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No Allowance for Responsibility: A Childhood Dilemma
Submitted by kgilliam on Tue, 2011-04-26 13:17.
My wife had taken our two younger children out to run a few errands leaving me with our oldest boy. A little while after they left, he came up to me saying he had a surprise for me: he'd emptied the dishwasher. He's six. He'd done it all by himself without me asking him or showing him how.
This Easter God Calls You to Live Sustainably
Submitted by RCrespin on Fri, 2011-04-22 19:15.Posted April 23, 2011
Man as dominator.
Man as animal.
Man as parasite.
Man as steward.
Four visions of humanity's relationship to nature. Which one you subscribe to has a lot to do with what you think God said to Adam in the Garden of Eden. In Chapter One of the Book of Genesis, God says to Adam, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."
Papers Please!?! Credentialing Corporate Responsibility Professionals
Submitted by kgilliam on Sat, 2011-04-16 18:43.I recently had the privilege of sitting on a panel with some real corporate responsibility luminaries: Ann Cramer from IBM, Stephen Jordan from the US Chamber's Business Civic Leadership Center, Bill Novelli from Georgetown, and Mark Shamley from the Association of Corporate Contributions Professionals. We went in-depth on the issue of the profession of corporate responsibility and the dialog quickly centered on whether or not CR professionals need credentials to ply their trade.
As Executive Director for the professional society for corporate responsibility, I'm sure you think my obvious answer is yes. Actually, my answer is I don't care. Or more specifically, I'm not married to the outcome, but I'm dedicated to the process.
Get Real: The Facts on What Works in Corporate Responsibility
Submitted by kgilliam on Wed, 2011-04-13 12:41.This year I jumped on the Corporate Responsibility cocktail circuit. I've attended literally a dozen events this year already and at every one, I eventually end up in the same conversation: cornered by a pundit opining on what companies should do.
Don't get me wrong. Many of these people not only have good intentions, they often have very good ideas. But here's what they don't have: responsibility. They're not in the chair with the actual responsibility for delivering on these programs. I used to be a consultant -- and I'm married to one -- so I know that consultants can offer a lot. But I also know, that companies can learn a lot from each other.
That's why, in cooperation with NYSE Euronext, we started the CR Best Practices Survey last year and why we continue it this year. Last year we had a terrific response rate, with over 650 companies responding. We want to beat that this year and produce the most comprehensive survey of actual successful practices; what's really working in live operations at real companies.
The Economics of Corporate Responsibility – A New Model Redefining Externalities
Submitted by kgilliam on Tue, 2011-04-12 18:43.Traditional economics requires firms to take certain items into account and treat others as externalities. ResponsibilityWorks—in an effort to put the Corporate Responsibility Officers Association’s data, practices, and insights to work for government, ensuring that government and its contractors can also do well by doing good—is promoting how corporate responsibility redefines externalities with a new economic model.
Dilemmas – The Core of Corporate Responsibility
Submitted by kgilliam on Fri, 2011-04-08 15:16.Traditionally the role of the CR practitioner includes components of marketing (customer engagement, product stewardship), of HR (diversity, employee engagement), of investor relations, of operational management (environmental management), of PR (communications).
So with such a broad remit of involvement, what captures the essence of the CR practitioners role?
To change the world, change California or change Wal-Mart…or the US Federal Government
Submitted by kgilliam on Tue, 2011-04-05 15:31.ResponsibilityWorks Calls Upon Government & Industry to Lead the Way to a New Responsible Economy
Submitted by kgilliam on Mon, 2011-03-28 14:28.The people of the United States are demanding increasing levels of transparency and accountability from their government and the companies with which it does business. President Obama has responded with a historic commitment to bringing more transparency and integrity to the way his Administration conducts itself and how it interacts with its business partners.
In keeping with these principles, the Corporate Responsibility Officers Association (CROA) has created ResponsibilityWorks, a Government Roundtable that has convened sixty leaders of companies, government agencies, nonprofits, and academia committed to improving transparency and responsibility among contractors.
