Corporate Social Responsibility

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
There can be few in the business community that have not had to address some aspect of sustainability within the past few years. The focus ranges across a wide and diverse landscape of governance, social and ethical challenges. The regulatory pressures on corporate leaders together with the changes driven at both customer and shareholder levels create an expectation of a more responsible approach to business.
In reviewing the many aspects of sustainability that are being pursued under the banner of CSR and the impacts of these on the business community, what is clear is that there is no common strategy that can be deployed. It is perhaps easy to see where financial controls need immediate action and that environmental controls are necessary to protect at least an evaluation process. It is reasonable that decisions that do affect the environment are taken through a robust process of debate. Even if the practical outcome to these reviews is to move developments forward whilst balancing current needs. This being certainly at odds with the medium term focus of governments trying to do or be seen to be doing the right thing within a limited election time span and the reality of developing long term sustainable investment plans.
The many and varied views propounded around sustainability and CSR open up the prospect of seeing that at its core is a practical benefit for all stakeholders. If CSR can be evaluated and developed within the overall business strategy then the prospect of meeting some of the long-term sustainability challenges may be more readily achieved. Where commercial benefit can be recognised, promoted and integrated then progress can be both valuable and productive. If stakeholders could collaborate to look at practical objectives and incentives then the foundation to move to a more sustainable future could be laid within business strategy.
The aim of this course is to highlight some of the many factors that influence sustainability but more importantly to stimulate strategy makers to consider alternative approaches, where sustainable objectives can and should be adopted to provide profitable contributions. Through a practical look at an arena that is progressively becoming more important to the business leaders and managers.

Course Objectives

• Introduction to the opportunities and impacts of CSR
• Moving from reactive to proactive
• Developing strategy
• Understanding the complexities
• Optimising resources
• Social impacts
• Ethics of trade
• Technology and energy
• Governance and stakeholders
• Risk management
• Sustainable development
• Leadership
• Collaboration

Who will the Course benefit?
This course is designed for executives responsible for strategic development and corporate growth, senior managers who are involved with developing and implementing CSR programmes, operational personnel engaged in delivering business objectives and contracts, procurement & operational personnel looking to improve their awareness on CSR.

Course Duration
2 Days

Course Content
DAY ONE

Introduction
-An introduction to CSR in business its contribution to success through a proactive profitable
approach
Move from Reactive to Proactive
-Building an ethos that is focused on developing profit from a sustainable approach
Developing CSR Strategies
-Understanding the constituents, evaluating the conflicts and creating an integrated strategy
The Complexity of the Challenge
-Understanding the conflicts within sustainability within the context of the global business
community
Competing for Resources
-Recognising the impacts from the environment, reducing resources and waste
Social Impacts
-Understanding how the business impacts and co-exists with the broader social community
Ethics and Trade
-Assessing the minefield of ethical business across the global arena.

DAY TWO

Technology and Energy
-Focusing on innovation to building a tactical approach to harness technology and energy
Governance
-The key to a successful growth programme is to ensure it drives the right behaviours across
the organisation
Risk Management
-Understanding the implications of risk and brand management in operating with external
organisations
Sustainable Development
-Integrating sustainable value development and harnessing eco-efficiency
Leadership
-Enhancing leadership to drive change through the organsiations and develop alternative
business models
Collaborating for the Future
-Setting the agenda and frameworks to support a more integrated approach
Feedback Session