responsibility success, responsibility their employees, but also responsibility society—companies take on responsibility in many ways. However, large companies are often more active in the latter area, especially since they are required by law to report comprehensively on their non-financial activities. But small and medium-sized enterprises should not neglect the issue of corporate social responsibility (CSR) either.
CSR now extends far beyond functions and departments; the term has become established in both everyday working life and communication in almost every large company—and is also expected to be implemented by small and medium-sized enterprises. Transparent and credible CSR management can have many positive effects: lower energy costs, satisfied employees, improved stakeholder relationships, and an enhanced reputation.
Nevertheless, communicating CSR activities adequately remains a major challenge for many companies. One reason for this is that companies often lack awareness of the actual communication potential of their own topics. As a result, the shift from reactive to active reporting is usually slow. There are also problems in terms of perceived usefulness: many communicators do not see CSR work as a means of increasing the appeal of their product, but rather as a risk of triggering a social boycott. In fact, companies benefit financially from comprehensive CSR work and communication about it. After all, all CSR activities are linked in some way to the company's goals—and these goals are to be economically profitable in the long term. But first, everything starts with the topic of "responsibility."
An obligation for the big players, an opportunity for the small ones
The ability responsibility take responsibility can be transferred from individuals to companies. People only bear responsibility their actions from a certain age: "Parents are liable for their children." Applied to the development of companies, this would mean that they too would only be responsibility to take full responsibility once they reached a certain size. This should by no means be the case.
Small and medium-sized enterprises are supporting their local communities with donations in kind and financial contributions, increasingly relying on renewable energy sources, more resource-efficient office supplies, and healthier, locally sourced canteen food. This topic area can be expanded as desired, for example to include waste management and biodiversity or, in the social sphere, working conditions and social standards, equal opportunities, training and further education, and work-life balance. In addition, there are typical economic topics such as risk management, resource efficiency, and investor relations. Under the heading of corporate governance, the focus is also on anti-corruption, fair remuneration, and the prevention of child labor.
Understanding: responsibility one's own responsibility
However, only large companies are required to report on this at present. It is important to note that if small and medium-sized enterprises act as suppliers to large companies, for example, responsible sustainability awareness also becomes crucial for them if the large company in question reviews its CSR activities in order to identify potential problems along its own supply chain at an early stage.
This is where communication comes into play again: active dialogue on sustainability issues between the company and its internal and external stakeholders is the goal of any good CSR communication. This should help the company to better understand social challenges, build potential for understanding and trust, and ultimately generate acceptance for its own business activities. In this context, structured and authentic CSR management can successfully examine, improve, and communicate a variety of corporate aspects.
Yours, Christoph Moss
Image by Colin Behrens on Pixabay
