Social responsibility
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Social responsibility is a doctrine that claims that an entity whether it is state, government, corporation, organization or individual has a responsibility to society. This responsibility can be "negative," in that it is a responsibility to refrain from acting, or it can be "positive," meaning a responsibility to act.
There is large inequality in the means and roles of different entities to fulfill their claimed responsibility. This would imply the different entities have different responsibilities. E.g. that states should ensure the civil rights of its citizens, that corporations should respect and encourage the human rights of its employees and that citizens abide with the written laws. But it also can be more than just that. Many NGOs mean that their role and the responsibility of their members as citizens is to help improve society by taking a proactive stance in their societal role. It can also imply that corporations have an implicit obligation to give back to society. See more under corporate social responsibility.
Contents |
[edit] Criticism of the doctrine of positive responsibility
Many, particularly libertarians, assert there is no "social responsibility" to do anything, but to refrain from doing. They argue that social responsibility only exists to the extent that an individual or business should not initiate physical force, threat of force, or fraud against another. In his famous article The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase Profits, Nobel economist Milton Friedman asserts that business has no social responsibility other than to increase profits and refrain from engaging in deception and fraud. He maintains that when business seeks to maximize profits it almost always incidentally does what is good for society. Friedman does not argue that business should not help the community but that it may indeed be in the long-run self-interest of a business to "devote resources to providing amenities to [the] community..." in order to "generate goodwill" and thereby increase profits.
Another famous Economist that writes and promotes the opposite view of Friedman's is Edward Freeman.
[edit] Some one liners on social responsibility
- The responsibility to profitably serve employees and customers in an ethical and lawful manner.
- An organization's obligation to maximize its positive impact and minimize its negative impact on society.
- The concern for the consequences of a person's or institution's acts as they might affect the interests of others, including the environment and involuntary customers.
- The concept that businesses should be actively concerned with the welfare of society at large.
- A business’s collective code of ethical behavior towards the environment, its customers, its employees, and its investors.
- Ethical obligations to customers, employees, and the general community
- The responsibility of a responsible agent who chooses to participate in a society and acquire the benefits thereof.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
Some groups of professionals have defined their own intrinsic social responsibilities. Here are some examples:
- csr-news.net
- Social Responsibility Summary
- Physicians for Social Responsibility
- interrupcion* - A community of organizations and individuals working together to promote social responsibility in all sectors of society.
- Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility
- Businesses for Social Responsibility
- Artists for Social Responsibility
- American Engineers for Social Responsibility
- Institute for Social Responsibility
- National Association of Socially Responsible Organizations
- International Business Leaders Forum - a not-for-profit organisation which promotes responsible business