Shifting the burden of proof
Submitted by RCrespin on Sat, 2011-03-19 04:05.Posted Mar 19, 2011
| Don't rush off to build that business case just yet. CEOs and CFOs that say, "prove the business case first," fail the test of intellectual honesty. Moreover, Best-in-Class responsibility programs start with a commitment to doing the right thing first and then figuring out how to earn a return on responsibilty. Don't get sucked into the intellectual bullying. It's time to shift the burden of proof: commit to doing the right thing and then figure out how to do it in a way that earns an ROI. |
Ethical Dilemma #4: Equal Rights & Equal Risks? – A Truth vs. Loyalty Dilemma
Submitted by RCrespin on Thu, 2010-11-18 21:09.In this fourth installment of our Ethical Dilemmas Series, Kevin Moss puts forward a Truth vs. Loyalty dilemma. As a Corporate Responsibility professional, do you have to act when your company behaves in an unethical manner? Other professions have positive obligations. Should CROs?
Help us test our draft Ethics Code by playing out this scenario in your own mind and giving us your feedback. At CRO Summit we had some great live-fire exercises. Share how you'd resolve this dilemma and how the Ethics Code helped (or didn't).
Ethical Dilemma #3: Painting Over Problems - A Truth vs. Loyalty Dilemma
Submitted by RCrespin on Tue, 2010-11-16 13:11.Posted November 16, 2010
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In this third installment of our Ethical Dilemmas Series, Kevin Moss puts forward a Truth vs. Loyalty dilemma. As a Corporate Responsibility professional, do you have to act when your company behaves in an unethical manner? Other professions have positive obligations. Should CROs? Help us test our draft Ethics Code by playing out this scenario in your own mind and giving us your feedback. At CRO Summit we had some great live-fire exercises. Share how you'd resolve this dilemma and how the Ethics Code helped (or didn't). |
Ethical Dilemma #2: Half-baked Marketing - A Justice vs. Mercy Dilemma.
Submitted by RCrespin on Sat, 2010-10-23 18:18.Posted October 23, 2010
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In this second installment of our Ethical Dilemmas Series, Kevin Moss puts forward a Justice vs. Mercy dilemma. When a colleague crosses the line should you enforce the rules or look with mercy on a transgressor? As a CRO do you have a special obligation that goes beyond that of the average executive? Help us test our draft Ethics Code by playing out this scenario in your own mind and giving us your feedback. Or join us at CRO Summit for a live-fire exercise. Share how you'd resolve this dilemma and how the Ethics Code helped (or didn't). |
Responsibility Play of the Week: Congress, Baseball, or 30 Rock?
Submitted by RCrespin on Sat, 2010-10-09 11:36.Posted October 9, 2010
| This week's choices for "Responsibility Play of the Week" come from politics, sports, and pop culture. Which one best spotlights a lesson in responsibility...or irresponsibility? Your comments and votes pick the winner! |
Ethical Dilemma #1: A Gaggle of Privacy Concerns -- When Truth Conflicts with Loyalty
Submitted by RCrespin on Fri, 2010-10-08 21:21.Posted October 8, 2010
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The CROA’s Professional Development Committee drafted an ethics code and came up with a set of ethical dilemmas to test it. In this post we layout the overall concept of ethical dilemmas and propose the first dilemma for you -- our field testers -- to consider. Dilemma #1: A Gaggle of Privacy Concerns. Complying with a Chinese request to provide personal data would break your company's privacy policy but failure to comply breaks the law. What do you do? |
DO YOU KNOW...How to stay off the Black List? CROA Raises the Bar & Lowers the Barriers to Improvement
Submitted by RCrespin on Wed, 2010-10-06 20:45.Posted October 6, 2010
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The CROA is simultaneously raising the bar and lowering the barrier to improving corporate responsibilty. Throughout 2010 we've reviewed the ranking system used to create CR's Black List and its Best Corporate Citizens Lists while also working on a Code of Ethics. Now these efforts come together with specific tools companies can use to create more ethical cultures. |