If one of the goals of public relations is to mange an organization’s reputation, being socially responsible is certainly a good way of achieving that goal.  Yet Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) sounds like an oxymoron because the understood goal of a profit generating organization is maximize its profits.  Do you buy hamburgers at McDonald’s because of Ronald McDonald House?  Do you buy Microsoft Windows because Bill and Malinda Gates donate computers to schools?  Do you buy Avon products because they support the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer?  This article discusses the reasons and benefits of CSR.

 

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The Challenge of Corporate Responsibility

"When discussing CSR, some prefer corporate responsibility (CR) to avoid the assumption that it is limited to “social” concerns (strategic philanthropy and community relations).  Others use “social” responsibility to avoid the stigma that this topic only relates to businesses driven to place profit over social principle. Those who prefer “social” without the modifier “corporate” recognize that non-profits and governmental organizations are and should be held to responsibility standards. By whatever name, interests of organizations cannot long be at odds with mutual interest and common good. "