New study shows CSR pays dividends

With BUSS4 and it’s research theme done and dusted for the summer it would be easy to overlook new articles on the issue of CSR, but the social environment and strategic direction remain at the heart of A2 studies. So it’s worth storing this article away in your favourites.

Tweeted by @MichaelEPorter, it summarises the findings of a US study that shows a strong correlation between companies who are rated strongly by their employees for their CSR efforts and:
* employee motivation
* productivity
* customer service
* financial performance and shareholder returns

This article adds to the increasing number of voices over recent months arguing that CSR and strong business performance are not mutually exclusive. Paul Polman of Unilever & Howard Schulz of Starbucks amongst others are vindicated in their approaches if this research is accurate.

The article closes by giving firms advice on how to improve their CSR efforts. Students could take a firm they feel needs to improve in this area, and use the advice at the end of the article to create a plan for how to exactly they will improve. Perhaps they could start with News International…...