How to Manage a CSR Strategy Successfully - Assignment Example

The paper "How to Manage a CSR Strategy Successfully" is a perfect example of an assignment on business.
The article focuses on various aspects of CSR. The author first discusses the social and moral responsibilities of a company. He argues that the social responsibility of a company is all-encompassing. This includes the legal, economic, ethical, and discretionary expectations held by society towards a company. The paper also focuses on major normative principles, including membership, fair play, ability, and contribution, and why these are objected. The author also explains why the principles are misleading in nature. He, therefore, proposes that there should be prioritization, whenever these principles are adopted. 

Corporations should be morally accountable beyond legal obligations. In the article, Alzola (273) argues that the social responsibility of a corporation includes ethical, economic, and legal expectations of the society of the corporations. Therefore, this shows that corporations, apart from legal obligations, have economic and ethical obligations. Corporations have moral obligations, apart from their legal obligations, as the distinction between morality and law is slim. Although it might be argued that the requirements of law and morality are different, this is not always the case. Basing on this argument, therefore, a corporation for instance, has the obligation to refrain from stealing or cheating, even if the law does not require them to refrain from these.
This reading has enhanced my knowledge of business ethics, with regard to CSR. This paper has helped me understand the importance of holding a corporation responsible for promoting environmental, economic, ad social well-being in society. I have learned that, as part of business ethics, corporations should take action, such as driving donations and gifts, whenever different needs come up in society. This is more important than when corporations refrain from negativities, such as torturing people.
The article focuses on three major aspects. These include the rise and fall of SCR, curses of CSR, and the pillars of CSR. On the evolution of CSR, the author notes that the concept of CSR has existed throughout history, starting the year 1800, though identified differently. However, in 1970, the concept received an accepted definition by Archie Caroll, who defined it based on the aspects of economic, philanthropic, and legal responsibilities (Visser1). The author argues that CSR has failed in its mandate today, due to different challenges. These include the incremental approach of CSR today, lack of commitment from top management of companies, and uneconomic CSR. The author also identifies five pillars on which CSR should be established, in order to address the challenges. These include connectedness, scalability, responsiveness, duality, and circularity (Visser 4).
CSR is a viable way to address moral dilemmas for business. There is a relationship between moral dilemmas and CSR. A moral dilemma is a complicated situation, which requires one to choose between two undesirable options. On the other hand, CSR requires a company to be responsible for its actions. Therefore, a company can develop a policy under its CSR that will outline the code of conduct and philosophy of the company. Therefore, when faced with a moral dilemma, a company can use professional conduct under its CSR to address the dilemma. This, therefore, falls under the ethical part of CSR.
The reading has enriched my knowledge of CSR. As an important aspect of business ethics, every company must exhibit CSR. Although CSR has become important in the present day, through this reading, I have come to understand how this aspect has evolved over time. Overall, as compared to moral agency, the corporate activity of a company has great impact on the moral significance of the company. However, these two lead to the accountability of a company. Read More