CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND SOCIAL WORK INTERCONNECTIONS

Abstract:

In this paper we aim to present the phenomenon of corporate social responsibility seen from the perspective of
social workers. In the first part, some relevant theoretical aspects regarding corporate social responsibility and social
work are presented, concepts such as social issues, economic inequality, social inequality, and the devaluation of the
concept of morality is explained. The paper also contains the results of a qualitative study which present the
perspective of social workers on the interdependence of corporate social responsibility and social work, a
connection which can lead to desirable actions for society.

Key words:

community development, corporate social responsibility, social work, social economy.

1. Introduction

In everyday life we encounter manifestations of moral principles devaluation, like: the lack of collective spirit,
the lack of common good, the lack of self-respect and of respect for others. In such a context, the organizations can
become models of desirable behaviours for society members. Individual social responsibility means understanding
as attitudes and behavioural manifestations how a person relates to the common good developing through
voluntary actions, selfless behaviour, morality, respect, integrity, but also liability for what they say and the actions
they take. On the other hand, corporate social responsibility represents the contribution that accompany should
make to the development of the society. This can be a pattern of balance for environment and humanity, because
the activities undertaken by organizations have serious impact on community and society. Thus, a win – win
situation is created, where the resulting benefits are at the level of both parts: the organization profits by a better
reputation/image of the brand, but also by a growth in financial performance (Hohnen, 2007); moreover, we can
aspire to normality, towards a better society, permissive and concerned about humanity problems and needs,
diversity and balanced between people

Being responsible means assuming control of one’s own actions. We believe that social responsibility can
promote a new type of collective mentality, helping to change the negative perception of different social categories
that are at risk, regardless of gender, religion, language, ethnicity or social status. Any person, irrespective of the
features listed above may face a crisis situation, so that person needs the support of those from the family system,
network of friends, community, and society. The social worker is an important agent who promotes diversity, is
tolerant in spirit and respects the rights, the social justice, the equal opportunities between humans, tolerant spirit
in a society is the social worker. Professionals working in the field of social work have the role of monitoring and
assisting families who are at risk, children in difficulty, single elders, and people with disabilities, valuing community
needs and so on (Buzducea, 2017). They are interested in social inclusion, personal development and managing their
clients` own resources. Likewise, the social worker acts as a mediator in the middle of the community, providing all
resources needed to solve the crisis. The respect for fundamental human rights is among the principles on which
corporate social responsibility is based. Therefore, social responsibility can promote elimination of discrimination,
prejudices and stereotypes towards different social groups who are at risk of marginalization. So, corporations can
become a favourable agent for developing a more active attention of society to community development and civic
activism
2. Corporate Social Responsibility – Theoretical Aspects

The concept of corporate social responsibility is in close connection with social development, sustainable
development and community development. Nowadays, corporations have the possibility to express their desire to
be part of social development process through programs sustained by the financial resources they have (Banc,
2016). Sustainable development concept suggests the idea of the future generations’ rights to a prosperous life,
inclusive, as well as “the right to life in general (species conservation and biodiversity, the right of animals to well-
being etc.) (Mărginean, 2007, p 9). Community development means using resources in a sustainable and progressive
manner. It is about giving a community the chance to play its role to use the resources, in order to satisfy their
current needs, without compromising the future socio-economic and cultural conditions of community (Roseland,
2000 apud Muthuri, Moon, & Idemudia, 2012, p. 15).

Sustainable development can be seen as a process of balance from the perspective of three requirements:

1. Ecological requirement refers to “living within the global biophysical transport capacity and maintaining
biodiversity”;

2. Social requirement has the role to ensure the development of democratic governance systems which can
efficiently spread and support the values that people want, and assume;

3. Economic requirement has the role to “ensure that the basic needs are satisfied globally”.

According to the United Nations, the concept of human community development defines “the process of
expanding opportunities through present and future generations who can fully demonstrate their choices in the
social, cultural and political field, human being themselves being at the centre of actions intended for development”
(Trompea,2009, p. 312).Community development is, thus, a multidimensional concept to which corporate social
action can contribute or it may undermine the creation and maintenance of the economic, ecological, human,
political and cultural capital of communities. In other words, this concept focuses on community evolution through
both institutions, NGOs, corporations etc., and direct involvement of citizens, who become more responsible,
treating seriously the existing problems, but also finding their own resources (Muthuri,Moon, & Idemudia, 2012, p.
15). “Only when a company is able to exert a high needed degree of control to ensure a good corporate governance,
can we expect to successfully practice corporate social responsibility, sustainable for the company and society
benefit (Urip, 2010, p. 7). Corporate social responsibility has come to companies’ attention because globalization has
created competition, so business stability can fluctuate or it may fall into the category of insolvency. This type of
responsibility should promote the relation between three elements, the economy, the environment and the people.
Whereas being interdependent, and sacrificing for one another may seem harmless in the short-term, it may prove
devastating in the long term. In the study conducted by Ganescu (2012, pp. 96-97), a careful selection of these
corporate social responsibility strategies could ensure the business sustainability through getting benefits for:

