Core company values essential to sustainable CSR

During her keynote address, Buckingham told delegates that the only way to ensure long term sustainable CSR strategies was to link them with the internal values of the company and its employees.

"CSR programmes can only be successful if they reflect the way you do business. It is your company values that will ultimately drive long term CSR strategies. The Body Shop was pioneered by Anita Roddick some thirty years ago and was at the time a pioneer of CSR, she did what she believed in," she said.

Kosta Petrov, Conference Manager, 4th CSR Summit, commented, "One of the most remarkable features of The Body Shop business model is the way that they have created an ambassadorial workforce, to the extent that their core values are even incorporated into their job descriptions. Employees are empowered, secure in the knowledge that they are working for a company that holds values close to their own."

Indeed it is through their workforce that The Body Shop has made such an impact, influencing their stakeholders both internally and externally. Throughout their network of retail outlets and in-home salespeople, it is these ambassadors that have conveyed the company's core CSR values to the local community and society at large.

Two recent campaigns highlighted the ethos of The Body Shop in the Middle East. 'Be Water Wise' a conservation initiative and 'Stop Violence in the Home' launched because in a research study up to 30 per cent of women globally would be subjected to some form of violence during their lifetime. Both campaigns had a global theme but were culturally aware, especially in the Middle East. This according to Buckingham is a key issue in a business world surrounded by negative images of globalisation.

"Through our own research we have found that our employees and our customers want very local campaigns that they can readily identify with. By collectively supporting 'local' initiatives through our stores around the world, we can produce global campaigns which deliver real local benefits."

Elsewhere on the summit agenda, Anna E. Roosevelt, VP Global Corporate Citizenship for The Boeing Company in the US clarified the philanthropic CSR model favoured by many American corporations. Typically corporate organisations in the United States, place an emphasis on financial donations to charity, something which has been copied by many businesses in the Middle East.

"The days of handing over a cheque and walking away are long gone. Philanthropy is still valid, but it's now more to do with how the money is going to be used and the tangible benefits to society," she said.

With the business case for a sustainable CSR model in the Middle East region gaining momentum, over 40 speakers from 17 different countries are featured on the summit programme.

Tomorrow, (Monday 25 June), the agenda will address other issues mirroring the key principles of CSR such as Contributing To The Community and Emphasising Global Warming And Climate Change And Their Impact On Business.
Amongst the impressive line-up of international and regional experts speaking tomorrow are, Mike Patrick, CSR Director, TNT Express UK; Ian Kiernan, Chairman And Founder - Clean Up Australia And Clean Up The World and Hamad Malik, Director Corporate Communications - LG Electronics Middle East.

In association with Shell Middle East, the event has also attracted premium sponsors with Microsoft-Gulf, Abu Dhabi-based Al Qudra Holding Company and internationally renowned Dow Chemical Company, confirming their support.