The week of April 12th I presented a webinar on Corporate Social Responsibility as part of the Institute for Social Change’s Research and Learning Series.
The webinar followed the themes I presented in my post “What Kind of Change are Companies Really Trying to Make?”. Social responsibility and humanitarian activism have become new concepts explored in the for-profit sector. Companies are increasing their involvement in charity work especially in developing countries, but how 
much of this increase can be attributed to altruistic motivations and how much can be linked toward profit-seeking incentives? The 21st century consumer demands a new marketplace for more charitable organizations, but when we explore the benefits of donation-based campaigns, it becomes evident that social corporate responsibility in the form of in-kind donations is creating greater profits for companies and creating bigger problems for the developing communities these companies are claiming they help.
In the presentation we considered the marketing strategies and outcomes of big corporations’ donation campaigns as well as explored the pros and cons of start-up companies’ one-for-one donation mantras. The presentation offered insight into how social responsibility and humanitarian aid can play an effective role in for-profit organizations. If the appropriate balance can be struck then companies as well as developing communities can benefit.
If you’re an entrepreneur or just a socially conscience consumer, you should check out the webinar, or look more into some of the articles I’ve posted below.
To view the recording of this webinar CLICK HERE
To access the slides from the webinar please CLICK HERE
“Warm glow or cold, hard cash? Social identity effects on consumer choice for donation versus discount promotion.” Journal of Marketing Research. Vol. XLVIII (Oct 2011), pp. 855-868.
Jenkins, Heledd, “Small Business Champions for Corporate Social Responsibility.” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 67, No. 3 (Sep 2006), pp. 241-256.
Frazer, Garth. “Used Clothing Donations and Apparel Production in Africa.” Economic Journal: 2008. Vol 118 (532). p1764-1784.
To learn more about the ISC and the Research and Learning series visit http://sisgigroup.org/isc
