About CSR Asia
CSR Asia is a social enterprise* that strives to be the leading provider of information about Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the Asia-Pacific region. CSR Asia builds capacity in companies and their supply chains to promote awareness of CSR in order to advance sustainable development across the region.
The first CSR Asia office was opened in Hong Kong in 2004 by Richard Welford of the University of Hong Kong and Stephen Frost of the South East Asia Research Centre (SEARC) at the City University of Hong Kong. The Singapore office was opened in 2005 by Erin Lyon, formerly a lawyer with Freshfields.
Our Vision:
Promoting Corporate Social Responsibility in the Asia Pacific Region
Providing information about CSR issues as they emerge
Providing expert CSR knowledge to businesses and their stakeholders
Contributing to the sustainable development of the region
Incorporating Asian perspectives in the global CSR debate.
What the fuck are these bozo's talking about? "CSR" another useless buzzword/acronym added to the lexicon which means "more control, less freedom".
ReplyDeleteThe only "governance" a business needs is that of The Sovereign Consumer. He is impatient and disloyal — if you don't give him what he wants/needs/desires, he will piss off and spend his money with your competitor.
And one of thae "partners" of CSR (which has its roots in the UK government and the EU) is HP which fairs pretty poorly in the environmental record stakes.
The very reason comapnies can and do eject pollutants into the environment, which subsequently find their way into people's bodies is because these corporations are PROTECTED by governments. Sometimes it is crony capitalism, often it is a bunch of lobbyists "enticing" parliamentarians and congressmen and women to vote for protection.
Again it is the fault of The States because they've failed to protect the private property and individual RIGHTS of its citizens, by allowing their big business mates to pollute.
It is all about MONEY. I suspect CSR Asia is a veiled attempt to "regulate" Asian busineesess because western democracies are simply uncompetitive, and their high-taxing states have to fund huge welfare programs to support ageing populations. It's not about civil society or human rights or the environment. It is about "protecting" profligate "free world" lifestyles without the necessary productivity to back it up.
Just check the debt levels in most western democracies, and you get the picture. The USA, for e.g. has been technically BANKRUPT for years. Its big business interests like farming and steel are heavily protected because they are political hot potatoes — neither party wants to offend these protected industries and see hundreds of thousands lose their jobs. The US is a prime example of being blatantly protectionist, whilst their whirling dervishes in government chant "free market" mantras.
The only reason for a business to exist is for profit. And the way to make profits is to satisfy the customer by giving him his money's WORTH i.e. "value".
If all these "do-gooder" organisations targeted the real criminal — The State, maybe they'd accomplish something actually good for humanity.
But sadly no,in all cases it is "let's make the state a partner".
..and who comes last? The Sovereign Consumer.
Asian businesses would do well to give these folks from CSR Asia short shrift, and get on with the business of being inordinately profitable by giving excellent value to their customers.