Embedding CSR
Context lunch - 16 May 2003

Our guests:
Alison Maitland - Financial Times
Mark Wade - Shell
Chris Tuppen - BT
Genevieve Kotta - Standard Chartered
Lorraine Young - Brambles
Deborah Allen - BAE SYSTEMS

If CSR is going to make a real difference to business it has to be fully embedded in the organisation.

"Fix or become fixed firmly and deeply in the surrounding mass" is the dictionary definition of embedding. It's unfortunate that "embedded" precedes the word "embellish", meaning to adorn, decorate, or add extra details - how the cynics regard CSR.

Guests discussed how to make CSR integral to everyday business, rather than a programme or initiative bolted on.

According to one guest you need to 'hardwire' and 'softwire' CSR. So far most of the progress has been made on hardwiring. These are the nuts and bolts of CSR: setting up the systems for collecting data, reporting, responding to SRI questionnaires and dealing with stakeholders. But, he pointed out, embedding won't happen without the 'softwiring' too. The challenge here is to make CSR second nature to everyone in the company.

The solution lies in changing hearts and minds. This can only be done slowly, building on the goodwill of employees and with the support of top management. A challenge indeed.

[Please make contact if you would like to join us for lunch].