Introduction
The United States is one of the countries that seem not to emphasize on corporate social responsibility (CSR). The American companies take long to issue reports on their corporate social responsibilities. The country does not have regulations that require all organizations to issue CSR reports.
Today, countries like Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Netherlands require their companies to give CSR reports, especially the environmental report (Cecil 43). This does not apply in the United States.
This paper will discuss how corporate social responsibility is considered in the United States. Additionally, the paper will discuss if the government and organizations participate in CSR and what the public think about corporate social responsibility.
How CSR is considered
The fact that there are no laws that require organizations to issue CSR reports in the United States is a clear indication that the country does not emphasize corporate social responsibility. Nevertheless, many stakeholders are now calling on their organizations to issue reports concerning their corporate social responsibilities.
Presently, many stakeholders consider corporate social responsibility as one of the business performance indicators (Cecil 44-47). A business that engages in corporate social responsibility is considered healthy.
Consequently, business owners and stakeholders are changing their perceptions towards corporate social responsibility. Unlike in the past when Americans considered CSR as “giving back to the community”, they now use CSR to measure the success and growth of various organizations.
The issue of environmental and energy conservation has become a major problem in many countries across the globe. This underlines the reason why many organizations issue environmental reports. The majority of organizations that issue corporate social responsibility reports in the United States are from the energy sector. In the reports, the companies explain the initiatives they take to conserve energy and the environment.
Therefore, many Americans view corporate social responsibility in terms of environmental and energy conservation (Cecil 50-52).
Organizations may engage in numerous projects that help the society, but appear not to engage in CSR if the projects do not help in environmental and energy conservation. This underlines the reasons why many American companies strive to contribute to projects aimed at conserving the environment and energy.
Government and companies’ participation
The United States government does not engage in corporate social responsibility. The government has not come up with regulations to compel organizations to issue annual reports concerning their corporate social responsibilities.
Individual states manage their destinies, which makes it hard for the federal government to engage in corporate social responsibility. Campbell, Craven and Shrives allege, “The federal government can provide guidelines and try to push through federal laws, but this is generally fought tooth and nail by states” (577).
Consequently, the federal government is unable to initiate corporate social responsibility projects due to resistance from individual states and limited financial resources. In many European countries, the citizens depend on the government when faced with challenges.
Hence, the government always comes up with projects to help the society to address its challenges. However, in the United States, people do not depend on the government (McKee par. 5). The Americans take the initiative to address their problems without depending on the government. Hence, the government becomes reluctant to engaging in corporate social responsibility.
In spite of many organizations not issuing CSR reports in the United States, they engage in CSR programs. Organizations have realized that the public gauge their success based on their participation in social programs.
Hence, many organizations have come up with CSR projects as a way to create a good rapport with the society. Additionally, stakeholders measure the growth and success of their organizations through CSR. Hence, many organizations are now engaging in corporate social responsibility as one of the growth indicators (McKee par. 7).
What Americans think about CSR
Campbell, Craven and Shrives allege, “When it comes to corporate social responsibility (CSR), consumers want more than aspirational mission statements” (558). Many Americans hold organizations accountable for their CSR projects and require the organizations to give accurate information about their CSR commitments.
Americans believe that organizations that engage in social corporate responsibility programs are trustworthy and reliable. Therefore, many Americans opt to do business with organizations that they are aware of their CSR engagements. Over 82 percent of the Americans claim that they trust organizations that share information concerning CSR activities and despise those that hide their CSR activities.
Additionally, many Americans agree that they prefer purchasing products that reflect the company’s corporate social responsibility initiatives. Campbell, Craven and Shrives allege that Americans consider corporate social responsibility as one of the social norms that govern organizations (559-563).
Consequently, organizations that issue CSR reports are seen to uphold social norms. Organizations that report their CSR initiatives have a good reputation in the public. Additionally, they make substantial sales as many Americans believe that the only way to reward such organizations is by purchasing their products.
Conclusion
The United States is among the countries that do not emphasize on corporate social responsibility. Lack of laws that require organizations to issue CSR reports indicates that the government does not engage in CSR.
Nevertheless, the demand by stakeholders and the public to know how organizations engage in CSR programs is leading to many organizations issuing CSR reports. The Americans believe that CSR is one of the organizational trustworthy and social ethics indicators.
Works Cited
Campbell, David, Barrie Craven and Philip Shrives. “Voluntary social reporting in three FTSE sectors: A comment on perception and legitimacy.” Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal 16.4 (2003): 558-581. Print.
Cecil, Lianna. “Corporate social responsibility reporting in the United States.” McNair Scholars Research Journal 1.1 (2008): 43-54. Print.
McKee, Steve. Corporate Social Responsibility: Distinction or Distraction? 2012. Web.