The question 'Does Size Matter?' is usually asked in very different context. However, within the field of CSR, that very question is actually an incredibly relevant one.
There are two main reasons that size shouldn't enter your mind when devising a CSR strategy. These are as follows:
1) Intentions Not Consequences
Our Top Tip #2 was focussed on this exact point. When practicing CSR, it's far too easy to become obsessed the consequences of your time and efforts. As a business owner, you will want to see the effects of your CSR policy, you will want to see the positive effects on the community. Perhaps one of the most important things to understand is that you often can't see the effects of your CSR strategy. Often the true effects are undetectable. How can you notice and measure an increased sense of community spirit? How can you detect customer satisfaction and attribute that to your CSR? The fact that it's so difficult to measure these sorts of things means that your attention should shift away from the consequences of your actions, and more towards the intentions behind them.
When you focus on the intentions, the size of your business is suddenly irrelevant. A larger business doesn't in any way suggest more responsible or ethical intentions. Nor does it stop a smaller business from having similar intentions. When it comes to the intentions behind CSR, any business can excel, and that's an important thing to remember.
2) Proportions Not Absolutes
Another way to address the demotivation that small businesses may feel is to focus on proportions rather than absolutes. If you are attempting to measure and monitor your CSR progress, proportions are far more telling than looking at absolute values. This concept is covered more thoroughly in our 'Ultimate Beginners Guide To CSR', so check that out if you have time.
However, in this post let me share with you an example that explains this concept fully:
If a large paper merchant uses 10000 trees to create their products, and only replants 100, they have effectively replaced 1% of their usage. However, if a small paper merchant that uses 100 trees for its products replants 90, they have replaced 90% of their usage. Looking at absolute terms, the larger firm would be considered more socially responsible, but is that really the case? As I've frequently highlighted, true CSR is about recognising your impacts and working on reducing them, and so from that perspective the smaller firm is far more socially responsible. Whilst this is a very simplified example, the point still stands that CSR is more about what actions you make in relation to what resources you have, rather than the effects you have in absolute terms.
Conclusion
So if you're a small or medium business owner, don't feel demotivated. CSR is definitely still worth investing time and money in. It's also important to remember that small and Medium Sized businesses account for over 99% of all businesses in the UK and the US, so whilst you may not be able to take on the world single handed, if every small and medium sized business engaged in CSR, the world could be a very different place in no time.
Thanks for reading! If you found this article useful or interesting, please share on Facebook and Twitter to help spread the word about how CSR can help society. Also, feel free to leave a comment below and get the conversation started,
A main obstacle for small and Medium Sized Businesses when it comes to CSR is feeling that regardless of how socially responsible you aim to be, you simply don't have the resources to make any sizeable contribution to society. This can be incredibly demotivating, and can often lead to smaller companies choosing not to both with CSR in the first place. Whilst this is a natural feeling to have as a small business, this post intends to show you that in fact size is not as important as you may think, and that regardless of your business size, CSR is worth pursuing.
There are two main reasons that size shouldn't enter your mind when devising a CSR strategy. These are as follows:
1) Intentions Not Consequences
Our Top Tip #2 was focussed on this exact point. When practicing CSR, it's far too easy to become obsessed the consequences of your time and efforts. As a business owner, you will want to see the effects of your CSR policy, you will want to see the positive effects on the community. Perhaps one of the most important things to understand is that you often can't see the effects of your CSR strategy. Often the true effects are undetectable. How can you notice and measure an increased sense of community spirit? How can you detect customer satisfaction and attribute that to your CSR? The fact that it's so difficult to measure these sorts of things means that your attention should shift away from the consequences of your actions, and more towards the intentions behind them.
When you focus on the intentions, the size of your business is suddenly irrelevant. A larger business doesn't in any way suggest more responsible or ethical intentions. Nor does it stop a smaller business from having similar intentions. When it comes to the intentions behind CSR, any business can excel, and that's an important thing to remember.
2) Proportions Not Absolutes
Another way to address the demotivation that small businesses may feel is to focus on proportions rather than absolutes. If you are attempting to measure and monitor your CSR progress, proportions are far more telling than looking at absolute values. This concept is covered more thoroughly in our 'Ultimate Beginners Guide To CSR', so check that out if you have time.
However, in this post let me share with you an example that explains this concept fully:
If a large paper merchant uses 10000 trees to create their products, and only replants 100, they have effectively replaced 1% of their usage. However, if a small paper merchant that uses 100 trees for its products replants 90, they have replaced 90% of their usage. Looking at absolute terms, the larger firm would be considered more socially responsible, but is that really the case? As I've frequently highlighted, true CSR is about recognising your impacts and working on reducing them, and so from that perspective the smaller firm is far more socially responsible. Whilst this is a very simplified example, the point still stands that CSR is more about what actions you make in relation to what resources you have, rather than the effects you have in absolute terms.
Conclusion
So if you're a small or medium business owner, don't feel demotivated. CSR is definitely still worth investing time and money in. It's also important to remember that small and Medium Sized businesses account for over 99% of all businesses in the UK and the US, so whilst you may not be able to take on the world single handed, if every small and medium sized business engaged in CSR, the world could be a very different place in no time.
Thanks for reading! If you found this article useful or interesting, please share on Facebook and Twitter to help spread the word about how CSR can help society. Also, feel free to leave a comment below and get the conversation started,
This post first appeared on Sell No Evil | Corporate Social Responsibility, please read the originial post: here
