A Proposal to Change Corporate Social Responsibility to Corporate Engagement

The entire aspect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has always troubled me. I believe firmly that companies should do good as well as doing well. However, CSR has always been treated as a tactic rather than as part of the overall strategy of the firm. As such, it is more akin to philanthropy rather than a program that is part of the overall brand or reputation management of the company.

With the advent of social media, stakeholder engagement is becoming more prevalent. Stakeholders are gaining more and more knowledge which used to be contained only at the center of the corporation. This is changing the way we talk with, market to and interact with our employees, customers and others.

I think it is time that we change the name of CSR to Corporate Engagement or Stakeholder Engagement. This is not just a name change, but a reflection of what I would hope would be a different mindset. CSR is still about a company doing something to someone else--a community. Engagement is much more active. To engage, we must listen, respect and have a dialog with others. Engagement is a change of mindset and a better reflection, I believe, of where we should be with stakeholders.

I know that some companies think that they are making progress by calling CSR Corporate Citizenship. I still do not like that term. Citizenship is a term that is designed to make a company feel good. Citizens vote. They do not need to be involved in politics. Similarly, corporate citizenship is no more involving than CSR. Engagement, on the other hand suggests that the CEO and others must think about the outside and bring it in. They must be involved. They need to work with others, not do things to or for others.