Taking what you get

I am no guru but I have spent a fair amount of time in my professional life talking to companies in India & Western Europe on issues of corporate responsibility, sustainability and their perception on what a company's role can & should be when it comes to engaging with the community in which they operate.

I've come across varying opinions; some inspiring, some practical & some appalling. One common thread across all these meetings & conversations has been the fact that the companies that are serious about sustainability have the right frameworks, talented & passionate people heading these initiatives and most importantly the complete backing of management & resources to carry out engagement programs.

The Tata Group & Godrej Industries made a huge impression on me very early on. As an 18 year old AIESEC member, one would hear stories of how Ratan Tata knew more about AIESEC than we ourselves did or how Adi Godrej's door was always open for AIESEC to meet for assistance or consultation. Usually, these stories rarely bear themselves out but 3 years later, meeting these two gents and seeing for myself repeatedly that the tales were actually true made me a believer that it was possible to be ethical, socially conscious, philantrophic & still do enough to keep your shareholders happy. Indeed the characteristics I just mentioned became as important to these shareholders as profit did. Astounding. This was my first interaction & exposure to how a company viewed the now threadbare acronym that is CSR.

Just as well because I always revert to those experiences when cynicism takes over in the present day. Having interacted with several companies recently its equally astounding to see the callousness with which engaging with the community is viewed. At best, engagement is sought but on terms that would be unacceptable in a commercial agreement; at worst it is a completely public relations driven effort, short term and without any overall strategic objective. I have always believed that engaging with the community in which any company operates should be one of the most important strategic goals. Creating an ethical & socially aware brand only leads to brighter people wanting to join or stay longer with the organization. This is the basic premise on which many of AIESEC's corporate partners work, which is why they are so successful in hiring & retaining AIESEC's brightest.

It will take many years before Corporate India & indeed global corporations reach this stage of thought and until then we'll just have to grin & bear it because the reality that money does grow on trees requires a leap of imagination we aren't yet ready to make.