Today I encountered the question: "Does it take more time, energy and money to report and track CSR initiatives then the impact they make?" I think the answer is no. CSR reports, if nothing else, bring some level of awareness to stakeholder groups.
It's difficult to quantify total impact in the short-term but seeds are being planted that will bear fruit over the long-term. Who cares that CSR reports are sometimes a marketing ploy. What matters is that businesses around the world are having these conversations. That's progress.
Companies can still currently enjoy hiding behind the static cloak of a CSR report. I think innovations in technology especially as it relates to hyper connectivity and communication will shatter old ideologies of business. Fast Company had an article today about creating shared value.
Say goodbye to yesterday's capitalists. Einstein's theory of special relativity suggests that "the perceived speed of objects depends on the observer's own motion. People ordinarily believe they aren't moving when they stand still, but astrophysicists know that they are moving-very fast, in fact." (p. 15).
It sometimes feels as if we are at a stand still because the entire system is being overhauled. But the good news is that we're moving faster than we think.
Sources:
Blascovich, J., & Bailenson, J. (2011). Infinite Reality. New York: W. Morrow.
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