No business is an island! The role of business in society is on the agenda in many boardrooms, academic research programs and political programs.  Social and environmental concerns have become important issues to take into account in business strategy as it influences reputation, competiteveness, innovation and growth. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is often the topic on the agenda where the social and environmental issues are discussed. As discussed a few times in these Strategy Blogs,  it is positive that CSR is a topic on the business agenda, however we should realise that in fact CSR is integrated in all business decisions. The recent article ‘Creating Integrated Value: Beyond CSR and CSV to CIV‘ is a good example as it shows that creating integrated value goes beyond CSR and Corporate Shared Value (CSV).

The article concludes that “Words count, Actions matter” by referring to the fact that in traditional CSR and sustainability thinking many concepts are still peripheral boxes, but we should look for concepts that excite. Inspiration is perhaps a good term that can be added here. Companies can build a better reputation, be more competitive and innovative when they find the inspiration to go beyond the sometimes necessary checklists and procedures.

Norbert Bol

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