Business is about more than just making a profit. Climate change, economic inequality, and other global challenges that impact communities worldwide have compelled companies to be purpose-driven and contribute to the greater good.
In a recent study by Deloitte, 93 percent of business leaders said they believe companies aren't just employers, but stewards of society. In addition, 95 percent reported they plan to take a stronger stance on large-scale issues in the coming years and devote significant resources to socially responsible initiatives. With more CEOs turning their focus to the long term, it’s important to consider what you can do in your career to make an impact.
Free E-Book: How to Be a Purpose-Driven, Global Business Professional
Access your free e-book today.
DOWNLOAD NOWWhat Is Corporate Social Responsibility?
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a business model in which for-profit companies seek ways to create social and environmental benefits while pursuing organizational goals, such as revenue growth and maximizing shareholder value.
Today’s organizations are implementing extensive corporate social responsibility programs, with many companies dedicating C-level executive roles and entire departments to social and environmental initiatives. These executives are commonly referred to as chief officers of corporate social responsibility or chief sustainability officers (CSO).
There are many types of corporate social responsibility, and CSR might look different for each organization, but the end goal is always the same: Do well by doing good. Companies that embrace corporate social responsibility aim to maintain profitability while supporting a larger purpose.
Rather than simply focusing on generating profit, or the bottom line, socially responsible companies are concerned with the triple bottom line, which considers the impact that business decisions have on profit, people, and the planet.
It’s no coincidence that some of today’s most profitable organizations are also socially responsible. Here are six successful examples of corporate social responsibility you can use to drive social change at your organization.
Check out our video on corporate social responsibility below, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more explainer content!
6 Corporate Social Responsibility Examples
1. Lego’s Commitment to Sustainability
As one of the most reputable companies in the world, Lego aims to not only help children develop through creative play but also foster a healthy planet.
Lego is the first, and only, toy company to be named a World Wildlife Fund Climate Savers Partner, marking its pledge to reduce its carbon impact. And its commitment to sustainability extends beyond its partnerships.
By 2030, the toymaker plans to use environmentally friendly materials to produce all of its core products and packaging—and it’s already taken key steps to achieve that goal.
Over 2013 and 2014, Lego shrunk its box sizes by 14 percent, saving approximately 7,000 tons of cardboard. Then, in 2018, the company introduced 150 botanical pieces made from sustainably sourced sugarcane—a break from the petroleum-based plastic typically used to produce the company’s signature building blocks. The company has also recently committed to removing all single-use plastic packaging from its materials by 2025, among other initiatives.
Along with these changes, the toymaker has committed to investing $164 million into its Sustainable Materials Center, where researchers are experimenting with bio-based materials that can be implemented into the production process.
Through these initiatives, Lego is well on its way to tackling pressing environmental challenges and furthering its mission to help build a more sustainable future.
Related: What Does "Sustainability" Mean in Business?
2. Salesforce’s 1-1-1 Philanthropic Model
Beyond being a leader in the technology space, cloud-based software giant Salesforce is a trailblazer in corporate philanthropy.
Since its outset, the company has championed its 1-1-1 philanthropic model, which involves giving one percent of product, one percent of equity, and one percent of employees’ time to communities and the nonprofit sector.
To date, Salesforce employees have logged more than 5 million volunteer hours. Not only that, the company has awarded upwards of $406 million in grants and donated to more than 40,000 nonprofit organizations and educational institutions.
In addition, through its work with San Francisco Unified and Oakland Unified School Districts, Salesforce has helped reduce algebra repeat rates and contributed to a high percentage of students receiving A’s or B’s in computer science classes.
As the company’s revenue grows, Salesforce stands as a prime example of the idea that profit-making and social impact initiatives don’t have to be at odds with one another.
3. Ben & Jerry’s Social Mission
At Ben & Jerry’s, positively impacting society is just as important as producing premium ice cream.
In 2012, the company became a certified B Corporation—a business that balances purpose and profit by meeting the highest standards of social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability.
As part of its overarching commitment to leading with progressive values, the ice cream maker established the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation in 1985, an organization dedicated to supporting grassroots movements that drive social change.
