Paul Lemberg asked:


Like many of my clients, I am always looking for ways to speed things up – to produce more results with the same or even fewer resources. We probably agree on this. The key is certainly not about working harder; it may not even be about working smarter. But there are definitely ideas which work, and those ideas need to be uncovered. Often you can find them through analytical thinking. In my last article I discussed this: a process of asking deliberate questions, and in a disciplined, even rigorous way, coming up with answers. Asking and answering, that’s the analytical thinking process. Do it enough and you will likely come up with something useful.

But there is a whole other process, a “something” that goes on in the mind. Many people call it intuition. Others call it “gut feel,” or “tapping the universal spirit.” In contrast to rational, linear left-brain thinking, it is sometimes called “right-brain” thinking, synthetic, or holistic thinking. I’m going to call it unconscious thinking. What I mean by this cumbersome phrase is that this kind of ideation is based on removing the linear, rational, questioning, conscious thinker from the equation, and tapping into the results when they come.

How do you do that? Everybody has their favorite way. Several people, responding to my last article’s caveat that I was not referring to the thinking that goes on in the shower, wrote that their best ideas occur in the shower. For others, unconscious thinking occurs while driving their car. Or working out in the gym, riding a bike, or jogging. Gardening seems to be a hot spot for hot ideas. And sybarites I know report getting great ideas while being massaged and sipping wine in the hot tub.

Some people put themselves in a trance state via meditation or actively listening to music. Others go into a trance watching TV. I get great ideas when I’m at the movies. (Curiously, it doesn’t work while watching a movie on videotape — I think the level of concentration is too low — which may be a key to the way these processes work. For the car people, it only works while driving — not as a passenger. The logic behind this is similar.)

What is this spontaneous generation of unconscious ideas? I must confess that, really, I have no idea. But I do know how to make it happen. Spontaneously. The key is to loosen the grip of consciousness on the mind, and get the logical, linear, Q



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Bobbi Miller-Moro asked:


Visiting the Green Ambassadors new facilities in Lawndale, California I noticed right away this program is driving Environmental Charter High School to be like no other. Maybe it was the compost corner and vegetable garden, or where they convert vegetables into biodiesel. Or the First Place award-winning ‘Floatation Machine’ made out 100% recycled products. Either way, this school is unique. I am at the home of The Green Ambassadors (Green Ambassadors website), which is an educational program from the Environmental Charter High School.

Sara Laimon, the magnetic Founder of Green Ambassadors gave me a tour of their new facilities of ECHS and Green Ambassadors, while still in the remodeling and upgrading phase. As the school is moving out of boxes, and organizing their new classrooms she explained the sustainable plans in store for this unique Environmental Charter High School. There is an air of excitement. As I peaked into the classrooms, students were busy with various projects. These students know they are making a difference in our world for generations to come. The Green Ambassador Program is comprised of an elective class taught throughout schools in Los Angeles area, Youth Summits, Green Mobile Embassy, Green Adventures and supported by Green Mentors.



This groundbreaking organization is beginning to explode. The green element of the program is so strong that even during our interview she was selling organic soda to students from her office. In fact we were surrounded by green solutions, hangers made from wheat, recycled binders made from paper, Forest Certified pencils, even donated environmentally friendly, bio-degradable diapers are stacked on her desk in the office she shares with her green partners. “This program is created to breakdown our cultural social paradigms and educate all. Especially the communities that suffer the most from environmental injustices, the inner city, who normally miss the green education on how to advocate for a clean, healthy environment.” Laimon.

Green Ambassadors, a project of Environmental Charter High School, is an environmental education program that empowers youth to become agents of change in their communities and the world. The goals of the program include: Educating and motivating youth, inspiring them to set a "Green" example through open idea exchange and social action; To create a learning environment that will inspire new thought, helping young people to develop confidence in themselves and their future; To network communities, share ideas and empower local and global environmental solutions; To create "Green Ambassadors" for local communities and the world, inspiring hope within us all for a just, sustainable and peaceful planet.

I asked Sara what’s the future you see for the Green Ambassadors?

With certainty she said, "For all schools to have Green Ambassadors around the world. Who are agents of change and the voice of the environment."

The Green Ambassador elective class at Environmental Charter High School is a required course for every student to take in their 10th grade year where students receive college credit from Los Angeles Trade Technical College. The Green Ambassadors have already been accomplishing their mission through their trainings in initiatives. These initiatives are implemented by youth who are committed to fulfilling Green Ambassadors mission, vision, values, and goals. The Green Ambassador program provides a different way of learning for youth who want to contribute to this planet.

They have been trained in the One Billion Bulbs Youth empowering youth to imagine the possibilities. With a goal of mobilizing the world to replace one billion standard incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient compact fluorescent (CFL) light bulbs. Plastics are Forever is another initiative where youth empowering youth to create cleaner oceans by banning plastic bags and Styrofoam (polystyrene) in Los Angeles with Algalita Marine Research Foundation, Bring Your Own, Heal the Bay and other non-profits. Green Ambassadors are trained in Biofuels, Organics, Biodiversity, Remediation of our soil, and constructing buildings and structures out of earth friendly materials.



‘Floatation Machine’ made of all recycled products

"Sara Laimon has been a positive light within the sustainability movement for the past ten years. During her career as a classroom teacher, she has guided classes and school groups to create cob benches, convert a diesel car to run on veggie oil, create bio-diesel, and eat organic. Sara has traveled to Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Haiti, Greece, and Galapagos finding, sharing, and learning solutions. She is devoting her life to creating and nurturing eco-activists to be empowered to share the solutions of hope."

Green Ambassadors currently has two teachers. They are unique in that they are well versed in Environmental Studies. "They approached me with a huge desire for a huge change." Sara shared with me. The names of these incredible teachers are Sandra Valencia who is originally from Colombia, she has taught High School Spanish for the past five years at ECHS and Dorsey High School (LAUSD). She has been an environmental activist for the past five years working with the Los Angeles Biodiesel Coalition, Dorsey High School’s club Global Warriors. Gabriel Azenna, who’s statement is "Green’ isn’t merely a color… but it’s a state of mind". He adheres to a pragmatic acceptance that human beings may continue to prosper, but only by recognizing and embracing our integral duty as planetary stewards. Beyond the classroom, Gabriel is the Environmental Education Director for Next Aid, a non-profit organization his wife Lauren, co-founded in 2002. Gabriel also sits on the steering committee for the Coalition for a Sustainable Africa; a consensus-based network of NGO’s all dedicated to sustainable development projects on the ground in Africa.

