Certified Social Responsibility
January 9, 2011 by Global Nomad - (AW)
These days there’s a lot of talk going on about companies that are “sustainable” or “socially responsible”. These have always been great taglines for any business, large or small, wanting to look good in the public eye. What’s changing, though, is the level of accountability expected to back these claims up. Consumers these days want more than just taglines; they want transparency. They want to be able to see how a company really is treating their employees, environment and community “responsibly”.
With this type of accountability in mind, some folks a few years ago started a certification called “B Corporation”. Becoming certified as a “B Corporation” involves an in-depth examination of all the different business processes and the effect on each of the company’s different stakeholders. It’s a hefty process to go through, yet for companies that truly do have a double bottom line of profit and social action it’s worth the effort. It seems the trend isn’t just stopping at certification; last year, two U.S. states even adopted a new legal status of incorporation for “benefit companies”.
Here at Global Nomad we are energized to see how in the West people are recognizing that profit and social responsibility can go hand in hand. B Corporation certification hasn’t made it to our side of the world yet, but in case you couldn’t tell, we are pretty excited about running a business that is more than just about Euros, Dollars and Yuan. Over the past few years whenever we explain our business model to locals we undoubtedly get the same puzzled look—the look that says “You would seriously pass up the opportunity to run your business in a bigger developed city, where everyone goes to seek their fortune, and start your business here instead?” Yet some people get inspired that maybe one doesn’t have to move away from their homeland to find a modern job, so long as they have some education and the right motivation. And in seeing people empowered we get all the certification we need to know that we are on the right track.
Have you seen any other ways that businesses have gone beyond just taglines and are serious about social responsibility? Please share with us below.
