NGO Expectations of CSR: In Business We Trust?

As Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) rises on the global agenda, a new Nordic Partnership survey looks at the opinions and expectations of this wave of CSR from the perspective of a select group of key Nordic NGOs.

The Nordic Partnership survey showed that Nordic NGOs increasingly see CSR as platform for partnerships with business. In their expectations of CSR, Nordic NGOs find accountability and policy development most important. Some NGOs felt that a mandatory framework for corporate accountability was necessary for making CSR worthwhile, while others felt that the voluntarism in conjunction with dialogue and partnership with other stakeholders, including governments and public authorities is a practical way of working together towards sustainable development.

The survey revealed a variety of methods to deal with CSR ranging from hard-line confrontational approaches to business to working in collaborative partnerships with all their inherent risks and benefits. However, the study also identified a shift in NGOs focus from how to influence the CSR agenda to how to add value to it, with practical recommendations for action for both business and NGOs.

The paper concludes that a broader multilateral approach, encompassing a range of environmental, social, consumer and development NGOs would focus the debate as interconnected issues could be dealt with through the same effort. Finally, training courses that address the current knowledge gaps of both business and NGOs would also help to explore how to make more efficient partnerships.

The quick assessment that took place between September and November 2004 aimed to explore if and how the CSR concept can be used to promote partnerships between NGOs and business by mapping areas of interest for future collaboration.