Sara believes that the passion behind the people that contribute to our program stems from a satisfaction that they are investing into youth, that they see what they are doing is bigger than themselves and they contributing to the environment at the same time.

I was also interested in the ethnic backgrounds of The Green Ambassadors.

She explained they started with inner city children, but understand and promote that there is one world and we are the human race working together to create a planet where everyone can live. Therefore we have ‘Youth Summit’ where youth crossing gender, race, and social barriers and are collaborating as youth across the city and nation to inspire, create, and share solutions for a healthy planet."

“We are tired of the myths about inner-city kids and their apathy towards the environment!” What is unique about our Los Angeles Youth Leadership Clinic is that it is youth-planned, youth- driven and youth-motivated. Youth are driven to improve their local environment."

Spelled out clearly on their website; “Young adults are creating their own stewardship model by teaching each other, pooling their resources, strengthening their community vision and inspiring people to change. Youth need to see that they are an influential and vital part of the community. The youth of Los Angeles are the next generation of leaders. If they are not included in the community when they are young, they may not stay in the community to be the leaders of the future. These thoughts were recently expressed by Sabina Ibarra, a youth participant in the leadership clinic, Green Ambassadors, and a student at Environmental Charter High School in Lawndale, CA."

In asking how Green Ambassadors improved their your local community? Sara reflects how they have demonstrated training for bio-diesel technology, community battery recycling, training local elementary schools on how to recycle plastics, to be a first in promoting city council ‘ban plastic in our community’, Awareness Day, and Earth Day to name just a few. They also are responsible for Southern California Disposal to switch their fleets of dirty diesel to run on clean burning biodiesel.

"Our strategy through all of our programs is to provide experiences for the Green Ambassadors to acquire knowledge and develop the skills that will not only help them in this program, but also provide them with real-world skills for personal, academic, and professional success. The students take the issue, research and develop solutions, and socially market the solution to their peers and the community at-large."

The Future

They have not stopped there. Green Adventures are cross cultural global exchanges. After a successful field experience to Brazil in April 2007 with Earthwatch Education, and educating the schools there, they have taken on a new horizon: Columbia. They are currently holding a fundraiser, ‘Support 10 students with the Green Adventure Program’ as they create Green Ambassador Leaders in Medellin, Columbia. Medellin has created several programs that aim to bring peace and environmental action through education. To find out more contact Sandra Valencia sandra_valencia@echonline.org or Sara Laimon at 310.214.3400 ext 118. Visit

(http://www.greenambassadors.org/initiatives.php#Green_Mentors)

They believe that ‘ youth identify an issue, develop a solution, act to bring about the solution, and educate others. The most important part is that young people are becoming empowered to make a difference and are, in turn, empowering other young people. This leads to a community that has youth that are knowledge, active, and know how to make a difference.’

Sara Laimon explained what their Mobile Embassy will incorporate. It will feature a multi-media station and hands-on learning stations on the following topics; plastics, bio-diesel, bio-plastic, solar power, and organic foods. It will be used as the showcase for Green Ambassador to meet, share, and exemplify solutions for our Global Climate Crisis.

With expert assistance from Algalita Marine Research Foundation, Bring Your Own, and a grant from Patagonia, the Ambassadors will transform a trailer into a Green Mobile Embassy (GME), a vessel housing models of green solutions. The Mobile Embassy will serve to teach students from throughout the region about the issues and how they can help to alleviate the environmental problems." As their site reflects. Jack Assadourian, owner of the Ha-Ha Cafe Comedy Club in North Hollywood (www.hahacafe.com) also donated two school buses that will be converted into biodiesel transportation for the Green Ambassadors.



Green Mentors

"The Green Ambassadors program also identifies and enlists ‘Green Mentors’ who are of college age or above. These Mentors work with the Green Ambassadors to support them in their learning of environmental issues as well as solutions to these issues. Green mentors are benefited by developing their interpersonal skills (empowerment, networking, and enrollment), knowledge (environmental and scientific), and ecological values (biodiversity and interconnectedness). Green Mentors assist the Green Ambassadors to focus on specific issues where students can create social awareness and measurable change."

If you are a teacher, administrator, parent or student, and want to be apart of Green Ambassadors go to: www.greenambassadors.org. You can contact Sandra Valencia (sandra_valencia@echonline.org) or Sarah Laimon at 310.214.3400 ext 118. Green Ambassadors 16314 Grevillea Ave, Lawndale, CA 902160 PHONE: 310.940.1626

There are several ways you can participate and make a difference in your school, community and planet. You can also go to the ‘Green Coalition’, a

"Green Youth Coalition connects environmental clubs across Southern California via www.becoolbegree.com to create a youth movement."

Green Ambassadors uses the EARTH CHARTER PRINCIPLES

(www.earthcharterinaction.org)

You can learn more about Green Ambassadors and their Mission Statement: www.greenambassadors.org

They have communities and businesses reaching out to be apart of this unique program. ExitSigns.com environmentally friendly exit signs are a zero energy emissions, zero maintenance, and is zero damage to the environment. Fundraising Green, The Coffee Bean, California Credit Union, 41Pounds.org, Fred Leeds Properties, Smokey’s Muskie Shop, Marc Laimon Jiu Jitsu, Steaz, Peak Organic brewing company, the Sustainable Group, Southern California Disposal, Seven-Star green event experts, Get Hip Get Green, Cuningham Group, Cater Green zero waste solutions, Biodiesel America, Luis Moro Productions and Algalita Marine Research Foundation are a few of the sponsors that have jumped on board. The Official Fundraising Partner of Green Ambassadors are; My Green Spark, Fundraising Green.

The Green Ambassadors left me with an experience of what is right with the world. No matter what your opinions are on the environment, the fact remains they are cutting back on waste. These students, instead of worrying about the plights of inner city school problems, such as gang violence; they are creating an environment for themselves today, for their future that will effect generations to come. Not only are they making a difference for their school, families, and communities, but they are spreading the technology on HOW to be green to schools across the city, states, and now countries.

