Guide on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
                     GUIDE ON CORPORATE 
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY 
(CSR)
INTRODUCTION
Businesses must play an 
integral part in shaping what 
happens next. From their 
environmental impact, to their 
work within local communities, 
to who’s involved in their 
decision making, any business 
model should be examined to 
identify where and how 
sustainability efforts could be 
supported.
Source: online.york.ac.uk
WHAT IS 
CORPORATE 
SOCIAL 
RESPONSIBILITY?
Corporate social responsibility 
(CSR) is the idea that a 
business has a responsibility to 
the wider world. 
Source: online.york.ac.uk
INTEGRATE SOCIAL 
AND 
ENVIRONMENTAL 
CONCERNS 
It’s a management concept 
whereby companies integrate 
social and environmental 
concerns in both their business 
operations and their 
interactions with stakeholders, 
offering a way for companies to 
achieve a balance of 
environmental, philanthropic, 
ethical and economic practices.
Source: online.york.ac.uk
CSR ISSUES 
CSR issues are wide ranging. 
They include environmental 
management, human rights, 
eco-efficiency, responsible 
sourcing and production, 
diversity and inclusion, labour 
standards and working 
conditions, social equity, 
stakeholder engagement, 
employee and community 
relations, governance, and anti-
corruption policies.
Source: online.york.ac.uk
WHY IS CSR 
IMPORTANT TO 
BUSINESSES?
CSR is integral to the 
development of a more 
sustainable future. The better 
question for stakeholders 
wondering whether they can 
afford to spend time and energy 
implementing CSR strategies, is 
whether they can afford not to.
Source: online.york.ac.uk
STATISTICS
According to Impact, a leading social 
value measurement platform, CSR is 
good for business. They note that:
• 77% of consumers are more likely to 
use companies that are committed to 
making the world a better place
•  49% of consumers assume that 
companies who don’t speak on social 
issues don’t care
• 25% of consumers and 22% of 
investors cite a “zero tolerance” policy 
toward companies that embrace 
questionable ethical practices
Source: online.york.ac.uk
HOW CAN A 
BUSINESS 
DEMONSTRATE 
CSR?
In addition to supporting 
businesses to aim for the 
prescribed United Nations 
Sustainable Development 
Goals, it asks them to adhere to 
ten Principles. 
Source: online.york.ac.uk
THE BENEFITS OF 
CSR
CSR programmes can be a 
powerful marketing tool. They can 
help a business to position itself 
favorably in the eyes of 
consumers, regulators and 
investors, boosting brand 
reputation. 
By commanding respect in the 
marketplace and gaining 
competitive advantage, CSR can 
result in better financial 
performance.
Source: online.york.ac.uk
BOOST EMPLOYEE 
ENGAGEMENT 
CSR practices can boost 
employee engagement and 
satisfaction. Increasingly, 
people view their work as an 
extension of their own identities 
and convictions. When a brand 
invites them to share in its 
objectives, it can drive 
employee retention and attract 
quality candidates to roles.
Source: online.york.ac.uk
CONCLUSION
Companies are embracing 
social responsibility due to 
moral convictions as well as 
profit – and reaping the 
benefits. All these effects of 
CSR can help to ensure that a 
company remains profitable 
and sustainable in the long 
term.
Source: online.york.ac.uk