1. Organization (improving the image of the organization, gaining competitive advantage, increasing financial
performance);

2. Employees (increasing their motivation, reducing internal conflicts, eliminating unethical practices,
developing social solidarity);

3. Society (promoting social inclusion, improving cooperation with non-governmental organizations, state
institutions, customers, suppliers, competitors);

4. Environment (reducing the impact of economic activity on air, water, soil, reducing energy consumption,
promoting recycling). At present, the concept of responsibility for human well-being is found at four levels: “the
state, the domain of private companies, the family and the civil society”

The goal of social work is to develop, organize and provide quality social services for all people, groups and
communities with special needs, developing individual or collective intellectual capacities, increasing the quality of
life and promoting the principles of cohesion and social inclusion. Social problems are intensified by economic
inequality. The gap between the poor and the rich is likely to contribute to an emphasis on social problems. Also,
blending in “the private opulence with the public sector poverty creates social problems” (Orton &Rowlingson,
2006)

Through unequal economy, society is permanently involved in sources of conflict and tension between the rich and
the poor; cultural and religious differences always accentuate social relations that involve identity and alterity;
finally, the existence of people with disabilities and in general of those who do not fit within the framework of“
normality” brings to the foreground the relationship between dominant and excluded groups. Social work is a
mediator agent between society and excluded people. It is crossed by tensions of inclusion and exclusion, of alterity
and identity (Freynet, 1995, p.168apud Bocancea, 2003, p.71). Society is in constant change, and the social issues
become more diverse. In order to efficiently and qualitatively interfere in solving them, one of the strategies consists
in interdisciplinary collaboration between social work and corporate social responsibility. There are humans facing
vulnerabilities such as lack of financial, material resources, lack of family support, lack of professional and familial
achievement from a psychological point of view. All of these can lead to anxiety, depression, low self-esteem,
frustration, helplessness, regarding the geographical environment, social status, ethnicity, gender, language and so
on that people are part. Agabrian (2001, p. 468) believes that the most common attitude towards social issue sis
“indifference”. People pay attention to a problem when they feel a threat to their own well-being. Another
collective attitude is “passive acceptance of troubles”. A large number of human beings accept suffering and hunger
in peace and firmness. They think that “the best way to deal with a difficult problem is to go through it quietly,
without trying to solve the problem. Very often we encounter attitudes “which view social problems as divine
punishment”.

3. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Phenomenon in Romania

Corporate social responsibility is a relatively young phenomenon in Romania. The development of corporate social
responsibility around Europe has made Romanian business to adopt such programs, in order to fulfil the
requirements of the European Commission on Corporate social responsibility.

Some authors support the idea that in Romania social responsibility practices adopted in the external
environment are based on a philanthropic character, and the main motivation is to create prestige and increase the
visibility of companies on the market(Frecea, 2016) & Cmeciu, 2016), helping the disadvantaged(children, the elderly,
women).Multinational companies investing in Romania have provided the global strategies on CSR activities, but
Romanian organizations have adapted these global strategies to the local context. Zaharia and Grundey (2011)
consider that in Romania the projects from CSR area, are addressed to well-known issues, with a strong emotional
impact on the public: education (Procter & Gamble, OMV/Petrom), environment (OMV/Petrom), health. For themost
important players on the CSR market (live Vodafone, OMV/Petrom, Coca-Cola orP&G), CSR projects have become a
permanent concern and a platform for future cooperation.

Despite an increase in the strategic integration of CSR/SR into the basic practices of organizations, most
large or small companies seem to continue to base their CSR on sponsorships and punctual charity projects. CSR
decisions and activities of SMEs also appear to be based on ad-hoc decisions, not formally integrated into business
strategy (Anca, Aston, Stanciu, & Rusu, 2011). Increasing involvement in responsible business practices in Romania
involves, among other things, a joint effort of all stakeholders, a better dialogue between all actors and a more solid
understanding of the private environment, the impact of companies, the causes of social problems and the role of
each actor in reducing boundaries and threats and strengthening opportunities and motivation regarding the
development of the CSR domain.

