What is CSR

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been defined as many things

lately. Simply put, it is the commitment of a business or company to
continuously upgrade its processes, systems, products and services by
behaving responsibly and creating value for local communities they operate
in, and by enabling its employees, existing and potential customers to
improve their standards of living.
Positive impact
CSR is also about transparency, saying no to and rooting out corruption, complying
to international human and labour rights laws, environmental and fair business
practices and regulations, as well as giving it back to the society in the form of
initiatives and projects that directly benefit and have a positive impact on the lives of
local communities and all stakeholders of a company.
Good for society and business
In recent years, major international and national businesses have realised that CSR
is good for society and good for business. Better understanding of the potential
benefits of CSR for the progress of individual companies and national economies
could encourage the spread of CSR, especially in developing countries that are in
desperate need of community and socioeconomic development programmes and
initiatives.
Hearts and minds
!rudent global and regional organisations use corporate contributions not only to
benefit their communities and helping themselves fulfill the role of a good corporate
citi"en, but also to help improve their profits. Businesses and companies that align
their growth with that of their employees, communities they operate in, as well as
their customers and consumers are destined to be more successful and profitable.
#hey achieve their business goals in a transparent and ethical manner by living in the
hearts and minds of their stakeholders and customers.
Competitive edge
$or ambitious businesses with regional and global e%pansion plans, the nature of
their reputation is a major factor in their ability to gain competitive edge over
e%isting and future competitors. International companies are seeking and developing
new markets in developing countries. &ffective CSR strategies could assist them in
establishing a positive identity with each of their key stakeholder groups, and
indirectly help e%pand and grow the business.
CSR in Pakistan
Philanthropy and corporate philanthropy have been in practice for decades in
Pakistan, but it is only recently that leading corporates have started moving towards
integrating CSR into their strategic business, as well as social and community
development strategies.
Limited Knowledge
'any businesses in !akistan still view CSR as mere philanthropy, charity, social or
community development work. (nly a handful of companies are signatory to the )*
+lobal Compact or comply with the ,- guiding principles for conducting business in a
responsible manner and becoming a socially responsible corporate citi"en. #hey lack
the knowledge and e%pertise to implement CSR programmes and consider doing so
as an added responsibility they believe they could do or live without or at least delay
until they are ready to fulfill it. 'ost businesses in !akistan give charity and make
donations for noble causes. #hey are faced with many challenges, especially
corruption, and are not able to conduct their business without paying bribes or
cutbacks to unscrupulous government officials and departments.
Immense Opportunities
*evertheless, !akistan offers a wide range of tangible opportunities for responsible
businesses seeking to make a difference in the lives of ordinary people through CSR
initiatives and programmes. #he une.ual distribution of wealth and lack of
employment opportunities in and outside major urban centres are taking their toll
and choking !akistani cities. #his is increasing pressure on the healthcare, education
and sanitation facilities in big cities, creating pollution and seriously challenging the
sustainability of resources. !akistan is the world/s si%th most populous country and
more than 0- per cent of its ,1- million people live in the rural areas. 2evelopment
of infrastructure and community improvement programmes in small towns and
villages could reduce migration to big cities, as well as bridge the widening gap
between standards of living of the urban and the rural population.
Need for Infrastructure
#here are several successful models of sustainable urban development in the
developed world that could be emulated and tailormade to suit the development
needs of !akistan/s rural and remote areas. #he poor infrastructure and lack of basic
amenities in rural areas is a major challenge, which was e%acerbated by the
devastating floods that hit a large part of the country in late 3uly 4-,- and left more
than two million people homeless. Rural areas account for more than 05 per cent of
the registered voters in !akistan. #hey could only produce better leadership to
represent them at the federal level if people are able to make informed decisions. If
they have security and protection of law, access to education, healthcare, water and
sanitation, roads and telecommunications facilities, as well as awareness about
individual and collective human rights and duties towards community and country.
Epanding !ar"et
Businesses working on developing a longterm presence in an e%panding market face
many challenges to sustain their operations and meet the rising demand for basic
goods and services. #he growth opportunities for doing responsible business
outnumber the odds in key sectors including energy, alternate energy, fast moving
consumer goods 6$'C+7, pharmaceuticals, te%tiles, sports goods, livestock and dairy
development, food chain business, banking, telecommunications, mining and
industrial manufacturing. +ood practice of CSR in !akistan could more than double
its e%ports to major international markets, as well as see the development of joint
ventures and strategic partnerships for the transfer of e%pertise and technology
between international and !akistani companies and businesses. #he opportunities are
immense, but the pace of their realisation is contingent on peace, security and
political stability in !akistan and its surrounding areas.
#elecom companies in !akistan are seen working towards the social improvements in
the society under their CSR activities.
#he popular ones from last year include8
#elenor 9huddar !akistan initiative for the persons with disabilities.
)fone Child :ealthcare Initiative which will revamp Children ;ard and
Children (!2 in major hospitals nationwide with the goal of making it more
