Recursos Humanos Eua

THE NATION ’S NEWSPAPER

Collegiate Case Study
Boardrooms open up to investors’ input
By Edward Iwata ....................................................................4-7

www.usatodaycollege.com

Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a concept whereby corporations (or other for-profit organizations) consider the interests of the societies withinwhich they are based and operate. Moving beyond philanthropy and compliance, CSR addresses how companies manage the impact of their economic, social, and environmental policies, as well as their relationships with customers, employees, suppliers, shareholders, and communities. CSR has become a multi-billion dollar public relations specialty in the business world, yet there are those who argue thatthe positive impact of CSR on businesses is overblown and say companies exist to sell products, make money and please shareholders -- not to save the world.

American CEO’s take on Europe
By Del Jones .................................................................................8-9

Eco-marketing a hot topic for advertisers at Cannes
By Laura Petrecca and Theresa Howard............................................................................ 10-11

Critical Inquiry
Discussion and future implications ..................................................................................12

Businesses grow more socially conscious
More think strategy can also be profitable
By Edward Iwata USA TODAY Activists have argued for decades that companies, as good corporate citizens,are morally obligated to adopt socially responsible business practices. On their end, companies say they exist to sell products, make money and please shareholders — not to save the world. But those clashing views may be finding common ground, say business experts on the movement known as "corporate social responsibility," or CSR. There's growing evidence that companies are embracing CSRpractices - whether it's reducing factory and transportation pollution, using natural materials for packaging or treating workers fairly — because they believe such strategies can be profitable and socially responsible. "All of a sudden, corporate responsibility is an idea whose time has arrived," says Julie Fox Gorte, chief social investment strategist at the Calvert Group, which manages sociallyresponsible mutual funds. "We're seeing more companies who think it's not just a philosophy, but good for business, too." Study shows value Christine Arena, a San Francisco business consultant and author of The High-Purpose Company, says more

Additional Resources
.................................................................................. 13

USA TODAY Snapshots®
Mix ing ads and socialissues
Is it acceptable for companies to involve a cause or issue in their marketing?

Yes

72%

No

23%
Not sure 5%

Source: Cone Corporate Citizenship study of 1,033 respondents. Margin of error ±3 percentage points.

By Dar ryl Haralson and Alejandro Gonzalez, USA TODAY

© Copyright 2008 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co., Inc. All rights reserved.

AS SEEN IN USA TODAY’SMONEY SECTION FEBRUARY 14, 2007, 3B

corporations are using CSR not for feel-good philanthropy or to polish their public image, but as long-term corporate strategy. Arena and 10 MBA students at McGill University studied 75 U.S. corporations, including Wal-Mart, McDonald's, Volvo, JetBlue, outdoor retailer Patagonia, clothing designer Eileen Fisher and agricultural products company John Deere. Theyfound that many are visionary, risk-taking companies that Arena calls "the early adopters, the alphas of the modern business world." The companies are staking their business growth and future on environmental and social goals. For instance: u General Electric. CEO Jeffrey Immelt announced GE's "Ecoimagination" initiative two years ago, and the conglomerate hopes to double its revenue from...