Are You Socially Responsible?

What does that even mean anyway?   

Individual or Personal Social Responsibility, often referred to as ISR or PSR is a concept  as old as The Golden Rule - Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It's about recognizing how your behavior affects others, and holding yourself accountable for your actions. ISR expands on this by promoting a proactive stance towards positively influencing and affecting the people and environments outside your immediate circle. ISR is also at the root of Corporate Social Responsibility, or CSR, because a corporation is comprised of individuals and hence determines the social responsibility culture it creates. Individuals are becoming more socially responsible and, in response to this Corporations and Companies need to become more socially responsible to meet consumer demand.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) states that “In the wake of increasing globalization, we have become increasingly conscious not only of what we buy, but also how the goods and services we buy have been produced. Environmentally harmful production, child labor, dangerous working environments and other inhumane conditions are examples of issues being brought into the open. All companies and organizations aiming at long-term profitability and credibility are starting to realize that they must act in accordance with norms of right and wrong.”

According to a 2007 poll, when it comes to individual social responsibility, there are three types of people:

1. Two-thirds of U.S. adults have “Good Intentions” – they believe that social responsibility is a good idea, and they do what they can in terms of volunteering, but they do not sacrifice huge amounts of time or money.
2. At the top end of the spectrum, only 8 percent of U.S. adults “Practice What They Preach” and for this group, individual, as well as corporate, social responsibility is extremely important.
3. One-quarter of U.S. adults, however, follow a philosophy of “To Thine Own Self Be True” and, for this group, social responsibility has little consequence in their lives.

A socially responsible person will endeavor to have a positive effect on others and enrich their environment, as well as the larger community. They will strive to make a positive contribution, and will not pollute the atmosphere, both physically and metaphorically.

So, which type of person are you?  Be part of the 8% - help out or give to a cause you care about today.

“The impersonal hand of government can never replace the helping hand of a neighbor.”  - Hubert H. Humphrey