expressed in this article leads us to conclude that CSR, when integrated into the organizational culture of companies, acquires a sociocultural dimension with the capacity to establish integrating behaviors or postures, capable of establishing lasting relationships with all identified interlocutors, thus making it possible to predict that CSR can no longer be considered a passing fad; on the contrary, it has arrived to become a way of doing business and guaranteeing its sustainability from now on.

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