hygienic and comfortable. )fone has started with a revamp of Children ;ard<(!2
at the $ederal +overnment Services :ospital, Islamabad commonly known as
!olyclinic.
;arid/s +I=& and *ational !olio Immuni"ation 2rive with Rotary Club.
Recently under the 9huddar !akistan, #elenor !akistan supported Special #alent
&%change !rogram 6S#&!7, :andicap International and other *+(s<2!(s to organi"e
the tournament.
>ast week 'obilink aimed to make !akistan ?!olio $ree@ by taking a novel initiative
that will help !olio Control Cell in tracking missed areas and children this year via an
S'Sbased service. #hrough this S'S service, 'obilink subscribers will be able to
report missed areas and children by te%ting !(>I( to 0A5B. #he !olio Control Cell will
then contact the concerned polio teams to take action to ensure that the respective
health authorities immuni"e the missed children in their localities.
#he latest is another 'obilink/s initiative to mark 4-,- as !ink
Cear for !akistan. #he !ink Ribbon is the symbol for breast cancer and 'obilink has
been actively promoting !ink Ribbon Breast Dwareness Campaign since 4--1 and in
last two years 'obilink has educated over 45- female employees about breast
cancer by regularly hosting !ink Ribbon Breast Cancer Dwareness Seminars in
'obilink offices across !akistan. #hey not only supported !ink Ribbon Campaign to
spread awareness among their female employees but they have gone e%tra mile by
promoting the Breast Dwareness Campaign to their customer base as well. &ach year
'obilink sends flyers to its customers inserted in their bills in hopes of spreading
breast cancer awareness to a much wider audience.
;e need more of the socially awareness responsibility and hope that companies keep
coming forward with more of such campaigns.
http://telecompk.net/2007/07/09/corporate-social-responsibility-in-pakistan-telecom-
sector/
#his post is based on an original post by Saad 9han at +reen E ;hite. Simply put,
corporate social responsibility is more than sponsoring concerts or donating for
worthy causes. It is active participation in longterm and sustainable development of
the society in which these companies do business. :ere/s more from S. 9han/s post8
Corporate social responsibility or CSR as it is fondly called is a relatively newer
concept in !akistani corporate sector. #he international market is adopting newer
and innovative ways to show that they care for the humanity. !akistani CSR scene
leaves much to be desired. I just went through this thoughtful article in which CSR in
!akistani corporate sector is discussed in ample details.
I think the concept of giving back to the community is developing in !akistan.
Corporate social responsibility is a little comple% issue. If a company sponsors a
sporting or performing arts event, it has short term effects. ;hereas lets say, if a
company launches a scheme aiming at poverty alleviation or educational
improvement, then that is definitely a better investment.
I/ll limit my discussion to I# sector. 'obilink/s efforts must be applauded in this
regard. #he 'obilink !C( scheme is working .uite well, thus providing employment
opportunities to so many people. #heir endeavor was lauded in a post on + E ;, as
it was a nice initiative. Recently *B! 9arobar has joined forces with 'obilink in
generating jobs for young !akistanis. #elenor has also launched their!C( offering in
cooperation with *ational Rural Support !rogram. 'ost of #elecom companies,
especially 'obile operators are also working in many other fields like donation to
hospitals, Schools etc which is commendable. It seems that they have accepted their
CSR.
Ds far as supporting the Sports and &ntertainment Industries of !akistan, I think all
the 'obile companies are up to the mark in these fields. #hese days you/ll notice that
most of the sporting or entertainment events are sponsored by some telecom giant
of !akistan. So lets hope that these trends will continue in future too. I am waiting
for the comments of our readers to enlighten us further about the CSR scene in
!akistan, especially within technology sector.
!obilin"
'obilink is not only !akistan/s largest provider of +lobal System for 'obile 6+S'7
services with over 41 million subscribers, it is also working proactively to create
socioeconomic development opportunities for a ma%imum number of people in the
country. Ds one of the largest and most successful subsidiaries within the Cairo
based (rascom +roup, a leading telecommunications and real estate conglomerate in
the 'iddle &ast E *orth Dfrica 6'&*D7 region, 'obilink has been providing +S'
services in !akistan for over a decade. Its corporate culture is built on the belief that
real business success is not just about profits measured in numbers, but also how
those numbers are achieved.
?(ur corporate strategy reflects our commitment to sustainable business practices
and balancing responsibility alongside growth and productivity. (ur CSR goes beyond
philanthropy and donations. ;e take into account the impact of our business
decisions on all stakeholders and on the environment. ;e try to understand what is
e%pected of us as a responsible corporation and then, where possible, to act on the
insight in the larger interest of the community we live in,@ says Rashid 9han,
!resident E Chief &%ecutive (fficer 6C&(7 of 'obilink.

#elenor
#elenor !akistan launched its mobile telecommunications services in 4--5 and is now
the second largest operator in the country. It is a whollyowned subsidiary of the
(slobased #elenor +roup, listed on the (slo Stock &%change. #he #elenor +roup
started out as a public company in *orway in ,155. #oday, it has more than ,0-
million mobile subscriptions through operations in ,F countries and a combined
workforce of about B-,--- people. Dside from being a leading global provider of
telecom services, #elenor has been at the forefront of CSR in each market it operates
in.
?;e believe in taking responsibility for our actions, in affecting change through
technology, and in helping communities help themselves. Dll our initiatives,
programmes, projects and business functions act responsibly, maintaining a balance
towards all stakeholders,@ says 3on &ddy Dbdullah, Chief &%ecutive (fficer 6C&(7 of
#elenor !akistan. 3on says that each industry should consider its challenges and
opportunities to best contribute to social and environmental objectives. CSR projects
make a bigger impact if they directly contribute to making a positive difference in the
lives of ordinary people.
http://www.csrpk.com/
http://telecompk.net/2010/02/23/telecom-companies-working-towards-social-
improvement-polio-physical/