The debate on Corporate Social Responsibility and its relevance to business goals continued at the Canadian Club of Toronto on April the 25th, 2005 among the over 600 people present. Encouraged to have a "working lunch", the tables were asked to debate two statements and outline whether they agree or disagree, and to offer proof points.
The first statement was "..there is one and only one social responsibility of business--to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within the rules of the game, which is to say, engages in open and free competition without deception or fraud." Nobel Prize winner, Milton Friedman." The second statement was "How do you respond to HP’s stated corporate value of "Fulfilling our responsibility to society by being an economic, intellectual and social asset to each country and community where we do business."
Following the working lunch, Paul Tsaparis, President and CEO, spoke on the topic "Canada’s Best Bet for Global Competitiveness: CSR". The key theme of this discussion was that few would debate the assertion that the global marketplace is more competitive than it has ever been. As corporations and indeed entire countries strive to gain a foothold, they must examine and embrace their unique differentiators.
While there are many ways to pursue competitive advantage, we ascertain that for Canada the best way forward lies in learning from our past – our propensity to embrace and support those qualities that Canadians are recognized for globally. True competitiveness must be inclusive of an organization's affect on the community in which it lives and reflect the values of its society. For a full text of the speech click on the link featured on the right of this page.
Designed to be an on-going dialogue, this site will feature at no charge, articles, tools, and discussion papers designed to facilitate discussion. Click to register and download the first of these documents.
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GoodCompany.Guidelines for Corporate Social Performance, which comes from Canadian Business for Social Responsibility.Founded in 1995, Canadian Business for Social Responsibility (CBSR) is a non-profit, business-led, national membership organization of innovative Canadian companies working to improve their social, environmental and financial performance. CBSR advances corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Canada through research, educational programs, collaborative projects, CSR business tools and advisory services.
Through a practical yet innovative approach, CBSR encourages and challenges over 150 member companies, both small and large, across all major sectors of the Canadian economy, to expand their CSR policies and practices.
June's tool will feature, an opportunity to receive an interactive tool provided by the Conference Board of Canada.
Printable version