Work of a large number of individuals and can, therefore, acquire dimensions that enable them to be
competitive in the production of goods and service offerings”. It represents a mechanism of active protection of
vulnerable persons with an optimal outcome in relation to social work solutions or “passive protection that can
deepen even more the existing social problems and, at the same time, can increase the feeling of social stigma.”
5. Research Methodology

In this paper we aim to present the phenomenon of corporate social responsibility seen from the perspective of
social workers, interpreting the significance given by them to the phenomenon. We have focused on motivations,
aspirations, personal experiences of professionals in social work, and on their vision of the link between social work
and corporate social responsibility. The present study aims to identify the common elements of social work and
corporate social responsibility that can lead to solving the social problems that society is confronted with; and also
to describe the relationship between the two areas from the perspective of professionals. The research is a
qualitative and descriptive one, because the relationship of interdependence between social work and social
responsibility has been described from the point of view of professionals in both fields. The method of data
collection we have used in the present research was the individual interview, with the semi-structured interview
technique. In this sense, an interview guide was developed. The interview guide for social workers has included the
following six discussion themes: the significance of the corporate social responsibility concept(what do you know
about this area) and personal interaction with the domain of corporate social responsibility. The sampling strategy is
the theoretical one. In a qualitative research such as that presented in this paper, the selection of investigative units
is made “according to the needs revealed by the ongoing research” (Scârneci, 2006, p. 104).

Thus, for the selection of interviewees we have established the following criteria:

• Social workers;

• From the non-profit (NGO) or state sector;

• Women and men;

• From urban and rural areas;

• From 25 to 60 years of age. During the sampling process, we also used the “snowball” method; we asked
respondents to recommend people with the above-mentioned characteristics. This is specific to qualitative research
and is based on the idea that people who are part of the same group or who have experienced similar experiences
know each other (Scârneci,2006, p. 104).The universe of research represents the population to which the research
refers, and in our case the population is represented by social workers.

The sample of this study is made out of ten persons, two males and eight females; five people (three females and
two males) work in the non-profit sector (NGOs) in the urban area; the other five (females) work in the public sector
in the urban area and one in the rural area. We applied the case-oriented analysis strategy to the data collected and
we coded the material using three procedures: open coding, axial coding and selective coding (Strauss& Corbin,
1990 )

