Corporate social responsibility through the lens of Rolex

Introduction

With the growing hunger of an ever-growing population, companies are required to take on
key roles to satisfy the demands of the growing consumer base. However, many companies
fail to play this role, compromising the state of the environment and the world around us.
Companies contribute to the destruction of the environment in numerous ways including
the overuse of single-use plastics, poor waste management, use of harmful chemicals, and
more. As a consequence, we run into issues such as biodiversity loss, and climate change.
This is where corporate social responsibility (CSR) is implemented. CSR is defined as a self-
regulating business model that helps a company be socially accountable to itself, its
stakeholders, and the public (Fernando, 2022). When a company integrates CSR into its
practices, it is implied that the company is operating in methods that provide positive
contributions to society and the environment as opposed to the inverse. An example of a
company with a positive CSR reputation is Rolex, a global manufacturer of luxury watches
worn by wealthy individuals all over the world. We will explore the arguments surrounding
the legitimacy of CSR, using Rolex to solidify the argument for the legitimacy of CSR.

What is corporate social responsibility?

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a globalised concept, adopted internationally, highly

recognised, and promoted through global institutions such as the United Nations (UN). CSR
is the concept that companies should consider and take responsibility for the social and
environmental impacts of their business practices. CSR is heavily tied to sustainability as it
was created to halt and combat the harmful changes both social and environmental as a
result of business decisions. CSR has altered into a social purpose in recent years, with
companies adopting a wholesome mindset towards goals alongside their implementation of
sustainable practices.

What are examples of corporate social responsibility?

CSR strategies vary, ranging from pledges and business goals, or to certain extremes such as
the transformation of the way an entire business works. Businesses may set up donations or
enter sponsorship agreements to invest money and/or time into charities or pledges of their
choice. Operational initiatives may also be another form of CSR. Operational initiatives are
structured around achieving a certain goal that is directly related to a positive outcome in
social and environmental aspects. An example of an operational CSR initiative may be the
goal of reducing the carbon footprint.

Is CSR taking responsibility or a lie?

There have been many conflicting views on CSR, either for or against it. On one side, CSR is
supported as a means of business taking responsibility, with the opposing side viewing CSR
as a façade, arguing that is just a mere marketing tactic. 
Some argue that CSR is nonsensical. A prime example is Carlberg’s Towards Zero campaign.
One goal of the campaign is to reduce irresponsible drinking to “zero”. As this goal is already
a very aspiring one, it is also incredibly hard to achieve as it is very unlikely for the company
to have that much control over people’s drinking habits. In other words, this claim is
bullshit. With such an unlikely goal, it is clear why one may question the legitimacy of the
concept of corporate sustainability, seeing CSR as bullshit used to improve the image of the
company implementing it.

What is Rolex?

Rolex is a Swiss-based luxury watch manufacturer founded by Hans Wilsdorf in 1905,

becoming a highly recognised name, adorned as a signal of wealth by individuals all over the
world 

CSR through Rolex

On the other hand, one may argue for the legitimacy of CSR through the watch company:
Rolex, focusing on only the environmental aspect of the company’s CSR report. Rolex has
partnered up with Mission Blue, akin to its name is centralised around the ocean, more
importantly, protecting marine life. Mission Blue strives to create a global network of “Hope
Spots”. According to Mission Blue (2021) ‘Hope Spots are scattered across the oceans – from
Antarctic seas to atolls in the Pacific. On the globe, each pin represents a sanctuary vital to
the preservation of marine species. Anyone can nominate an area and the application
assessed by Mission Blue’s Hope Spot Council. With each year, more are added, lighting up
the world with the power of public support for ocean conservation.’ Mission Blue has
multiple initiatives in mind, with one, in particular, being “A Floating Rainforest”. In their
effort to create a global network of Hope Spots, Mission Blue, standing as a pillar of Rolex’s
Perpetual Planet initiative, brings light to the Sargasso Sea. The Sargasso Sea Alliance,
established by Mission Blue has been in charge of patrolling the area for the past decade,
acting as a steward for the Sargasso Sea, and making efforts to clean up pollution and debris
whilst conserving the ecosystems in the area. 

However, A Floating Rainforest is just one of the many initiatives included in Rolex’s
Perpetual Planet movement. Alongside the physical effort of Rolex to create a positive
change for the environment, the brand has also shown recognition of individuals who are in
the process of making great discoveries that could potentially benefit humanity as a whole.
Those individuals are awarded and acknowledged for their studies and contributions.
Through the Rolex Awards for Enterprise, individuals specialising in sciences, and the
environment are inspired and encouraged to achieve a better Earth.