I left the school inspired, and honored that these incredible teenagers are working on change for my future, and my children’s future.

Let’s start off 2008 powerfully, and create "Green Ambassadors" for all communities inspiring hope for a just, sustainable and peaceful planet.



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Robert E. Cannon asked:


“Change” has been the big topic of conversation for some time now. For the most part, the change that everyone writes about and talks about is economic change. There has been much written about the change from a manufacturing economy to a service economy and there has been much written about the movement of manufacturing jobs off shore, but I want to concentrate on another kind of change. Willis Harman wrote a whole book about it in 1987 entitled, “Global Mind Change.” To paraphrase a line in this book, society’s experience shapes it’s science and science shapes the experience of it’s society.

We have been educated to assume that our scientific view of reality is correct. Harman suggests that there may be other views of reality that are complementary. He continues by proposing a reunion of science and metaphysics. He states, “The fundamental change that we are suggesting is happening in Western society can be put in terms of these metaphysics. Essentially, it is a shift of dominant metaphysic from M-1 to M-3.”

Where:

M-1. The basic stuff of the universe is matter-energy. Consciousness emerges out of matter. Consciousness apart from a living organism is inconceivable.

M-2. Matter-energy and mind-spirit stuff both exist in the universe. Matter-energy stuff is studied with science. Mind-spirit stuff must be studied in other ways.

M-3. Consciousness is the ultimate stuff of the universe and matter-energy comes in some sense out of consciousness.

Margaret Wheatley in her award-winning best seller, “Leadership and the New Science” suggests that, “we let go of the machine model of organizations, and workers as replaceable cogs in the machinery of production, we begin to see ourselves in much richer dimensions, to appreciate our wholeness, and, hopefully, to design organizations that honor and make use of the great gift of who we humans are.” She believes that ownership is essential and suggests that ownership is not only literal owners, but describes personal connections to the organization that inspire people to contribute. Participation in the development of a plan of action creates ownership. In fact, we participate in the creation of everything we observe. In a sense, we are owners of everything we observe.

We have all seen the progression where raw data when properly analyzed and organized becomes information. Information in turn is the basis of intelligence and intelligence the basis of wisdom. Historically, management has worked to control information. Wheatley uses scientific support to suggest that for a system to remain alive, it must have a steady flow of new information.

Much has been written about the fact that information is exploding. We know that more information was produced between 1965 and 1995 than in the preceding 5000 years and that knowledge is now doubling every 5 years. Technology certainly has fostered the explosion, but it has also made this information available to more people as well. It is no longer practical to use a traditional building block approach to information. We need what is described in quantum physics as relational holism.

Wheatley suggests that the new science reminds us that this is a participative universe and that nothing living lives alone. We are constantly called to be in a relationship and through relationships we co-create our world. With that in mind, we make systems stronger by connecting to more of itself. Webs and networks are stronger than single connections. Participation is the key.

The May-July 2004 issue of “What is Enlightenment” has some incredible articles about collective intelligence. In an article entitled, “The Science of Collective Consciousness” Robert Kenny provides strong evidence that collective consciousness exists and can be used to produce benefits. Another great article entitled, “Come Together” by Craig Hamilton, reports, “Call it collective consciousness, team synergy, co-intelligence or group mind – a growing number of people are discovering through their own experience that wholes are indeed far more than the sum of their parts; that when individuals come together with a shared intention, in a conducive environment, something mysterious can come into being, with capacities and intelligences that far transcend those of the individuals involved.”

While we may not yet be able to exactly define collective wisdom or how it works, it is working. There are a bunch of collective intelligence initiatives underway including: World Café, Laboratory for Social Intervention, Open Space Technology, National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation, Dynamic Facilitation, Deep Dialogue, Appreciative Inquiry, Global Leadership Initiative and others. This is not the product of some well-meaning, goody-goody types, but rather the output of some of the most influential organizational minds in the world.

My own experience using World Café, Open Space Technology and Appreciative Inquiry to address complex and chaotic situations from a holistic approach has convinced me that collective intelligence and in turn collective wisdom are real and offer incredible potential for all organizations in this time of information overload and complexity.

 Copyright Bob Cannon/The Cannon Advantage, 2003. All rights reserved.



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anand asked:


Meaning of CSR: – Social responsibility is fundamentally a philosophy or a vision about the relationship of business and society. It is treated as an investment and not a cost. It is a process of continuous improvement, not a fad, which begins small & grows and expands overtime. It is inextricably linked to profitability, as there can be no social responsibility without profits.

Importance of CSR: – This is a time of more Turbulence for a business & accelerating change. The challenges faced by today’s business include the following.

Globalization of markets, consumer preferences, financial flows. Globalization is having momentous effects on the economies of all countries and on corporation in most sectors. Increasing intensity of competition: - The Global completion today has created more challenges and instability Technology: – Rapid technological changes are transferring the markets, enabling greater customization of production, & contributing to high labor displacement. Shift from Industrial Economy to a knowledge & information based economy. Human capital has become more important resource. Environmental challenges caused by pollution & resources depletion, Business are called upon to play an important role in meeting these challenges. Life style changes, expectation on the part of employees, customers and communication as a whole changing

Hence as the world business environment changes, so do the requirements for success & complititiveness. Because of the forces at work, building deeper and more strategic relationship with customers, supplies, employees, communities and other stakeholders can become central to competitiveness & survival. Building these relationships can form the foundation of new, progressive & people centered corporate strategy. This brings us to the increased importance of CSR.

Now having understood the meaning & importance of CSR let us understand the responsibility of corporations towards its stakeholders. Hence CSR is all about how to manage these responsibilities.

 

Stakeholders

 

     Internal                                                                                                      External

 

- Shareholders                                                                                               – Consumers

- Employees                                                                                                   – Suppliers

- Management                                                                                                - Creditors

                                                                                                                       - Competitors

                                                                                                                       – Environment

INTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS:

 

(i) Shareholders: – Share holders are the members of the company who help to achieve the company’s goals by investing in the business. They are entitled to the share in the profits of the company. This share of the profits is given to the shareholders in return for their investments in the form of shares. Hence the organization must honor the trust of the shareholders, therefore the responsibilities of the organization towards shareholders are:-

Managing company effectively in order to secure fair & competitive return on the owners’ investment. Disclosing relevant information to shareholders. Conserving, Protecting & increasing the shareholders asset. Respecting the shareholders requests, suggestion, complaints & formal resolution.

