CSR Can Reduce Conflict

Experts today opined that coporate social responsibility (CSR) can reduce conflict and create a cordial environment in business and corporate sectors.

However, there is a misunderstanding among charity, philanthrophy and actual CSR, said Neeraj Nepali, director of Enterprise Initiatives at Environment Camps for Conservation Awareness (ECCA). "CSR is not a marketing tool, though it may benefit the company as added advantage,"

he added.

"CSR advocacy is necessary because with today's public debates concerning the environmental and social issues there is a need to educate the future business leaders how to run a business in a way that can contribute to sustainability development," Nepali said adding that CSR is about operating business in a manner that positively impacts all stakeholders beyond legal requirements.

"The array of CSR has been limited to some stakeholders and communities in most of the cases," said CSR expert at National Business Initiatives (NBI) Cathrin Froehlich. "Mere schemes of providing relief packages cannot be considered CSR. Instead, strategic planning and a continuous support of a corporate house in any social cause can be announced as socially responsible corporate."Coordinator of Socially Responsible Business Development Network Kumar Ale said CSR can solve labour problems and other business problems.