CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FACT OR FAD

Vantage Communications Ltd 2008 1 Corporate Social Responsibility, A reality or a Fad? Grace Achire, CEO, Vantage Communications Ltd, VP PRU 7/18/2008 Vantage Communications Ltd CSR Practices a Case of Uganda 2    Looked at as a PR opportunity, media relations, photo opportunity, in the print or electronic media Questionable commitment to true cause. Trends and fad, all corporate following the same sector:   Health: HIV, malaria for instance; Bill Gates, George Bush in Tz, Gordon Brown 1,000,000 mosquito nets, Pop Idols in Namibia, Fantasia giving out mosquito nets and MTN what is so peculiar Education:, a school library, computer equipment, school blocks et Vantage Communications Ltd 2008 7/18/2008 CSR practices cont. 3  MTN my client:  Supporting Malaria Consortium looking at eradicating Malaria  Supported Habitat for over 3 years building houses over 2000 families  Mama’s bag for Uganda Red Cross, to help in resettling displaced people in the North. Vantage Communications Ltd 2008 7/18/2008 PR Practitioners and CSR 4   Only interested in using PR to get media mileage? How many have genuinely been keen personally on CSR programs of their organization’s PR Superficial, scratching the surface Amount and attempts is reactive one off and not sustainable eg:      Clean the city campaign (URA), Zebra crossing painting, Build a school library; but who will provide the books Give out Mosquito nets, what about the children to be born next years? Vantage Communications Ltd 2008 7/18/2008 Why a FAD 5   Do You see value in the CSR idea Whose idea is it anyway?   Most time a ‘PR’ idea Top Management and the rest of the staff just do as part of the job?      Its what everyone so called responsible company of today is doing. What is Bill Gates giving out from; Excess!!!! Will he miss the 2 bn USD small change? Bible story of the old woman and her tithe of 2 dinar compared to the rich man! Social Entrepreneurship: Good African coffee; share 50-50% with community farmers of profit made Who is more socially responsible? Vantage Communications Ltd 2008 7/18/2008 A reality 6  1. Redefine PR:  Don’t wink in the PR is all about relationship building for mutual benefits to both parties    Responsibility? Do the right thing all the time Dark , Therefore; start from the individual to the corporate Individual beliefs rally support to the ideas among staff, members, board, and shareholders Develop it into a corporate culture define in the value system:   A core value system, the way we do things; eg prayers before meetings SMART Vantage Communications Ltd 2008  7/18/2008 Creativity 7  Let it be strategic,      Proactive Preventive Developmental ; building capacity ; long term Resource generating Sustainable; Give the poor a fishnet not a fish (Chinese saying); road effort by Commission, could we have looked at sustainability after handover?  Aspiration and Transformation to away of life, that with or without money you will still be involve in Faith; resulting into a new work ethic, let it be Responsible Vantage Communications Ltd 2008  7/18/2008 PESTLE: Guideline 8     Politically acceptable Economic Viable Socially Acceptable Technologically Friendly Legal- does not conflict with existing law of the community Environmental Concerns Vantage Communications Ltd 2008   7/18/2008 9 ASANTE SANA grace.achire@vantage.co.ug Vantage Communications Ltd 2008 7/18/2008