Preparation

Corporate social responsibility (CSR, also called corporate conscience, corporate citizenship, or responsible business) is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model. CSR policy functions as a self-regulatory mechanism whereby a business monitors and ensures its active compliance with the spirit of the law, ethical standards, and national or international norms. With some models, a firm’s implementation of CSR goes beyond compliance and engages in “actions that appear to further some social good, beyond the interests of the firm and that which is required by law.” The aim is to increase long-term profits and shareholder trust through positive public relations and high ethical standards to reduce business and legal risk by taking responsibility for corporate actions. CSR strategies encourage the company to make a positive impact on the environment and stakeholders including consumers, employees, investors, communities, and others.

Every year, Reputation Institute, a private global consulting firm based in New York, invites about 47,000 consumers, across fifteen markets, to participate in a study that ranks the world’s one hundred most reputable companies—all multinational businesses with a global presence. One of their recent studies found that 42 percent of how people feel about a company is based on their perceptions of the firm’s corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Your Task

1. Select a company (domestic or international) that will be the basis for your research.
2. Research the company’s record in the area of CSR. Be sure to look at both their domestic and well as international reputation.
3. A good place to begin your research is the LibGuide at Rutgers University: http://libguides.rutgers.edu/csr
4. Complete a written assignment that contains the following information:
   1. A brief (one-paragraph) summary of the business you selected.
   2. According to your research, how does the company rank with regard to CSR? Be sure to provide a source for this ranking!
   3. Describe specific examples of corporate actions that resulted in this company’s ranking.
   4. Does a company’s approach to CSR influence your purchasing decisions? Why or why not?

DO NOT write your paper as a series of answers to these numbered questions. This assignment should follow the written assignment guidelines for the course. Be sure to include APA-formatted citations of the Web sites or other sources you used for your research.