Social responsibility is the set of obligations that a person or a company has with respect to other individuals and the community as a whole.
Social responsibility is the obligation or responsibility that a member of society has with respect to other members or the group as a whole. This means that what a person does can have consequences , whether negative or positive, in the community, and that the subject must take responsibility for them .
It should be noted that responsibility is a moral commitment or duty that is linked to an action or a situation. Social , on the other hand, is that related to society (a community of people who share a culture).
Examples of social responsibility
Take the case of a singer who is idolized by young people. Even if it has never been proposed, the artist in question imposes beliefs and ways of acting that his fans adopt. That is why he has a social responsibility: if in his songs he promotes drug use or invites people to drop out of school, he will be promoting negative behavior in the community .
A journalist also has a high degree of social responsibility. With your work you can promote a trend that leads people to oppose a government and even ask the authorities to resign. If you refrain from doing certain things (for example, reporting an act of corruption that you know about), you may also violate your social responsibility.
Taking care of the planet is a social responsibility.
Beyond legislation
It is important to highlight that social responsibility is not linked to legislation .
Laws are mandatory for all citizens: anyone who does not comply is punished. Social responsibility, on the other hand, is associated with ethical and moral issues that do not necessarily constitute a crime .
Corporate social responsibility
In addition to all of the above, we cannot ignore the existence of what has been called corporate social responsibility (CSR). This, also known as corporate social responsibility (CSR) , is the commitment and contribution that companies have regarding improving the economic, social and environmental level of the environment that surrounds them.
Specifically, under that name what is expected is not only that they comply with the legally established obligations but also that they invest in society, in their sector, in human capital...
Benefits of CSR
What the implementation of measures and plans regarding social responsibility entails is that both the companies that implement and carry them out and the rest of society can enjoy various advantages. It is considered that among the most notable benefits the following can be found:
- It helps the creation and also the consolidation of stable employment.
- The participation of people who want and can work is encouraged.
- Promotes innovation.
- Waste is reduced to a minimum.
- Measures are being promoted and incorporated to preserve the environment.
- No less important is that the social responsibility of companies reflected through different actions results in the promotion of business culture.
- Facilitates positioning as a reference for the brand.
- It becomes a very important tool when it comes to reducing absenteeism .