Media Matters Fitting CSR in Arab corporate world

'CSR'. No it's not a new detective series set to disrupt your social life and turn you into an expert on a topic you had hitherto happily ignored. It's corporate social responsibility, one of the PR industry's buzz phrases.

It's a recognition that the relationship between an organisation and its stakeholders should not simply be predicated on a series of transactions 'I'll give you this and you'll give me that' but that there are a diverse and complex set of interactions between these groups that need to be accounted for.

If, for instance, you are running a major multinational corporation that employs thousands of people in a particular country or one that manufactures potentially dangerous material which could harm the local environment then it's very likely you will be aware of your responsibility as a corporate. If not this knowledge, one way or another, will eventually be visited upon you.

To critics CSR is a cloak that organisations put on and take off as it suits them, a means of making themselves more attractive without actually committing much, 'corporate flirting' perhaps.

A genuine CSR programme, however, can never be such since it requires that most difficult and demanding of qualities engagement.

To devise an effective CSR programme you've firstly got to ask a lot of questions and they've got to be the tough ones 'where are the big gaps

in our communication with our stakeholders whether they be customers, government or employees?', 'what do our critics say about us? Are these criticisms valid?'

These are questions that you ask of yourself but more importantly you have to practice the truth of the old saying that you were given two ears and one mouth for a reason.

When devising your CSR programme it's important that it's relevant little point perhaps in launching a scholarship for young ice hockey students in Saudi Arabia but also that it reflects the values of the organisation that's launching it.

So companies that have been founded in an entrepreneurial environment can appreciate why the provision of support and encouragement for young entrepreneurs is "a good thing". The final vital ingredient in any CSR programme is support from the top.

CSR, as a planned, sustained corporate activity, is still in its infancy in the Middle East though not surprisingly it has been the oil companies that have led the charge with a variety of programmes many of which are linked to environmental programmes. The multinational IT companies have imported (with modifications) or developed educational initiatives.

The relatively low PC usage and internet penetration among populations in the Arab world means that many governments fear their citizens will be marooned on the wrong side of the so-called 'digital divide'.

This could have devastating and far-reaching consequences for decades to come and the authorities in many countries have been quick to enter partnerships with multinational IT companies to equip their citizens with the necessary IT skills.

Looking at some of the issues that have emerged recently within the region workers rights, environmental concerns (particularly in relation to real

estate developments), transparency (a major issue in the financial sector), 'issues management' and 'crisis communications' are set to be growth businesses.

While there is debate on how CSR fits within the field of issues and crisis management it's clear that by conducting a thorough audit of your business values and practices, by engaging in an open discussion with your stakeholders and then devising and implementing a CSR policy you are in a much better position to face potential critics.

The alternative is to keep your fingers crossed.

- The writer is a regional client services director at Hill & Knowlton Middle East.