Evidence-Based Problem
According to research, corporate social responsibility (CSR) plays one of the most important roles in the arrangement of effective performance. As Maĉaitytė and Virbašiūtė (2018) note in their article, a recent scandal around one of the major actors in the automobile industry – Volkswagen – was associated with the issue of violating CSR. Not only does employees’ unethical behavior affect a company’s financial success but it may also lead to the fall of the organization’s reputation index (Maĉaitytė & Virbašiūtė, 2018). Out of all training performance gaps, the ones related to CSR are the most dangerous and frequently lead to scandals and much public attention.
MaĉaitytÄ— and VirbaÅ¡iÅ«tÄ— (2018) explain that the most typical outcomes of poor performance related to CSR factors include the loss of sales, the fall of stock prices, and the decrease in reputation. Therefore, it is highly important to analyze the potential causes of breaches in a firm’s CSR training methods to eliminate such problems in the company. Human resource development (HRD) is closely associated with CSR since the HRD department must create a straightforward model for its processes that would take into account CSR. Thus, to improve performance, several viable solutions might be offered.
Performance Improvement Solutions
The initial step in reaching performance improvement related to CSR is the understanding of the difference between merely talking about CSR and its implementation. As Fenwick (2014) remarks, it is necessary to create a set of principles that the company should adhere to and make this set known to each employee. Another effective solution is announcing the outcomes of an employee’s unethical behavior and explaining the accountability of workers in this respect.
At present, HRD needs to create and implement specific approaches to promote learning about CSR in companies (Fenwick, 2014). One more possible way of improving performance in this respect is arranging regular assessments of workplace conditions. When employees know that their schedule is flexible and their salary is secure, they do not feel like taking any unethical steps. Recently, there has been much discussion of the so-called “radical” CSR orientation, namely “global responsibility” (Fenwick, 2014, p. 168).
The best way of reaching an agreement concerning this discourse is letting employees know about the intricacy of environmental and social problems prevailing in the world (Fenwick, 2014). If Volkswagen had employed these solutions, it would not have faced the emission scandal and would not have experienced serious CSR issues.
Measuring Performance Improvement Outcomes
To make sure that all employees understand the need for adhering to CSR regulations, it is necessary to evaluate the outcomes of the solutions taken. The primary goal of such measures is to investigate the level of employees’ understanding of the company’s objectives. Each person working for the organization must know what its vision is and which things are considered as unacceptable.
The next step is performing surveys with the help of which employees will be able to express their opinions on the firm’s work processes. In such surveys, workers will also be able to note their apprehensions and describe any disagreements that they have noticed. One more way to measure the outcomes is to assess the current training sources and their effect on workers. The process of improving performance is not an easy or short-term one, but it is highly significant. Various examples from the world’s most famous companies signify that the process of improving performance should never be ceased.
References
Fenwick, T. J. (2014). Corporate social responsibility and HRD: Uneasy tensions and future directions. In N. E. Chalofsky, T. S. Rocco, & M. L. Morris (Eds.), Handbook of human resource development (pp. 164-179). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Maĉaitytė, I., & Virbašiūtė, G. (2018). Volkswagen emission scandal and corporate social responsibility – A case study. Business Ethics and Leadership, 2(1), 6-13.