Home » 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. View last year's survey results.

The survey covers:

1. Executive/board involvement in CR – how involved CEOs and boards are in CR initiatives, what kinds of initiatives they drive, and their top areas of CR focus.

2. Current & future CR practice – key CR audiences, how companies measure the impacts and benefits of CR, how they budget for CR, CR’s impact on profitability, and how firms establish specific measurable goals.

3. The CR function – a snapshot of the CR function within companies, including how it's organized, staffed, and budgeted.

4. CR roles – whether or not the company has a formal CR role, to whom it reports, what areas it’s responsible for.

5. CR communications – how the company communicates about CR, including whether it produces a dedicated CR report, whether marketing communications rely on CR messaging, and which initiatives the company participates in (e.g., GRI).

So consider this your formal invitation to jump off the cocktail circuit and sit down to share, learn, and grow. Thanks to last year's strong response, we were able to provide the Corporate Responsibility community with details on the state of corporate citizenship, and highlight some of the field's successful practices. We need your help to make this year's survey even more useful.

CLICK HERE to begin the survey. The results will be published in CR Magazine and presented in a variety of events including Commit!Forum 2011 taking place September 26-27 in New York City.

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