“the Baby Boomer mindset of personal prosperity, materialism and shareholder wealth is likely to be replaced by the next generation’s strong sense of social responsibility” (the Dean of Flinders University Business School, Professor Angèle Cavaye, 12 May 2009)

 

Actions Thai business should take on social responsibility

 

If I’m an entrepreneur who is motivated to take social responsibility by someone. I have to ask at least 3 basically questions: 1) What is social responsibility?, 2) Why Thai business should take on social responsibility? and 3) How can I take on social responsibility?

 

What is social responsibility?

 

Social responsibility action is all kind of perform that internalize stakeholder’s perspective for decision making. For example, If I wanna install plant near community so I should concern some topics like I’m member of this community such as sound and toxic unsuspected particle pollution.

If you do like this example,  it’s mean you play role and look this situation on others’ standing point then your decision is not separated from social, say, you take on social responsibility!

 

Why Thai business should take on social responsibility?

 

In fact, this question is too close but not exactly hit the point. The true point is “Why all business (not only Thai) should take social responsibility?”. The most perfect-simple answer is… firstly, because business is apart of social so if you damage social both direct and indirect, negative effects will become back to your business (or you!!!).

Secondly, base on new theory of marketing, social responsibility is powerful campaign for product promotion and strategic shifting your brand perception as member of the social. As I told you, unequivocally, Consumer Social Responsibility (CSR) is the most significant instrument for increasing of brand loyalty.

Thirdly, Social responsibility is cheaper than main stream advertisement channel like newspaper, magazine, radio, TV etc. You just do something for your community with clear objective(s) without hidden agenda (at least your agenda for yourself should follow social benefits) then waiting for the result.

It’s sound good and look easy, right? oh no! it’s not easy. You have to think hard about weighting between your business benefits and social benefits that always contrast. It’s depended on art as much as science of management and you have to practice for success.

A lot of business fail to convince public to attend their CSR campaign because is look fake, too rough or illusion than ordinary or natural behavior of your own business.

Anyway, hard is not equal to impossible. if you trust on main three reasons above, please try and you will be the great business firm not just idiot big or ugly huge private company!

 

How can I take on social responsibility?

 

If you wanna be success business which take on social responsibility, you should follow this path.

(1) At the beginning, you have to believe on Newton’s physics principle (Actions = Reactions). Depending on this theory, you may avoid bad actions for stakeholder and do good actions as much as you can given your constraint such as budget or minimum rate of return (in your mind) etc.

(2) Looking forward and discount benefit back to present. The important factor of non-social responsibility actions is myopia! Or I can say, the highest barrier for transforming from non-social concerning to social responsibility is short-run vision of business ruler who never think about tomorrow.

(3) Find the social needs then provide or support them without condition. this is sensitive step because some of firms provide their useless product (even though their products have “market value” but may be have no “use value” for community). Moreover, some of firms provide the right products or services to the right community but have a lot of condition that present their greedily agenda! it’s worsen than do nothing so your brand is died by your CSR campaign already.

(4) Finally, do it continuous and consistent enough to stamp your brand on stakeholders’ heart, not just only your user or shareholder but stakeholder!!! because core idea of social responsibility is not for business but pure morality and legitimacy that was applied for business simultaneously

 

In conclusion, actions Thai business should take on social responsibility because social responsibility is better off between your own business and social (that include you, your family and your firm too!) as all above description.