 

Also, shareholders, also have certain obligation towards the organization which include.

 

Maintaining good relationship with management. Exercising their voting rights.

 

(ii) Employees: – The relationship between employee and organization is considered to be important by society, because employees contribute their efforts and time towards the development of organization, which in turn improver society. In return of their work employees’ not only expect wages, but also security. Most Japanese firms provide security to their employees by offering lifetime employment.

Both business & employees have certain responsibilities towards each other. To foster a sense of belonging among all employees, organization should maintain a healthy work environment, where the employees & employee fulfill their responsibilities.

Some specific responsibilities of organization toward their employees are

To provide adequate compensation To provide working conditions, that respect each employee’s health & dignity. Open & honest communication with employees. Listen & act to employees’ requests, suggestion, ideas & complaints wherever possible. Generate equal treatment & opportunity regardless of gender, age, race & religion. Encourage & assist employees in developing skills & knowledge that are required for accomplishing the task.

(ii) Management: – Any decision taken by the management has an impact on the stakeholders. On the one hand, management’s stakes are like that of employees, with some explicit & implicit employment contract. But, on the other hand, management are entrusted with the duty of safeguarding the welfare of the corporation. In short, the role of the management involves in balancing the multiple claims of different stakeholders.

 

EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS:

(i) Consumers: – Consumers / customers exchange resources for the products of the firm and in return receive the benefits of the products. Customers help in survival of the company. By paying attention to the customers needs, management automatically addresses the needs of suppliers & owners.

            The responsibilities of corporations towards their consumers are supplying right quality, right quantity product / service at right time, at right place and at right price.

Few responsibilities of organizations towards the consumers are

Producing goods / service according the needs. Improving standard of living by producing goods & services of high quality. Treating customers fairly in all aspect of business transactions. Customers’ satisfaction in essential for the success of a corporation. Customers increase sales of a product by spreading positive “word of mouth” about the company product or brand.

(ii) Suppliers: - Often, suppliers are not included in the list of a firm’s stakeholders. But suppliers play a pivotal role in the success of any business since raw material they supply will determine the final products quality & price.

In this era of global competition, ability to control costs rather than the ability to increase sales in the key to profitability. Good relationship with suppliers can reduce costs.

In many instances, major companies have refused to use certain suppliers because of unethical act. Levi Strauss, the famous clothing firm refused to use suppliers from china because of allegations covering the use of forced child labor by Chinese suppliers.

A company’s relationship with suppliers and subcontractors must be based on mutual respect. When dealing with suppliers, organization must.

Seek fairness & truthfulness in all activities, including pricing & licensing. Ensure that business & activities are free from coercion & unnecessary litigation. Foster long-term stability in the suppliers’ relationship in return for value, quality, competition & reliability. Share information with suppliers & integrate them in the planning processes. Pay suppliers on time & in accordance with agreed terms & trade. Seek, encourage & prefer suppliers & subcontractors whosr employment practices respect human dignity.

(iii) Creditors: - Creditors play an important role in organization. Usually organization buy goods on credit from suppliers, organization often delay in repaying credit to the creditors. The late payment of creditors has become a common problem all over the world. In Aug 1992, trade indemnity conducted a quarterly survey of 700 UK firms. The survey revealed that large firms with a turnover of 50 million pounds were paid on an average, 15 days late, while small business firms with a turnover under 25 million pounds were paid, on an average, 29 days late. It is the responsibility of the organization to make timely payment for goods that have already been delivered.

(iv) Competitors: – Business Corporations are equally obliged to other business firms as they are towards stakeholders. In this era of competition the firms compete with each other to grab a major share on all possible fronts. In this connection, the competitive practices adopted by firms can sometimes be questionable.

Therefore the responsibilities of the organization towards the competition are

Refrain from either seeking or participating in questionable payments or favors to secure competitive advantage. Respect both tangible & intellectual property right. Refuse to acquire commercial information by dishonest & unethical means.

(iv) Community: - The community gives the business the right to build or rent facilities, benefit from the tax revenues raised in the form of local services; infrastructure etc. In return for these services, the firm should act in a responsible way. The firm can’t expose the community to unreasonable hazards in the form of pollution and toxic waste.  A firm’s responsibility towards the society includes.

Respecting human rights. Supporting public policies and practices that promote human development through harmonious relation between businesses. Collaborating with such activities that aim at improving the standard of health, education, workplace safety and economic well being. Promoting and stimulating sustainable development and playing a leading role in preserving and enhancing the physical environment and conserving the earth’s resources. Encouraging charitable donations, educational and cultural contribution and employee participation in community & civic affairs.

Role of Business in society:

Critics of the role of business in society argue that,

Corporation care little for the welfare of the workers, and given the opportunity will move production to sweatshops in less regulated countries. Unchecked, companies will squander scarce resources. Companies don’t pay the full cost of their impact. For example, cost of cleaning pollution often fall on society in general. As a result profits of the corporations are enhanced at the expense of social or ecological welfare. Regulations in the best way to ensure that companies remain socially responsible.

Present day businesses are expected to shoulder much more social responsibility. The effectiveness of the organization now a day depends on its ability to develop itself into a social organization. Corporate responsibility is considered the building block for any organization. As a result, organizations are evolved overtime to perform no of tasks in society. These are

(i) Financial tasks: – Corporations are required to assure shareholders that they are acting in their interest. Thus the organizations need to be transparent in their financial matters, so that investors can invest with confidence.

(ii) Economic & Production tasks: – The tasks related to the creation & maintenance of wealth are referred to as economic & production tasks. All businesses that make up commercial world are associated with economic & production tasks. Companies in trying to maximize returns for shareholders may monopolize markets by buyouts, mergers, & unfair practices like market manipulations. Economically responsible corporations will always refrain from monopolizing the market.

