Today we are here to tell you what Corporate Social Responsibility really is and what its contributions are in a company.
What is CSR?
Corporate Social Responsibility, also known as CSR, is the strategy that each company designs to create a commitment based on a union of the company’s values and that can be seen represented through their work activity.
It is not only developed in the economic sphere, but also has an influence on legal, ethical and philanthropic aspects within the company. For all this we deduce that: “It is evident that the economic benefit is not separable from the social and ecological benefit” (García-Marzá, 2007).
Evolution of the concept of CSR
In the past, companies understood CSR as Risk Management. Defined as an analysis of a previously identified problem, followed by a strategic response plan whose purpose is to prevent, and if it is not possible, to minimize, the impact of the consequences of that problem on the reputation and public image of the company.
Now companies view CSR as something voluntary, which is integrated into their values and which is based on actions to which the company is truly committed. It is usually a social benefit, with the local community or on a large scale.
CSR seeks a systematic change and not something exceptional. It is not related to how companies spend their money, since that is seen as creating an endowment fund, but it is related to how companies generate profits, that is, they recondition their mission and values to find a beneficial outlet for themselves, society, and the planet, in the long and short term.
Does CSR clean up the image of the company?
This is usually a very common question, and the answer is simple, NO. Today, companies that carry out positive practices for the environment have a higher degree of survival. That is why the fact of carrying out positive actions for the environment in front of the public has increased in recent years, turning it into a very popular phenomenon, both for large and small companies, and it has been losing its essence since currently many companies have decide to carry out positive actions to camouflage other more harmful actions or to solve a brand image crisis. These cleaning practices of a brand’s reputation is what is known today as Greenwashing.
This phenomenon occurs when a company decides to carry out positive actions towards the public, generally with a social or environmental impact; but it is not in line with their mission or values, and even less with their actions at work. An example would be a restaurant company that decides to plant 1,000 trees to help the environment, and yet gives straws or plastic cups to its customers, polluting the planet and leaving the action of planting trees indifferent, since an action counteracts the previous one.
Digital transformation in the field of CSR.
We live in a globalized world that is constantly changing, which is why adapting to new technologies is vital for all companies to continue progressing and not remain stagnant. Digital transformation is understood as a process that applies digital technology to all business processes, trying to improve efficiency, value delivery, business culture and its operations.
From Gravity Wave we understand that this is a relatively new movement but that it can be very beneficial for our purpose; That is why we have initiatives such as not having physical business cards, but instead we have a QR that takes you to a virtual card, thus avoiding the great loss and waste that these cards carry, in addition to avoiding the chopping down of trees with the that the material of those cards would be manufactured.
CSR within Gravity Wave
For us, Corporate Social Responsibility is closely linked to the way of working, the quality of work and the purpose of the company. For this reason, we like to highlight three areas where our commitment within Gravity Wave is developed:
- Digital transformation: as we have already explained in the previous section.
- Team work: One of our priorities is that our team members feel comfortable working. Little by little we are growing, both internally and externally, and with this the number of people who invest in and work on this project is increasing. That is why we consider it important to create a work environment where our colleagues feel comfortable and happy and that we are perfectly aligned so that everything is more fluid and the final result is more positive, both for Gravity Wave and for the planet. Some examples of our methods are: psychology group meetings; team building activities, one to highlight could be a team trip to a rural house where the members of both Calpe and Madrid had a very special coexistence, getting to know each other better and making those bonds that wil favor the future work they do in the company, since the union does make strength.
- The purpose of the company: Finally, Gravity Wave’s own objective, the cleaning of plastic from the world’s seas and oceans, is already an element of CSR in itself, since it seeks a good for society. Our actions are linked to our vision, we collect nets that pollute the sea to turn them into a 100% revalued product and we prevent that waste from somehow returning to the oceans, giving it a second life.
Don’t be fooled, now you know what CSR is
As we have already mentioned, nowadays companies carry out many actions that at first are considered positive for the planet; however, it is necessary to know how to differentiate when these actions are a marketing strategy rather than a Corporate Social Responsibility strategy. This is very important to be clear about in order to know if collaboration with a company can be feasible, and has a real commitment to the planet, since we believe that all these types of actions must have the purpose of truly helping to generate a positive impact for the future of the planet.
What CSR strategies does your company develop? Do they have a visible and tangible impact? We read you in the comments.
