Marking the 100^th year since the organizations founding, Girl Scouts has declared 2012 the Year of the Girl. In an initiative that focuses on the future for girls, Texas Instruments recently partnered with Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas (GSNETX) to promote science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills to local Girl Scouts. Read the rest of this entry »

CEMEX has a rich history of improving the well-being of those it serves with efforts to pursue innovative industry solutions. In keeping with this legacy, CEMEX has under taken a global affordable housing initiative that helps provide quality concrete housing to low-income families in developing countries. Read the rest of this entry »

Corporations today are obliged to go beyond delivering business results. They should also improve the quality of life of their employees, their communities and society at large – and report out on this progress. This month Humana released its 2010-2011 corporate social responsibility (CSR) report. For the first time, Humana’s report follows the Global Reporting Initiative framework. And we became the only major health care insurer to do so. Here’s why disclosing environmental, social and governance data is important, now more than ever:

1. Trust in business remains low. The 2012 Trust Barometer that Edelman, the communications firm, develops annually revealed that public trust in business, government and NGOs shrank in 2011. What struck me, in particular, is that the 47 percent of the public who think business is doing what’s right tie their belief largely to “business competence, like delivering consistent financial returns.” However, societal behaviors – listening to customer needs, treating employees well, putting customers ahead of profits, and having ethical business practices – are ranked higher in importance for building future trust. Read the rest of this entry »

In reflecting on the theme of the 2012 International Corporate Citizenship Conference, Corporate Citizenship: Managing Many Environments, Katherine V. Smith, executive director of the Center for Corporate Citizenship, advised conference attendees that the business, social and economic environments will continue to present opportunities for rethinking the role of business in society. Read the rest of this entry »

David Jones, Global CEO of Havas and author of the best-selling new book, “Who Cares Wins: Why Good Business is Better Business” delivered an illuminating presentation at the 2012 International Corporate Citizenship Conference on evolutions in communication and their ramifications for business behavior. Read the rest of this entry »

How can we be more responsive to the economic, social, and environmental interests of consumers and society? How can we reconcile a profit-oriented model while achieving social impact? How do we cope with the major challenges that arise when we try to integrate social aspects into the corporate world?

These were some of the key questions posed by moderator Nikki Korn, principal of the Cause Consulting Group, during a breakout session on Innovation in Corporate Citizenship. Read the rest of this entry »

STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) related industries are expected to grow within the United States by as much as 17 percent in a span of 10 years. At the same time, the number of students graduating with a degree in STEM education is on a steady decline. In fact, the National Center for Education Statistics, reports that the percentage of students graduating from college with a degree in engineering is now at half its 1985 peak.

With the industry growing and the interest declining, the United States has a national crisis on its hands, asserted the panelists in this breakout session on STEM Education. Academia and government both carry responsibility for finding a solution to this problem. Yet it may be the corporate citizen who steps into the gap to avert disaster. Read the rest of this entry »

The Holy Grail of citizenship is that it becomes central to your brand and reputation, offered panelists from global consumer powerhouses The Walt Disney Company and Hilton Worldwide, in a session titled Managing Corporate Citizenship as an Essential Part of Reputation. Read the rest of this entry »