 (iii) Maintenance tasks: – The examples of such activities are educational, religious & health welfare services. These are helpful in transmitting information to society, communicating knowledge & shaping the culture of the society. For example Microsoft Corporation announces donation of more than $1.7 million to software to ten national non profit organizations.

(iv) Adaptive tasks: – It means how organization adopts to the changes in the society. Organizations create products that are useful for society and these products are designed in accordance with changes in consumer preferences.

(v) Management tasks: – Corporations are expected to support and promote human rights, not to suppress basic freedom of speech, association etc. In some countries, businesses encounter problems because of the violation of human right. Since the primary responsibility of any organization is to operate efficiently, respecting the interest of the stakeholders. Companies can achieve this by upholding local laws in which they operate & must frame policies that are towards corporate social responsibility and should be available to all the stakeholders.

(vi) Environmental tasks: – Environmental tasks are necessary to curb certain unethical practices. Most companies have none established regulations to limit pollution by their factories. These all essential to prove a company’s commitment to CSR. Most of the industry associations have also established environmental codes of conduct. Companies have to develop detailed guidelines, policies to govern their activities and behaviors. These standards have to become part of the company’s everyday practice.

The Social Challenge:

            A business is viewed as a profitable process of production, distribution & sale of goods & services. The idea of business having certain responsibilities beyond profit making gained importance in 19th century.

            Private sector organizations can’t perform effectively in all the corporate responsibility activities like social tasks, economic tasks that include creation of job etc. Not all the organizations can perform effectively in fulfilling their tasks to the community. There are shortages in certain areas & limitations on application elsewhere, but their scope can be expanded by mutually beneficial partnership between companies & non profit organization for improving the community. In fulfilling these social responsibilities companies must select projects carefully & then ensure that sustained involvement & quality management backs them.

            Clutterbuck has proposed a systematic approach for managing such activities as follows.

            A company should first audit its resources and capacity so that it can add real value to its activities. It means,

Set practical, clear & achievable goals. Identify primary aim of the program Clearly identify what not to support. Have fixed budget for specific program. Appoint specialist and other staff for organizing and delivering the support. Install system for report evaluation, feedback & change. Processed information obtained from these activities have to be updated on a regular basis.

Besides taking up specific projects for fulfilling their social responsibilities, the corporate sector is also expected to create wealth & jobs. Different stakeholders of the company have different expectations of the company.

Table shows the expectation of the major stakeholders of a company.

Stake holders

Expectations

Primary

Secondary

Owners

Financial returns

Added value

Employees

Pay

Work satisfaction

Customers

Supply of goods & services

Quality

Creditors

Credit worthiness

Security

Suppliers

Payment

Long-term relationship

Community

Safety & Security

Contribution to community

Government

Compliance

Improved competitiveness

 

Fulfilling these expectations is a challenge for the organization. In Britain the success of the organization is based on how well it is accepted by the local community. Sometimes aim of the industry and community doesn’t match. This can result in hostility from the local community. To avoid hostility and to gain the support of the local groups companies can undertake activities that promote the welfare of the local community. The body shop owned by Anita Roddick won the goodwill of customers around the world by convincing them that the products were natural & that no animals have been used for testing their products.

Enterprises also have to face political pressure. Today there are many consumers groups that all building awareness among the general public about the responsibilities of corporation.

Standards & Values:

            Business operating with social responsibility should have standard rules & regulations for efficient functioning. There are various examples where organization have undergone ethical dilemmas for e.g. When CFC was introduced for the usage in refrigeration, it had no knowledge of the long-term environmental impact.

            Another example is in recent days the coca-cola has been criticised for having pesticides in the bottles, & also it was criticized for on other two major courts, the use of environmentally harmful hydroflurocarbons (HFCS) in Coca-Cola refrigerator & the one of environmentally harm caused by discarded coke bottles. In response to these, Coca-Cola announced it was committed to phasing out HFC refrigerators by 2004. These examples illustrator that, organization may not always be aware of the consequences of using a particular component in manufacturing a product. As implications and consequences of this decision become more evident manager are faced with challenge of ethical dilemmas. By establishing clear value systems organization can internalize responsibility.

To avoid ethical dilemmas manager can follow the approaches and mentioned:

Set a clear example Publish code of ethics Use reward and punishment mechanism Include thick in all activities. Reinforce policies through training & development Establish openness & transparency into decision making process

To become a sum full with this, organizations have to liberalize behavior and at the same time ensure that employees behave responsibility

Through leadership at all levels, sustain a culture where ethical conduct is recognized valued and exemplified by all employees.

Example:

GE code of conduct  

Obey the applicable law and regulations governing our business conduct worldwide. Be honest, fair and trustworthy in all yours GE activities and relationships. Avoid all conflicts of interest between work and personal affairs. Foster an atmosphere in which fair employment practices extend to every member of the diverse GE community Strive to create a safe work place and to protect the environment.

The Accountable business: The later 1990s have seen a massive growth of interest in corporate responsibility both among major corporations and across society. Concern about the social and ethical implications of organizations perceived as performing unusually well or badly.

Corporate performance on social and ethical, as well as financial, accounts can’t be hidden at least the large corporations. Demands for transparency, accountability & public reporting are steady increasing.  As royal Dutch/ Shell have recognized, business has moved from a “trust me” world to “tell me” and increasingly “show me” world.

For the poor performers, especially the big ones, there is no place to hide, hence accountability looks at how business develop a corporate strategy that responds to stakeholders expectation, while ensuring long term profitability.

A process model for managing corporate responsibility and accountability

Identity company values & aspirations : This involves understanding what the company’s foundation values and missions are, understanding how the vision differs from the current reality, and making top level commitment and leadership visible throughout  the organizations Identifying shareholders & issues on which to focus : There are clearly far too many stakeholders and far too many issues to handle in detail. Hence it is necessary to identify the key stakeholders & the most important issues so that attention can be focused on these. This selection process be clearly identified & it should be documented for selecting a particular issue. Select indicator & targets: This means select what to measure. Clearly it is also important to select targets so that performance can be measured & improved with time. Data collections & analysis: For the purpose of an external report, it is helpful to balance quantitative data and stakeholder’s testimony. Existing information can be combined into a suitable audit framework & methods from other fields, such as environmental assessment, can be used to gather information on social issues. Disclosure, performance appraisal & reporting: If a report is to make impact, it is important to be prepared to address controversial topics and to discuss the “undiscussable” – It is possible to take outside stakeholder by surprise by the honesty & openness of the published report. Verification & review : External verification adds considerable value to a request & ultimately might be combined with a verification of financial environmental report. It provides and opportunity for comparison with external good practice and helps to give assurance to stakeholders that consultation procedures & other process are reliable. In addition to enhancing external credibility it allows recommendation on strength and weakness and areas for management action to be identified and appropriate changes put in place so that performance can be improved next time around.

