Introduction

In this blog, I will be researching and discussing the increase in the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the business world. I believe that, because the average consumer is becoming more and more interested in business practices and how companies are positively affecting society, businesses will continue to incorporate these environmental and societal efforts moving into the future.

I have always cared about the practices of companies that I support, and my personal philosophy of work is “You get when you give back”. After graduation, I want to work for a company that has successful and meaningful CSR efforts. A business strategy incorporating giving back to the community, promoting ethical practices, and helping the environment is telling of a company with great values. I think this is something that all individuals coming up into the workplace should be conscious of; you should have an awareness of CSR efforts, including their success and significance, of companies you are applying to work at.

I am familiar with the topic of corporate social responsibility, but there is so much more I am excited to learn about. I know that there is a necessity for companies to incorporate ethics, environment, and community into their overall business strategy, but every company has different levels of doing so. Ignoring social responsibility is going to hurt the company, because consumers are not hesistant to use substitutes or boycott products if they learn of unethical or environmentally harmful practices of a company. I am curious to learn more about the specifics of the trend of CSR in business. For example, I want to learn which companies have the best CSR practices as of today. What are the most common CSR efforts? What CSR effort do consumers find the most influential to their decision of supporting a company? What companies have negative or struggle with corporate social responsibility efforts? What is the future of CSR?

Creativity and communication are two skills that will be needed to develop and participate in CSR efforts. Through the next few weeks, I can develop my creative skills by devoting time to focus on writing, reading, or listening. Sometimes, taking a break from work and the pressure of coming up with new ideas can be incredibly beneficial. I can continue to expand my communication skills through my interactions in classes and at work, where I am constantly answering phones and interacting with UB staff. This will be beneficial when I eventually work for a company who is trying to come up with new CSR efforts and needs to network in order to do so.