Each year, the foundation awards approximately $2.5 million in grants to organizations in Vermont and across the United States. Grant recipients have included the United Workers Association, a human rights group striving to end poverty, and the Clean Air Coalition, an environmental health and justice organization based in New York.
The foundation’s work earned it a National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy Award in 2014, and it continues to sponsor efforts to find solutions to systemic problems at both local and national levels.
Related: How to Create Social Change: 4 Business Strategies
4. Levi Strauss’s Social Impact
In addition to being one of the most successful fashion brands in history, Levi’s is also one of the first to push for a more ethical and sustainable supply chain.
In 1991, the brand created its Terms of Engagement, which established its global code of conduct regarding its supply chain and set standards for workers’ rights, a safe work environment, and an environmentally friendly production process.
To maintain its commitment in a changing world, Levi’s regularly updates its Terms of Engagement. In 2011, on the 20th anniversary of its code of conduct, Levi’s announced its Worker Well-being initiative to implement further programs focused on the health and well-being of supply chain workers.
Since 2011, the Worker Well-being initiative has been expanded to 12 countries, benefitting more than 100,000 workers. In 2016, the brand scaled up the initiative, vowing to expand the program to more than 300,000 workers and produce more than 80 percent of its product in Worker Well-being factories by 2025.
For its continued efforts to maintain the well-being of its people and the environment, Levi’s was named one of Engage for Good’s 2020 Golden Halo Award winners, the highest honor reserved for socially responsible companies.
5. Starbucks’s Commitment to Ethical Sourcing
Starbucks launched its first corporate social responsibility report in 2002 with the goal of becoming as well-known for its CSR initiatives as for its products. One of the ways the brand has fulfilled this goal is through ethical sourcing.
In 2015, Starbucks verified that 99 percent of its coffee supply chain is ethically sourced, and it seeks to boost that figure to 100 percent through continued efforts and partnerships with local coffee farmers and organizations.
The brand bases its approach on Coffee and Farmer Equity (CAFE) Practices, one of the coffee industry’s first set of ethical sourcing standards created in collaboration with Conservation International. CAFE assesses coffee farms against specific economic, social, and environmental standards, ensuring Starbucks can source its product while maintaining a positive social impact.
For its work, Starbucks was named one of the world’s most ethical companies in 2021 by Ethisphere.
6. New Belgium Brewing’s Sustainable Practices
New Belgium Brewing has always been a proponent of green initiatives. As early as 1999, it was one of the first breweries to use wind power to source 100 percent of its electricity, significantly reducing its operational carbon footprint.
In Harvard Business School Online’s Business and Climate Change course, Katie Wallace, New Belgium Brewing's chief environmental, social, and governance (ESG) officer, elaborates on the company’s sustainable practices.
"We have biogas here that we capture from our process water treatment plant," Wallace says in the course. "We make electricity with it. When we installed our solar panels on the Colorado packaging hall, it was the largest privately owned solar array at that time in Colorado. And today, we have many other sources of renewable electricity and have invested quite a bit in efficiencies."
New Belgium Brewing also turns outward in its sustainability practices by actively engaging with suppliers, customers, and competitors to promote broader environmental change. These efforts range from encouraging the use of renewable resources in supply chains to participating in policy-making discussions that foster industry-wide sustainability. For example, it co-founded the Glass Recycling Coalition to improve recycling nationwide after recognizing sustainability concerns in the bottling industry.
New Belgium's commitment to corporate social responsibility is an ongoing process, though. The brewery continues to set ambitious targets for reducing waste, conserving water, and supporting renewable energy projects to build a more sustainable future.
The Value of Being Socially Responsible
As these firms demonstrate, a deep and abiding commitment to corporate social responsibility can pay dividends. By learning from these initiatives and taking a values-driven approach to business, you can help your organization thrive and grow, even as it confronts global challenges.
Corporate social responsibility is critical for businesses today. It enables organizations to contribute to society while also achieving operational goals. By prioritizing social responsibility, you can build trust with your stakeholders and leave a positive impact.
Do you want to understand how to combine purpose and profit and more effectively tackle global challenges? Explore our online business in society courses, including Sustainable Business Strategy and Business and Climate Change, to learn more about how business can be a catalyst for system-level change.
This post was updated on May 30, 2024. It was originally published on June 6, 2019.