6. Findings

Following the open encoding of interviews with social work specialists, the following categories regarding CSR have
emerged: definitions, superficial understanding of social issues by those working in the field of CSR, methods of
corporate interaction with the community, social workers’ interaction with CSR, the relationship between social
work and corporate social responsibility, and the vision of the social worker regarding the CSR specialist. Most of the
interviewed specialists in social work were familiar with the concept of corporate social responsibility. Among the
definitions of this concept, the following can be exemplified: “CSR is a way of interacting and returning some of their
welfare to society” (male, 38, NGO, urban); “Involves improving the socio-economic conditions of the community”
(woman, 37, public institution, rural); “Transforms economic agents into factors of social change” (woman, 43,
public institution, urban).At the same time, one of the social workers interviewed states that most of the people
who work in the Corporate Social Responsibility department emphasize profit and the shaping of a positive image of
the corporation in front of their clients. This social worker also claims that the CSR specialists have a low interest in
the problems that occur in the community where the corporation operates, demonstrating a superficial
understanding of social issues. How CSR specialists interact with the community depends on each corporation and
on the policies it promotes. Examples of activities mentioned by the respondents were: greening a protected area,
setting up a playground for children from a poor community, organizing information events, and voluntary
involvement of employees in associations. One of the respondents said that such projects take place over a short
period of time. Thus, in order for a project to have realistic and qualitative results, the interviewee considers that the
project period should be carried out in the medium or long term .Although most of the social workers interviewed
were familiar with the concept of corporate social responsibility, many of them did not interact with the field. Those
who had previous interactions have expressed their enthusiasm and gratitude for CSR initiatives because without
the involvement of corporations their projects would not have been achieved: “the project would not have taken
place without their financial involvement” (woman, 28 years old, NGO, urban); “It increased the visibility of my
project” (male, 42 years old, NGO, urban).The social workers interviewed believe that the link between social work
and corporate social responsibility is a fundamental element in solving social problems because combining
information leads to qualitative intervention but also to a normal society in which people’s rights, such as: the right
to education, the right to health, the right to housing, the right to be respected, and so on are respected.
“Cooperation, co-dependence, symbiosis” (woman, 37, public institution, rural);“Benefits of time and even money”
(male, 42 years old, NGO, urban); “Very important”(woman, 43 years, public institution, urban) were mentioned
among the characteristics of this relationship. A good relationship of collaboration between the two areas of
expertise can bring benefits to society as a whole, were mentioned among the characteristics of this relationship.
Also, social issues would diminish if we were not only interested in our own wishes, needs, the respondents sustain.
The mixture of theoretical information and good practice guides in social work and corporate social responsibility
can help CSR specialists understand why social workers need corporations to be able to implement community
development projects where state institutions do not have the capability to support them. People in the Corporate
Social Responsibility department can present to their manager and employees the importance they have in
implementing community development programs. In addition, some respondents believe that employees who are
volunteering in NGOs or occasionally participate in projects and events in partnership with NGOs will benefit from
the development of moral sense, civic spirit, tolerance, willingness to support vulnerable groups: “A greater
empathy and a sense of unity is created” (woman, 28,NGO, urban) At the same time, they develop the motivation to
come to work with pleasure, as the result of their work will be seen in the diminished social problems in the
community .According to the interviewees, a good specialist in corporate social responsibility should have general
marketing, social marketing and social work knowledge, in order to be able to generate and manage better social
projects, both for the image of the company and for diminishing social problems existing in the community where
the corporation operates: “there is a need for specialized personnel in the social field”(male, 38, NGO, urban); “I
think that a social worker is needed in a CSR department to select beneficiaries, identify needs and establish
intervention” (woman, 43, public institution, urban).The benefits that a CSR specialist with a specialization in the
field of Social Sciences ,mentioned by the respondents, would be: “the cases will be better managed; more
humanitarian initiatives are likely to be developed for vulnerable groups; a better understanding of the needs of the
beneficiaries“ (woman, 30, NGO, urban); “Would greatly facilitate the prospect of proper fundraising” (woman, 28,
NGO, urban).

7. Discussion and Conclusions

From the data we have collected and analysed, it emerges that social work and corporate social responsibility are
interdependent. Respondents said that in order to practice this kind of responsibility effectively, social workers are
needed. The link between social work and CSR is little addressed in the literature on these two professional areas.
Ross (2009) sustains that social work is a profession that stands for social justice and protection of human rights for
individuals, communities and societies. As such, it has an invaluable knowledge and skills set that can inform debates
and practice in the area of CSR. This author also underlines the importance of learning about environmental issues in
social work (Ross, 2012). Environmental Social Work provides an integrated theoretical and practical overview of
why and how social work might respond to environmental factors affecting the societies and people they work with
at international, national, local and individual levels. The social work profession and corporations that have CSR
goals believe in the same principle – it is everyone’s responsibility, both individuals and groups alike, to support and
help society. Because of this shared value, it is important for social workers to become active participants in the
corporate CSR decision-making process

We believe that in the field of corporate social responsibility it is beneficial to hire specialists trained in the
field of Social Sciences, because these professionals have the skills to diagnose community needs and find viable
solutions for qualitative intervention to successfully implement the project that the corporation proposes. On the
other hand, those who have been trained in the field of Social Sciences can be an important support for the
company's leadership in shaping corporate policies that are based on the idea of respecting human rights in relation
to employees. This leads to the exercise of professional attributions in a desirable way both towards the company
and the community. In the case of Corporate Social Responsibility departments that have specialists with initial
training in professional fields other than Social Sciences, the following alternative options can be implemented: CSR
specialists can follow in-service training courses in the social field or Corporate Social Responsibility Department can
sign a collaboration contract with a social worker who holds a certificate of free practice. Lorenz (2015) underlines
the same ideas that we support in this paper that it is important for social workers to think about CSR, the impact
that they make on non-profit or social service agencies and how to stay involved. Corporations are becoming more
involved in areas that social workers are traditionally responsible for. Social workers are already involved with
distressed populations and have the experience and understanding of what the needs in a community are and how
best to deliver the services to meet those needs. Therefore, corporations could benefit from having social workers
involved in their organization and as a part of their corporate structure. The social work profession shares the values
that CSR attempts to address, and therefore the relationship between the two disciplines is worth exploring.