So far we have focused on ethical dilemmas in terms of risk. If a company acts unethically, it risks damaging its reputation and its\u00a0customers' trust\u2014worse, it can face lawsuits and criminal prosecution. In this section we'll discuss one\u00a0of the ways in which companies attempt to get out in\u00a0front of such risks by taking a\u00a0proactive stance on ethics, instead.\u00a0\u00a0As you saw with Tesla, companies that place\u00a0\"doing the right thing\" at the center of\u00a0their corporate mission and strategy often see\u00a0a competitive advantage. Increasingly, they're finding that good corporate citizenship not only benefits customers and communities but is good business, too.<\/p>\r\n
Corporate social responsibility\u00a0is the ethical behavior of a company\u00a0toward society. It\u00a0means acting\u00a0responsibly toward the stakeholders\u2014not just the shareholders\u2014who have a legitimate interest in the business.<\/p>\r\n
Shareholders own a portion or \"share\" of a business. Stakeholders do not own the business, but they have some stake or interest in it because they are affected by the business's strategies and tactics. \u00a0Examples of stakeholders are employees, suppliers, business partners, and the community in which the business operates.[footnote]http:\/\/www.wbcsd.org\/work-program\/business-role\/previous-work\/corporate-social-responsibility.aspx<\/a>[\/footnote]<\/p>\r\n Below are a few examples of businesses behaving ethically in ways that have a positive impact on their stakeholders.<\/p>\r\n\r\nXerox Supports Employee Volunteerism<\/h2>\r\nXerox is one of many companies that creates opportunities for its employees to contribute to their local communities. In 1974 Xerox launched\u00a0the\u00a0Xerox Community Involvement Program<\/a>, which\u00a0supports\u00a0employee involvement in\u00a0community-focused causes. Since that time more than half a million Xerox employees have participated in the program. In 2014, in a reporting on the impact of the program, Xerox announced spending\u00a0$1.3 million for\u00a013,000\u00a0of its employees to participate in 800 community projects. Xerox benefits from the program through community recognition, but also in supporting its employees make contributions that are important to them increasing their loyalty to their employer. [footnote]http:\/\/www.xerox.com\/corporate-citizenship\/2014\/community-involvement\/volunteer-programs\/enus.html<\/a>[\/footnote]\r\n
Anheuser-Busch\u00a0Wants Customers to Drink Responsibly<\/h2>\r\nIn January 2014, Anheuser-Busch ran a Super Bowl ad featuring a cute puppy and the famous Budweiser Clydesdale horses. The ad plays on romance and nostalgia to remind viewers of the brand's history (and to sell more beer). View the Budweiser Clydesdale 2014 Super Bowl commercial here<\/a>.\r\n\r\nIn September 2014, the company brought back the puppy, this time to promote\u00a0responsible drinking:\r\n\r\n