Debate on CSR related issues - Coursework Example

Debate on CSR Related Issues The CSR of Business is to Increase its Profits Businesses have Responsibilities Social responsibility is the duty to deal with or take care of something or somebody who in this case we shall consider as a society. Businesses are involved in the trade of goods and services. Different forma of business ownership include sole proprietorship (owned by a sole trade), partnerships (owned by two or more partners), cooperations (where the owners of the cooperation have limited liabilities and the business has separate legal entities from its owners) and limited liability cooperation that can be organized for profit or non – profit initiatives.

(Steven, 2003).The responsibilities of businesses are limited to making profits for the initiators or owners of the business. Profit earned from the business is a reward to the risk takers and is used either as income to the owner or it is used to improve their standard of living. The thoughts of businesses having a social responsibility are uncalled for since it is only people who have duties to perform or attend to. This can be loosely translated to mean that it is only people who have social responsibilities to look after.

Businesses are artificial persons and in this sense, may have artificial responsibilities that cannot be in any way linked to or associated with the owners of the business (The New York Times, 1970). Persons are responsible at individual level and not the business as a whole, therefore if one was to categorize responsibility in its measure; then it would have to be at individual level and not as cooperate or as a business entity.Business entities are established with goals and objectives and among the most common objective is to increase market share which directly translates to increased profits except for entities or organizations started with the aim of providing community services such as community hospitals and schools (Sullivan & Steven, 2007).

The primary responsibility of any cooperate institution to maximize the potential for the value of their product, and this translates into increased customer preference hence increased profits. The business entity will, therefore, have a primary responsibility of maximizing sales through different approaches such as advertising or packaging and these approaches will be aimed at increasing the profit margin.Social responsibilities on the other hand are initiatives related to employment creation, reducing or eliminating discrimination based on race, cultures, religion, ethnicity, among other factors and controlling environmental pollution (The New York Times, 1970).

Individual associates in business have each the responsibility of ensuring growth of business such that the business can participate in communal activities including employment creation, environmental conservation and ensuring equality and equity in day to day operations of the business. Social responsibilities in business can, therefore, be categorized as artificial responsibilities since they are carried out through individual/personal attachment to the business and not to the business itself (The New York Times, 1970).

It is, therefore, improper to associate business entities/organizations to social services/works since businesses carry out social works through employees. That is to say that it is through profits earned from investments that a business can be in a position to provide social services to people or to the surrounding area where it is located through its employees. The sole aim or target of business, therefore, is profit making. Many businesses are started with an aim of maximizing profits while at the same time reducing costs.

It is these profits gained from the operations of the business that can later be channeled into community services therefore making the business socially responsible.Some examples to cite on how companies take part in corporate social responsibility include the good work that Starbucks is doing. Starbuck provides the coffee farmer with farm inputs such s seeds and fertilizers to necessitate their production. They also engage in tree planting to keep the environment green. The company also has the feeding program for the unfortunate children in the society.

Another example is that of that Coca Cola in which they also take part in promoting sporting activities in the society. They also take part in tree planting to ensure the continuity of their business. McDonald also takes part in housing charities as well as controlling pollution through recycling some of the materials they use. Bibliography James, G., 2007. Its all Friedman’s doing” (reviewing Klein’s The Shock Doctrine. 2nd ed. New York: Wiley.Sullivan, A. & Steven, M. S., 2007. Principles of Economics.

New Jersey: Upper Saddle Rivers.The New York Times, 1970. Corporate Social Responsibility, New York: NYTM.