Business Ethics & Philanthropy

It is increasingly common for corporate leaders to take stances about political issues and corporate social responsibility is en vogue. Often, leaders take stances in support of the causes of social equality or justice. Are these stances, though, socially responsible? Company Leaders Take a Stand for Many Reasons In today’s digital landscape, it’s become increasingly difficult for corporate...

The world of work is changing rapidly, and businesses that do not show responsible behaviour by not being proactive about addressing critical workplace trends, risk being left behind. In order to safeguard themselves from this, companies are changing their approach in various ways to remain at the top of the leader board of good...

Dame Anita Roddick, who founded The Body Shop in 1976, pioneered the idea of using ‘Business as a force for good’. The company launched Community Trade in 1987 as ‘Trade Not Aid’. This was a unique concept in the cosmetics industry. It started with Teddy Exports in Tirumangalam, Tamil Nadu, who produce accessories for...

Even after five years of the mandate coming into play, many companies appear reluctant to spend on CSR activities India Inc breathed a sigh of relief when the high-level committee on CSR (corporate social responsibility) — appointed in September 2018 — recommended doing away with the penal provision of imprisonment for non-compliance with CSR norms....

Amid concerns in various quarters, industry body CII plans to approach the government seeking reconsideration of penal provisions with respect to non-compliance with CSR spending norms under the companies law. Industry grouping Ficci on Friday said the changes would only encourage tick-box compliance. With the latest amendments to the companies law, there would be...

Sugar is considered to be a health hazard by various nutritionists. In fact, several public health experts say it can be as addictive as cocaine. Apart from this, synthetic sugar also increases the risk of cancer; is a chief cause of obesity, heart disease and diabetes; and is also a key contributor to deteriorating oral health around...

“Old Navy is turning the big 2-5, and like any good millennial, we’re celebrating for a whole month!” With this tweet, fashion retailer Old Navy recently kicked off not only its month-long birthday celebration but also its #BelongingLooksLike campaign. And in true millennial fashion, this campaign includes nostalgia, social media influencers, matching T-shirts, and a call for businesses...

There’s almost nothing worse for the corporate ego than thinking that you’re doing good and should be appreciated for it, only to find that you’re pilloried instead. The public doesn’t believe you, the community doesn’t want you, and your own employees won’t defend you. Consider the pharmaceutical company leaders who saw themselves as improving public...

22 Indian companies have been accused of not revealing the full extent of their impact on the climate crisis, water shortages and deforestation by an alliance of global investors. CDP, an environmental disclosure campaign platform, on behalf of 88 investors with a combined asset of over $10 trillion has written to 707 multinationals, spread...

Kenya’s banking industry invested 2.1 billion shillings ($19 million) in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in 2018 and approximately 6.7 billion shillings ($59 million) over the past three years, according to the 2019 Kenya Banking Industry shared value report released on Thursday by the Kenya Bankers Association (KBA).Education ranks first as the top social investment...

Deutsche Post DHL Group announced that it will reduce all logistics-related emissions to zero by the year 2050. In pursuit of this ambitious new target, the Group hopes to contribute meaningfully to achieving the goal of limiting global warming to well below 2°C established at the 2015 Paris climate conference (COP 21), as well as...

The number of child workers in India has dropped for the first time in 20 years (4.3 million as compared to 12.6 million child workers in 2001). However, UNICEF and several reputed NGOs dispute these figures, estimating that even now, there are about 28 to 60 million child workers. Notwithstanding the difficulty of establishing the...