 

Examples:

CSR initiative at INTEL

Overview: – Intel, challenge the status quo in everything they do. Over the past years Intel has worked to be more clear about what corporate responsibility means to them, By being clear about their priorities and the way they communicate them.

2005 highlights

Towards Education

Trained more than 800,000 teachers as part of INTEL teach to the future development program – for a total of more than 3 million trained worldwide since 2000. Strengthened professional developments with several new Intel teach to the future program offerings. Reached 1, 35,000 learners through Intel learn program.  Intel’s after school program in government funded community technology centers. Opened the 100th Intel computer clubhouse in Washington DC Celebrated achievement of more than 1,400 young scientists from record 45 countries the ninth annual Intel International Science engineering fair.

Towards Environment:

Began to publish quarterly environmental health & safety (EHS) performance indicator Announced that, energy efficiency will be key focus in product development. For Ex. The INTEL core Due processor is 35% more energy efficient that Pentium M Processor Worked with industry peers to reduce energy consumption of note book LCD screens by approx 40%. Reduced energy consumptions by 15% per production unit from 2004. Further reduced hazardous materials such as lead in products, and recycled 57% of chemical waste & 75% of solid waste.

Towards Community:

          Set new records for employee volunteerism and coordinated more than 35 projects involving thousands of Intel employees to support global earth day at INTEL sites around the world.

Launched the Digital transformation initiative for the Middle East.  A comprehensive multi years  program expanding economic education & technology related support throughout  the region Piloted the community PC & farmer PC, which are designed to meet the specific needs of rural remote & agrarian based communities in developing geographies. Provides digital health care technology to village resource centers and mobile clinics  in India & china Provided substantial financial,  employee & technology support for disaster  relief

Intel comments:

             As a part of our effort to be leader in corporate responsibilities, we believe in providing our stakeholders with accurate and thorough information regarding our performance on key social & environment issues. We are proud of the work we do in support of the environment, education & our communities. Our goal is to be an open & transparent company.

ITC’s  E-Choupal Initiative:

             ITC has come-up with a path breaking e-choupal intervention to provide information power to millions of farmer & rural folks in their vernacular languages. Information on weather forecasts, expert knowledge on best farming practices, agricultural input etc, are provided to the farmers. ITC’s e-choupal initiative has recently won the first world business award instituted by the international chamber of commerce at  UNDP & HRH prince of Wales international business leaders forum.

           ITC has also invested in rain water harvesting to bring the much required irrigation to the parched dry lands.

           ITC has been empowering rural women & helping them to evolve as entrepreneurs.

           ITC has also invested money for improving condition of village schools & make them more interesting for rural kids.

       Hence, ITC has been able to create a major impact in terms of its image among rural folks, which is slowly building the faith of rural consumers in its products & services.

 Conclusion:

           As the world business environment is changing, the requirement for staying & succeeding in business is also changing. As a result large corporations are emphasizing the maintenance of strategic relationship with different section of the society. Hence the corporate social responsibility embraces multiple stakeholders. In today’s world corporations can’t isolate themselves from society in which they are operating, rather they are linked to the social, ecological & human fabric & therefore they are responsible in varying degree to all stakeholders. Companies with good social & environmental records perform better in the long run than those that don’t behave responsibility.

            The article discussed about the various tasks of the organization. The social challenges of the organization have been discussed also the stanadard & values that an organization have to follow have been discussed.

            Finally it is discussed about how to measure the social responsibility. What are the different steps which can be used to measure performance.Lastly the paper discussed the 2 success stories.



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Kenday S. Kamara asked:


The World Bank, the United Nations Development Program (U.N.D.P., the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (O.E.C.D.), the United States Agency for International Aid (U.S.A.I.D.), the Department for International Development (D.F.I.D.).  Capacity building with its emphasis on “capacities to be developed” has always been fundamental to technical cooperation. However, “promoting long-term self-management practices, local knowledge and participation, and the dynamics and interrelationships among the various actors and levels of national programs, groups and organizations [shifts the focus of these international donors] from a traditional donor-driven, input-oriented, cost-benefit and expert-led practices”.  Also, the goals of the various local actors, national programs, groups and organizations have always been internally consistent in their need to build capacities. They include:

· healthcare workers concerned about improving health delivery practices through building the necessary human resources and training infrastructure for training healthcare professionals, and for building capacity to provide healthcare services;

· innovative public media organizations concerned about perfecting their reporting standards to meet the need for diverse and analytic perspectives on development information;

· the judicial system concerned about improving the efficiency of the judicial and legal system to provide improved access to justice;

· environmentalists concerned about ecological degradation;

· and good governance activists who at all times object to the chronic incompetence of governments.

Some of Sierra Leone’s good governance advocates are anticorruption government watchdog groups that promote an anticorruption and capacity building agenda. The Campaign for Good Governance (C.G.G.), for instance, “exists to increase citizen participation in governance through advocacy, capacity building and civic education in order to build a more informed civil populace and a democratic State”.  The C.G.G. organizes anti-corruption training for leaders in various sectors of civil society, lobbies for good governance practices in both national and local government, tracks governance problems, and publishes findings on government in order to educate civil society. Capacity building is what they believe is key for government to improve governance. Other capacity building voices such as the World Bank attributed half the success of democratic institutions to the notion that institutions that do not build their capacity are neither relevant nor creative. In its “World Bank Assistance Strategy” for Sierra Leone put forward early in 2007, the Bank has sought to “facilitate good governance through public financial management reforms; supporting capacity building for Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) implementation in selected sector ministries and local governments and continuing to promote private sector development”. For good governance advocates, therefore, finding some ways to address the challenges of capacity building has always being a high priority.

