In this report, Khululiwe Mabaso highlights how Procter and Gamble, one of the leading lights in corporate social responsibility in Nigeria, through its unique and quality products has taken CSR to the next level.
Traditionally, businesses operate without so much demand from the society, but in recent times such trend has changed.
Businesses now need to deliberately create goodwill between them and the society through Corporate Social Responsibility. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become an area of growing importance across businesses around the world. Organisations are expected to be socially responsible and also act beyond their objectives of profit maximization. By engaging in corporate social activities, organisations are perceived to be socially responsible, and this enhances their reputation and credibility beyond the environment in which they operate. Hence, it has become a necessary business practice.
Corporate social responsibility is often positioned to play an active role in helping organizations achieve their goals of becoming a socially and environmentally responsible organisation. It is seen as a commitment undertaken by an organization which is likely to reduce negative impacts and enhance positive impacts on society and the environment.
As the concept of corporate social responsibility has evolved and become more widely recognised; organizations are striving to create more innovative ways to infuse social activities into their goals and objectives. Corporate social responsibility has been classified into more categories such as ethics, employee diversity, environmental sustainability, and philanthropy.
The relationship between organisations and the society has witnessed enormous changes recently, as businesses have transformed from being profit oriented only, to being socially accountable to the society.
One of the leading light in corporate social responsibility in Nigeria at the moment is Procter and Gamble, a multinational consumer goods company that offers products in more than 180 countries. The conglomerate which recently won the SERA Awards, an award given to organisations who have set themselves apart through corporate social responsibility is very well perceived as an organisation who isn’t purely driven by profit but as one who understands the value of giving back to the society. Their CSR activities have contributed immensely to the attainment of socio-economic, environmental and sustainable development in Nigeria. For example its Always School Programs educate millions of girls annually on feminine hygiene and puberty, and provide them with Always sanitary towels. In the same vein, the P&G’s Hospital Program” gives women access to healthcare facilities while the P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water program provides safe drinking water to millions of Nigerian children in order to reduce the incidence of childhood death caused by drinking unsafe water.
Corporate social responsibility may mean different things to different organisations. However, for Procter and Gamble, it is a way of improving lives through their unique and quality products. According to the Managing Director of P&G Nigeria, Mr George Nassar, the company being aware of the need to contribute positively to the society, strives to use its expertise and products to solve social, environmental and economic problems.
“We have succeeded in making corporate social responsibility a part of our corporate culture and this has materialised into a long standing record of effective implementation across all fields such as education, health, environment, and philanthropy, among others. Corporate social responsibility at Procter and Gamble is not a task, but an attitude engrained in every area of the company’s business,” he said.
Procter and Gamble, he said, takes into consideration the sustainable impact of its actions and seeks opportunities to further add value to the society. “Our social activities are built to focus on areas of social improvement that will result in measurable differences in the future, creating opportunities for the society,” he added.
He highlighted Procter and Gamble’s corporate social responsibility as ranging from good and safe working environment of the employees, to high quality products and services for the community.
He noted that a number of variables have contributed in sustaining corporate social responsibility of organisations to the society. Globalization is one factor that has imposed remarkable demands on businesses worldwide to be socially responsible, which in turn enhances their global image. Another factor is the rising power of consumers has made businesses like P&G to become more aware of the negative impact their actions and activities may cause to the society, hence, the idea of corporate social responsibility.
“Every day presents an opportunity to us at Procter and Gamble to improve and change lives around the world and to show commitment to the communities we operate in through our corporate social responsibility initiatives,” Nassar said.
– Mabaso – Associate Director, Corporate Social Responsibility from Procter and Gamble
This article was taken from here.