Semester check: Units 9–11 First of all, think about what you have learned up to now. Are you close to “I can do this well” or closer to “I need to work on this”? Put a mark where you think you are at the moment. Then do the tasks and check your answers with the key on p. 239. Put another mark in a different colour where you see yourself after you’ve done the task. Reading i i I can understand a text about corporate social justice. You are going to read an article about new trends in Corporate Social Responsibility. Choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D) for questions 1–6. Put a () in the correct box. The first one (0) has been done for you. Reading 1 How to successfully enter the age of Corporate Social Justice? Research has shown that companies with effective Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes are more profitable than those without. Over decades, corporations have relied on these pro-grammes, which frequently include philanthropic efforts and diversity work, to build their brands and satisfy customers. Now, consumers and employees are raising the bar. They are now looking for so-called Corporate Social Justice. It means reframing CSR so that any initiative focuses on the measurable, lived experiences of groups harmed and disadvantaged by society. Where CSR is often realised through a secondary programme tacked onto a company’s main business, Corporate Social Justice requires deep integration with every aspect of the way a company functions. The need for this fundamental shift has become more apparent over the last few years. One of many examples is Amazon, which tweeted a statement in 2020 expressing solidarity with Black communities; yet it was immediately criticised for its selling of facial-recognition technology to law enforcement agencies and the extreme underrepresentation of Black professionals at the company. Stakeholders want companies that see social good as a necessity, not just a marketing strategy. How can companies respond to this new challenge? Firstly, begin with a goal or vision for a more just society. When picking a goal or vision, develop a thoughtful and intentional process that brings together representatives from your various stakeholder groups to determine which issues lie at the intersection of your company’s mission and the unmet needs of its stakeholders. The objective of this exercise is to arrive at a vision that your company can best play a part in creating. Secondly, situate your company within the broader ecosystem surrounding that goal. For example, companies looking to address systemic racism in policing must work to understand the racial history of policing and the relationship be-tween community resources and the crime rate. Most companies play a role in creating and maintaining inequities through their supply chains, hiring strategies, and the customer bases they serve – or don’t serve. Analyse these processes properly! What counts is building robust and representative working groups that connect the company with its stakeholders. The goal of these groups is to fully explore the impact of the company’s actions and to use this knowledge to proactively inform how the company acts on and reacts to society. For example, if a company is looking to release a statement on anti-Black racism, its message should be developed by Black employees, managers and any other Black communities that interact with the company’s products or services. Ensure that all members are compensated for their participation and can opt out at any time. Working groups should set goals, which are translated into directives for the entire company. Companies’ relationships with their stake-holders are regulated by trust. Continued failure to meet goals damages this trust and lessens the efficacy of working groups. Corporate Social Justice is not a feel-good approach that allows everyone to be heard. The company must decide that it is OK with losing busi148 Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum de Verlags öbv
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