The existing capacity building programs in Sierra Leone are quite weak and hardly yielding any results. The Decentralization Secretariat (DecSec) of the Government of Sierra Leone that was established under the Institutional Reform and Capacity Building Project (I.R.C.B.P.), funded by the World Bank has its problems and does not seem to claim any real and direct impact on improving governance capacity. DecSec facilitates the instruction of citizens about the major components of the Local Government Act of 2004 which was “passed as a response to the widely-held belief that corruption and government ineptitude were major factors in the lead-up to the bloody civil war. The Act decentralizes the national government and passes many powers once exclusively held by the national government over to local governments comprised of local councils”. However, when national institutions are weak, their rules and resources can have negative and unproductive effects regardless of the good intentions of public administration reforms and policy support to democratic governance. Major General Jonathon P. Riley, Senior British Military Adviser who served in Sierra Leone in the late summer of 2000 once made some valid points along these lines. The General talked about the three essential elements of governance, security, and essential services (electricity, clean water, basic health and sanitation, communications) which must be put in place to allow post-conflict reconstruc­tion to take place. Major General Riley was serving in Sierra Leone and saw for himself Sierra Leone’s potential wealth, “its enormous natural resources: rice, timber, gold, iron, rutile, diamonds, fish, offshore oil, and hydroelectric power. [The General believes] not only should Sierra Leone be self-supporting in these things, it should, as was once the case, be exporting many of them and earning foreign currency; [also been a country with a] well-educated population [considering, for example,] the fact that it is home to sub-Saharan Africa’s oldest university. But it is not building up its natural wealth, and we have a half-done job to thank for it. It is not too late—but things are still fragile. [The General also made the observation that] the real danger is having fixed security and not the other essentials, we have simply created the conditions for the next military coup”. Increasing the perceived legitimacy of national governance is, therefore, an important objective and requires three things: greater clarity about development programs, a richer understanding of strong and assertive leadership, and a willingness to address corruption. When discipline is not enforced in a society by strong leadership and corruption tolerated, crime and negligence become systemic. 

Capacity Building is about Fostering Civic Engagement

Capacity building, defined as “the process of developing and strengthening the skills, instincts, abilities, processes and resources that organizations and communities need to survive, adapt and thrive in the fast changing world” is not new. Nor is it just about institutions. Institutions have existed and have always had people who run them; but management efficiency, promoting human and civil society development, and community participation have also been the ultimate purpose of capacity building. If strong communities are not built; i.e. communities with a shared sense of belonging or solidarity and able to efficiently utilize resources and skills needed to respond effectively to crises, embrace change, and resolve issues it might adversely affect the usefulness of the framework that social capital concepts give to the meaning of capacity building—concepts grounded on relationships, trust and networks that bolster development of all the other types of capital essential to nurturing sustainable, safe and unified communities.

Capacity building is about the ‘ultimate purpose’ of people willing to learn, to grow and to work together for social change, and the social change produced can support the development of a more democratic and just society. And there is more to the cliché that capacity building is about skills building within individual departments or private sector entities.  The complexities of capacity building processes have kept the Sierra Leone government with the support of international organizations seeking for more capacity building strategies that work. Although a total community participation effort is neither feasible nor desirable, many forms of fostering civic engagement and methods of managing common affairs can be expanded. Fostering civic engagement in development programs enables citizens to become deeply involved in substantive citizenship issues. The University of Sierra Leone, vocational institutes and secondary schools in the country, including the many capacity building seminars and conferences held nationally and internationally, for instance, should support their faculty and staff, and facilitators, to know what engaged learning really is—engaging in the identifying and solving of problems for the nation’s development programs. Opportunities for all professional programs, like teacher education, healthcare and sanitation, and small- and medium-sized enterprises (S.M.E.s) education, should be developed to address and examine social issues in the nation through the use of curricular models that challenge students and practitioners and provide opportunities to apply curriculum with national development programs. Modeling good civic virtue is essential in a participatory democracy. Sierra Leoneans should be taught the value of service and requiring that students and practitioners demonstrate knowledge of what constitutes service. It is a fact that creating good citizens is a way to define patriotism, and it is that connectedness to the community that makes people true Sierra Leoneans. Development educators can be instrumental in introducing new ideas for discourse, providing knowledge on development strategies that have worked elsewhere, as well as reaching out to a multitude of freelance consultants at home and abroad who can provide expert advice on legal, financial, management, health and safety and other aspects of social change. 

In the area of skills transfer, the business sector in developed countries has much to offer the developing world. The $100 million five year Secure the Future program launched by Bristol-Myers Squibb through its corporate foundation, for example, offers a model that utilizes the experience of people in corporate America who understand distribution, management and infrastructure to harness the indigenous business capacity in developing countries. The initial suspicions and lack of trust that characterized the Secure the Future model were overcome by the architects of the program reaching out to essential partners on the ground in southern Africa to foster civic trust for the program. When a sense of wellbeing is therefore felt by citizens and roles and responsibilities of those in government are well defined; when standards are set and degrees of pride people have in the nation of which they are a part are not compromised; and when rewards people get for what they do are clearly determined; capacity building programs’ outcomes become clear. These outcomes become even clearer when feelings of trust by citizens exist for their head of state—reinforcing that true sense of pride people have as Sierra Leoneans.

Capacity Building, therefore, Means Good Governance

Capacity building requires government by officials who are accountable and answerable to the people they serve. But how can “capacity building” mean “good governance” in a nation where leadership at the national level is so weak?  A “weak” leader and a “negligent” president is not leadership. By that formula, citizens do not view the state as legitimate or deserving of respect. They easily collaborate in “rent seeking” activities, for instance, as part of an organized search for private gain by a large number of low level bureaucrats and private individuals.

The basic point is that a lack of strong leadership may simply be unable to control the levers of state power for national progress and to create the enabling environment needed for a burgeoning honest bureaucracy. Corruption at the top produces expectations among low level officials that they should have their share of the national cake. Corruption entails not just the acceptance of bribes as incentive payments by public and private officials, but may also affect the way officials do their jobs. In this regard, the role of the nation’s chief executive cannot be overstated.

