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Rabbi Hillel, a famous Jewish religious leader and a contemporary of Jesus Christ, was once challenged by a Gentile who asked him to recite the Torah while standing on one foot. Rabbi Hillel calmly said, “That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. This is the whole truth of Torah; the rest is all commentary, now go and learn it.” This is also the essence of social responsibility. Organizations and people should behave ethically and be sensitive towards cultural, economic, social, and environmental issues. In the modern world this is the definition of social responsibility. When governments, organizations, and people strive to be socially responsible it has a positive impact on society and improves business environment. Social responsibility of business: Businesses engaged in the production of goods need to be conscious about the social environments they operate in. Today consumers not only buy goods and services, but are also concerned how they are produced. With globalization and increased connectivity news travels faster, and organizations cannot afford the negative publicity when reports of environmental destruction, child labor, and dangerous working conditions get highlighted and transmitted throughout the world. Social responsibility of business is not possible without individual social responsibility. Rabbi Hillel described what individual social responsibility is 2000 years ago. Since businesses are run by individuals, lack of individual social responsibility (ISR) leads to absence of corporate social responsibility. An organization is said to follow Social responsibility of business when it realizes and acts in accordance with societal norms of right and wrong. Social responsibility in business: A business is a distinct entity and as a responsible corporate citizen it has to operate sustainably and offer responsible products. It should not only produce and offer green products, but also show consumers how they can reduce their carbon footprint. Organizations that invest in R &D so that their consumers can reduce their carbon footprint are good examples of social responsibility in business. For example a detergent company could invest in research and development of greener products that take less energy to produce. At the same time the company could also educate their customers how to wash clothes with less detergent and less electricity. The Social responsibility of business is the business of all individuals within a society. No one is exempt from it if we are to protect this planet we all call home! About the Author CSRHub is one of the world's largest and most comprehensive databases of CSR and sustainability related information. For more information visit www.csrhub.com
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