Do you know what Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is or do you know what practices your industry can carry out to adopt this concept?
CSR is gaining more and more importance in the strategic planning of companies, and influences several areas of the organization.
In this article you will see what Corporate Social Responsibility means and how it impacts your company’s performance in the market. Furthermore, we have gathered some actions that can be part of your CSR policy, from internal aspects of the industry, such as production, to relationships with suppliers and competitors.
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What is Corporate Social Responsibility?
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), although not a relatively new concept, has been gaining prominence in recent years among various market sectors.
The concept of CSR refers to the way an organization works to benefit all its stakeholders and ensure a sustainable growth. This should be done while respecting the ethics and organizational culture of the company.
According to Administration Institute Foundation, “Socially responsible organizations are those that rethink their current postures, behaviors and conduct and, in this way, structure themselves to put into practice attitudes that promote the well-being of those involved.”
Therefore, a company that wishes to develop Corporate Social Responsibility needs to maintain a continuous commitment to its values and the pursuit of sustainable development.
Having CSR in your industry means creating strategies, processes, and actions that involve the business as a whole: from people management to economic and environmental aspects.
Furthermore, companies should consider the long-term influence their activities may have on society and seek ways to minimize negative impacts or even eliminate them.
According to the matter of Globo portal, the RSC“it requires long-term strategies in relation to the company’s working environment and culture, entire supply chains, customer base, wider communities and the environment.”
Finally, those who seek to be aligned with CSR should also consider the other types of responsibility that an organization can exercise in society. The 3 pillars of Social Responsibility complement each other and should function in an integrated manner in business management:
- Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR);
- Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR);
- Environmental Social Responsibility (RSA).
Highlighted phrase: It is necessary to reinforce Social Responsibility in the corporate, business and environmental spheres.
Why should your textile industry adopt CSR?
You have certainly noticed the impact that management aligned with Corporate Social Responsibility can have on a company. But, do you know why this concept can be applied in your textile industry?
The first point to highlight is that CSR and other actions that reinforce the company’s Social Responsibility—whether in the corporate, business, or environmental scope—drive its organizational culture, reflecting the practice of the business values.
By understanding how your industry can exercise its Social Responsibility, bringing this analysis to the tactical and operational level, the industry’s results will begin to align with the company’s strategic plan.
It’s also essential to understand that the industry has a significant impact on the environment, and only responsible and conscious actions can minimize negative effects and find new, more sustainable production methods.
This leads us to the fact that consumer behavior has been changing over the years, and the market increasingly sees a growing concern regarding social issues and company positioning. Consumers have stopped buying based solely on product characteristics; now, Social Responsibility is already part of the purchasing decision.
Therefore, companies that adopt CSR also gain greater competitiveness in the market, increasing their chances of being among the leaders in the segment.
Good practices aligned with Corporate Social Responsibility
Now that we understand the importance of CSR for an organization, we can define some practices that your textile industry can include in its action plan to align with this concept.
The first step, if you haven’t already done so, is to create a Social Responsibility policy. This policy will serve to document which CSR strategies your industry wishes to plan and implement.
Additionally, it will be a record to make the company’s actions more transparent to all stakeholders, both internal and external audiences. Furthermore, the policy can serve as support for industry employees to understand its guidelines and act in alignment with the organization.
Create a Social Responsibility policy to document your company’s strategies.
Other points that can be part of your Corporate Social Responsibility:
Production management and care for employees
The machinery of a textile industry is one of the fundamental parts for maintaining production. But, old machines and defects can cause impacts on the environment, unproductivity and lack of safety for employees.
Therefore, modernizing industry equipment, using certified machines and seeking innovative solutions helps to reduce costs, as well as negative impacts on the environment, in addition to providing greater safety for all people involved in the production process.
Corporate Social Responsibility also includes providing opportunities to company employees and developing policies to ensure the resolution of problems and complaints. Being attentive to legal obligations and norms that guarantee workers’ rights needs to be a priority. .
Additionally, the industry should conduct responsible recruitment, focusing on inclusion and diversity.
Transparency in the relationship with the State
It is the organization’s responsibility to maintain a transparent relationship with the State, providing all necessary information to the government, complying with sector laws and regulations, and making correct payments of taxes and fiscal obligations.
This action contributes directly to the economic development of the sector, as well as the company’s credibility with its other stakeholders.
Maintaining good relationships with suppliers and competitors
The relationship between industry and supplier it must be beneficial to both parties. To achieve this, in addition to demanding advantages and competitive prices, the industry also needs to fulfill its responsibilities to maintain a partnership relationship with its suppliers.
Furthermore, it is necessary to ensure that competition with other market players remains ethical and healthy, respecting the values of each organization and contributing to the segment.
Social causes that contribute to the community
CSR also involves contributing to social causes that are part of the company’s policies and concerns, always seeking the development of the community and the economic scenario.
Minimizing environmental impact
A socially responsible textile industry must ensure that its means of production respect the environment and generate the least possible impact. Furthermore, planning and developing actions to reduce these impacts and eliminate waste from its processes are essential.
Once again, technology and innovation are indispensable to achieve this goal and make products more sustainable.
Does your industry already practice CSR?
So, what practices does your industry practice to become a socially responsible organization?
In this article we present the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility, its importance for textile industries, and some of the main practices that must be part of a socially responsible company.
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