Presidential leadership is thus critical to affecting change. It is the president, far more than any other departmental heads who has the stature to enunciate expectations and to enlist participation of his ministers, civil servants, and citizens beyond his government to foster the practice of capacity building and ensure the realization of genuine development outcomes. Tied to Freud’s earlier observations about leadership ascertaining that the leader must represent the group ideally and strongly, and must express the central ideas of the group in a forceful if not particularly reasoned way, the political scientist and presidential scholar James David Barber once wrote, “the President is a symbolic leader, the one figure who draws together the people’s hopes and fears for the political future.” Like how United States President Franklin Roosevelt excelled at providing the kind of inspirational motivation for Americans that marked his very successful leadership, so does the President of Sierra Leone should “articulate an appealing vision of the future, challenge [all Sierra Leoneans] with high standards, talk optimistically with enthusiasm, and provide encouragement and meaning for what needs to be done.” If the President can behave in these ways he will have the ability to influence Sierra Leoneans toward a wide range of behaviors. In the best instances, the behaviors will promote universal values. These behaviors define the true ideals of good governance that are congruent with the values that under gird the peaceful development of a nation.

Still, the Sierra Leone government can do several things to respond to the concerns about a capacity building deficit. The government and its international friends can try to improve stocktaking of capacity building initiatives by establishing mechanisms that permit the comprehensive reporting of people’s participation, persistence, and programs completion, and by taking into account programs’ missions. Further, the government can enable a more robust evaluation of capacity building programs by connecting the improved community outcomes data with program participation data collected by the implementing agencies.

Clearer Connections

Better accountability can and should start at the leadership level. If people believe that capacity building programs are not adequately supported by clear leadership standards, it produces a “corruption trap” where the corruption at the top encourages the corruption of others causing additional inefficiencies. The sustainability of good governance strategies will depend on developing strategies to ensure continuity of effective leadership and management needs. In the facilitation of citizens’ understanding of the major components of the Local Government Act of 2004, for instance, DecSec should be kept accountable by professional norms and standards based on provable performance benchmarks. There is no reason that keeping capacity building programs accountable cannot be consistent with fostering civic engagement.

Also, the work of Statistics Sierra Leone (S.S.L.) as “the central statistical authority for the Government of Sierra Leone [which provides] detailed national income and expenditure survey, a national census, and numerous surveys covering health, education, H.I.V./A.I.D.S. and experiences” should be strengthened in ways that its research can be translated to actionable programs. All capacity building activities should focus on increasing Sierra Leoneans’ knowledge, expectations of and need for good governance, as well as improving the responsiveness, transparency, political will and capacity of government institutions at all levels to deliver services.

Further, aspects of national character and leadership strategies have to be understood as contributing aspects to community programs’ success. The attitude by citizens and government actors that all community programs can succeed, reinforced by a belief that the nation must always strive for greater success, goes a long way to align people and programs, and making a collective commitment to continually strive to improve. There has to be a real solid work ethic. Citizens and government actors ought to know they have to work hard and that knowledge contributes to their success. The Sierra Leone president is responsible for shaping a national character that is defined by Sierra Leoneans’ undaunted commitment to help build their country. The Sierra Leone presidency forms the building blocks of democracy in Sierra Leone, and the functioning of the presidency heavily depends upon the president’s leadership ability. Therefore, the president of Sierra Leone is charged with creating a shared vision for the nation, and he is responsible for developing a climate conducive to motivating Sierra Leoneans and encouraging patriotism.  The national climate exudes excitement when national leadership is strong, and it is the president who creates the climate. Creation of a positive climate is critical to fostering patriotism. Overall commitment to the nation should increase when an open and transparent environment is present and Sierra Leoneans believe their leader is making meaningful contributions to the nation’s development.

 In the End, there is no Single Answer

To address the question of how to reconcile the necessary public and private institutions with capacity building effectiveness, civic engagement programs need to be reinforced. Opportunities for personal growth can be considerably beneficial when actions by citizens are making a difference and what can be harnessed to support local problem solving and self-help action is being adequately harnessed. In the end, there is no single design for strengthening capacity in communities—the ‘bottom-up’ approach is being suggested in many forums, but with a bottom limited in understanding causes, especially a bottom with low educational achievement and restricted exposure to modern ideas and development experiences, the best and viable solutions won’t necessarily be generated. An ‘inside-out’ and ‘outside-in’ approach is also considered necessary, where social associations, connections or affiliations cultivate innovative ideas, knowledge and deliberations, and open up learning opportunities from others’ experiences. ‘Top-down’ support is even more relevant from a leadership willing to work decisively and responsively with the citizens of his nation.  Keeping social change concepts as key to any capacity building action plans advances the goal of active citizenship and civic engagement thus capturing the essence of nationhood. The context that social capital concepts give to capacity building programs are useful, as the focal point of these concepts center around relationships, trust and networks that bolster development of all the other types of capital essential to the advancement of a sustainable, safe and cohesive nation.



Caffeinated Content

Helena Topolova asked:


The current trends in the minds of those willing to invest in new construction, as well as in the promises of the new incoming presidential administration, is a focus on renewable sources of energy and the preserving of the planet. This trend has the potential to save this country’s economy through the implementation of new infrastructure to support the shift to “going green”. The home contractor can dramatically benefit from this by adjusting his materials and construction practices to accommodate the clients who want to be ecologically responsible in their choices of contractors.

LEED Certification of Products and Services

LEED, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design green building rating system is a third-party program which certifies the design, construction tools and practices and operations for what are nationally accepted as green buildings. Having a LEED certification will put your company on the organization website’s list of exceptional contractors in the advancement of environmentally conscious design, and will provide your company with added exposure to an up-and-coming market sector.

Recycled Products Renewed Ideas

By using recycled or reclaimed products in constructions and implementing the use of fuel efficient heating and cooling systems, including the implementation of alternate energy sources such as solar panels and geothermal heating, the home contractor can both increase his business and have the satisfaction of knowing that his business is helping to sustain and renew our depleted natural resources.

Government Backing

It seems that the new administration is very serious about providing funding for new infrastructure required to implement green energy programs. If programs progress as Washington is currently promising, the home contractor is who not using green products and providing green energy solutions in his constructions will go the way of the dinosaurs. The resources seem to be there, the public is ready for the change, it is up to the construction industry to provide the tools we need to keep the green movement going forward.



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