Taking responsibility

Inevitably, at some point in our lives, we ask the philosophical questions: "Why are we here? What is our purpose?" We seek answers in many places, but a universal answer remains elusive. We each develop our own beliefs regarding the reason for our lives, and then live them accordingly.

Having a reason for our existence motivates us to follow certain paths and results in the world occasionally being graced by the likes of Mother Teresa whose purpose was to alleviate poverty and suffering in India.

To some, their purpose in life is to make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate. Radio presenter Jeremy Mansfield has been quoted as saying: "If you arrive on earth and do not make a difference, you do not have the right to be here."

Becoming a Mother Teresa or a Mahatma Gandhi is an impossibly tall order, but that does not absolve us from our duty to try to make a difference.

The same philosophy applies to the business world, and the introduction of corporate social investment as one of the arms of broad-based black economic empowerment gives every organisation the chance to make a real contribution.

Corporate social investment is a commitment to the communities that organisations serve, an endeavour to contribute towards the strengthening of the economy and society through initiatives that improve education and provide access to healthcare and HIV/AIDS programmes.

However, funds are not limitless and sometimes there may not be any funds at all. Therefore, contributions, whether they are financial or in kind, should be made wisely, targeted correctly, and designed to make a difference in people`s lives.

Adopting a school, and then supporting it throughout each year according to its most pressing needs, is a particularly good way of making a targeted contribution to the community and society. Business also benefits as the students that pass through that particular school enter the market with advantages many other children do not have.

No amount of advertising or public relations can build as positive a social image of a company as being associated with community development.

Rob Abraham, MD of Bytes Document Solution

Supplying a school with science and laboratory equipment provides the students with tools they can use to improve their learning. Sports and extramural equipment such as musical instruments address a different dimension of the children`s social development. Supplying books to the school library, building the school library, investing in the improvement of teacher qualifications, building sports fields, renovating and electrifying the school buildings, putting in working toilets; all of these lead to improvements in the studying conditions and the way children learn. This in turn filters into the community when the students go home, and into the economy when they begin to trickle into the business world.

Another well-targeted corporate social investment initiative is the support of sports development agencies where the focus is on training up-and-coming stars who lack the resources to succeed on their own. Through such investment, more than just the lives of a few are improved: success on the sports field can become nationally and internationally significant.

However, business would be short-sighted if altruism and philanthropy were the only order of the day. After all, business must survive and make a profit from which to contribute to the community.

Corporate social investment offers returns to businesses as well. One such return is pride on the part of employees in being associated with a company that is contributing to community development. This, in turn, enables the company to attract and retain committed, talented employees who boast about their place of work. It encourages staff loyalty and is a great morale-builder.

Another return is goodwill. No amount of advertising or public relations can build as positive a social image of a company as being associated with community development. This can prove to be a major competitive advantage for companies in terms of their corporate image and branding.

Corporate social investment should be about creating higher standards of living, while preserving the profitability of the company for its internal and external communities. A successful project sees a situation being turned around, lives being positively impacted. It may take years, but it is the end-goal being strived for.