Good and bad CSR

Through the example of the Carlsberg campaign, we can grasp an understanding of a bad
example of CSR. A major pillar in their Towards Zero campaign was their promise to reduce
irresponsible drinking to “Zero”. The implication of zero is very unclear as it is unknown
whether Carlsberg intends to reduce the number of irresponsible drinking globally, or
whether they intend to target a certain region or area. The claim itself is outrageous due to
its broad nature. Not only is it difficult to measure the exact number of people drinking
irresponsibly, but we are also gambling on the very little influence a company has on
people’s drinking habits. For Carlsberg to use this claim as a pillar shows consumers and
possible stakeholders how half-hearted the brand is about CSR, standing as a bad example
of CSR. Inversely, we can view CSR through Rolex as a positive example. Unlike the Carlsberg
group, Rolex delivers upon its claims, evident through its “A Floating Rainforest” campaign.
Rolex has identified the aims of A Floating Rainforest on its website, clarifying its mission to
viewers. Not only is their goal of creating a global network of “Hope Spots” a realistic goal,
but it is also one that can be measured and kept track of. The impact of Mission Blue is
evident through up-to-date pictures of the Sargasso Sea, showing the flourishing
ecosystem. 
Although CSR can be seen as a fraud (Carlsberg Towards Zero Campaign), there is evidence
of CSR being a working concept, seen through Rolex’s Perpetual Planet campaign. Under the
right hands, the concept of CSR can be brought to life and effectively used as a means of
corporate responsibility by companies. We can expect businesses that implement CSR into
their practices to take responsibility and deliver on their promises.

Mission Blue and the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals

Goal fourteen of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG) is to

“Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable
development”. As the ocean is an essential part of our world, making Earth inhabitable for
us, we would have to do our best efforts to look after it. Goal fourteen of the UNSDG is
centred around the ocean and looking after it, which intertwines with the “A Floating
Rainforest Campaign”. As the campaign focuses on maintaining and preserving the
biodiversity of the Sargasso Sea, the campaign’s values align with the values of goal fourteen
of the UNSDG. Both are surrounded by the ideology of life in the ocean. As the United
Nations (UN) recognise the vitality of the ocean to the survival of mankind, their goal is to
preserve the ocean, reducing the impact of pollution and ocean acidification as a result of
unsustainable business practices. As the “A Floating Rainforest” campaign is based around
preserving the biodiversity of the Sargasso Sea, goal fourteen and the campaign share the
concept of preserving biodiversity. Through the campaign, Rolex ultimately contributes to
the achievement of goal fourteen of the UNSDG.

Conclusion

As there are many views and opinions surrounding the concept of CSR, with some viewing
CSR as a lie made up by corporations to create an image of companies to be better than they
truly are, conversely, some may view the concept as a beacon of hope in the way businesses
operate, demonstrating that corporations can look after themselves and perform
responsible business practices. It is entirely possible for “CSR companies” to disappoint,
failing to deliver upon their promises, as evident through the case of the Carlsberg group’s
Towards Zero policy. However, we cannot simply allow the actions of one company to speak
for the rest, as seen through Rolex and its Perpetual Planet campaign. To summarise the
campaign, Rolex has shown interest in a better future, creating sustainability goals. Rolex has
partnered up with Mission Blue intending to create a network of areas with vast biodiversity
also known as “Hope Spots”. More notably, through its “A Floating Rainforest” campaign, we
are given a glimpse of what may occur when CSR companies set realistic aims, followed by
mindful solutions to achieve these aims. Rolex has not only proved that CSR can be
implemented into business practices, but they have also made significant commitments to
the environment and have given back to the community. CSR is very much a real way for
companies to pick up after themselves, and to prove that they can contribute to the
improvement of society and the environment.

My personal reflection

Through researching CSR, I have learnt new things, both good and bad, surrounding the
topic of CSR. On one hand, I understood how CSR may be a negative thing, whereas I also
learnt about how CSR may be applied to business practices in order for them to enhance
society and the environment. Although I had chosen the argument for CSR in which CSR
provides businesses with responsibility over their actions, I had also come to understand the
antagonist side of the argument in which CSR is a lie. I was also enlightened to the effort that
the watch brand Rolex puts into looking after ocean biodiversity. Overall, I’ve gained more
knowledge and have gained a positive stance on what CSR may be.
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