Defining corporate citizenship and social responsibility

Corporate citizenship or corporate social responsibility? Business ethics or transparency? Sustainable development or accountability? Which term is right?

These terms are often used interchangeably, and though at any time one may be more in vogue than the others, they all, in effect, address the same phenomenon.

Here at The Center, we define corporate citizenship as the business strategy that shapes the values underpinning a company’s mission and the choices made each day by its executives, managers and employees as they engage with society. We believe that three core principles define the essence of corporate citizenship, and that every company should apply them in a manner appropriate to its distinct needs: miminizing harm, maximizing benefit, and being accountable and responsive to stakeholders. (View The Center's complete definition of corporate citizenship.)

Perhaps more important than deciding which term is right is to look at how companies articulate their vision of their role in society. On this page we have gathered a number of corporate social responsibility statements from company web sites and literature. A review of these statements finds many similarities and common themes, but unique differences as well.

We invite you to share your definition on this page; you can do so by emailing it to ccc@bc.edu.

Abbott Laboratories
Global citizenship reflects how a company advances its business objectives, engages its stakeholders, implements its policies, applies its social investment and philanthropy, and exercises its influence to make productive contributions to society.

At Abbott, global citizenship also means thoughtfully balancing financial, environmental and social responsibilities with providing quality health care worldwide. Our programs include public education; environment, health and safety; and access to health care. These efforts reflect an engagement and partnership with stakeholders in the pursuit of sustainable solutions to challenges facing the global community.

AT&T
For AT&T, corporate citizenship means caring about the communities it is involved with, keeping the environment healthy, making AT&T a safe and rewarding place to work and behaving ethically in all its business dealings.
-2001-2002 Corporate Citizenship Report

Bristol Myers Squibb
Sustainability at Bristol-Myers Squibb means delivering on our mission to extend and enhance human life in a way that supports the capacity of future generations to meet their needs. We do this by focusing on the economic, social, and environmental impacts of our businesses and operations. Other common terms for this concept include corporate responsibility, global citizenship, and the triple bottom line.

Coca-Cola
Responsible corporate citizenship is at the heart of The Coca-Cola Promise, which is based on four core values - in the marketplace, the workplace, the environment and the community:

• MARKETPLACE: We will adhere to the highest ethical standards, knowing that the quality of our products, the integrity of our brands and the dedication of our people build trust and strengthen relationships. We will serve the people who enjoy our brands through innovation, superb customer service, and respect for the unique customs and cultures in the communities where we do business.
• WORKPLACE: We will treat each other with dignity, fairness and respect. We will foster an inclusive environment that encourages all employees to develop and perform to their fullest potential, consistent with a commitment to human rights in our workplace. The Coca-Cola workplace will be a place where everyone's ideas and contributions are valued, and where responsibility and accountability are encouraged and rewarded.
• ENVIRONMENT: We will conduct our business in ways that protect and preserve the environment. We will integrate principles of environmental stewardship and sustainable development into our business decisions and processes.
• COMMUNITY: We will contribute our time, expertise and resources to help develop sustainable communities in partnership with local leaders. We will seek to improve the quality of life through locally-relevant initiatives wherever we do business.

DHL
DHL takes its definition of Corporate Citizenship from the World Economic Forum: Corporate citizenship is about the contribution a company makes to society through its core business activities, its social investment and philanthropy programs, and its engagement in public policy. The manner in which a company manages its economic, social and environmental relationships, and the way it engages with its stakeholders (such as shareholders, employees, customers, business partners, governments and communities), has an impact on the company's long-term success.

Diageo
Being a good corporate citizen involves all the ways in which our business and products interact with society and the natural world, and encompasses the balance between acting responsibly and the right to trade freely. It includes ethics, governance, relations with employees, customers, consumers and suppliers, communities, health and safety, and the environment.

Dow Chemical Company
At The Dow Chemical Company, corporate citizenship is a critical component of "Setting the Standard for Sustainability." It means we are focused on local citizenship, sustainable innovations, and global footprint reduction. It means contributing to community success, fostering a diverse and engaged workforce, and being transparent, accountable and responsive to stakeholders. It is the spirit and passion of our employees - the Human Element - living our corporate values of Integrity and Respect for People every day. It is over 100 years of Dow people and others working together to apply science and innovation to improve the human condition. 

Our desire is to have corporate citizenship inherent in everything we do as a global corporation, directly supporting our vision of being the largest, most profitable, and most respected chemical company in the world.

ExxonMobil
The demands placed by society on energy companies today are ever changing. What is undeniable is that the demand for energy is growing, not shrinking. As a responsible energy company, we believe that good citizenship means helping meet that growth in demand in an economically, environmentally and socially responsible manner.

HP
In the course of doing business, corporations have an impact on a wide spectrum of people, in a variety of social arenas, all over the world. With that comes an enormous responsibility: to ensure our activities and behaviors are conducted with utmost integrity in every one of these arenas. As a leader in social responsibility, HP is building on decades of uncompromised ethical business practices and values-based governance to reinforce our commitments to customers, employees, suppliers, partners and communities. In this way, as our company grows in size and complexity, we can continue to lead our industry and others in shaping the impact of the corporation as a constructive force in an ever-changing world.

Nokia
Our challenge in corporate responsibility is to respond to stakeholder expectations regarding the impact of our business on society. Our strategy is to translate stakeholder expectations into business value, to integrate specific programs into our everyday operations throughout the organization, to measure progress and to improve our accountability through accurate and open communications with key stakeholders. Our aim is to be among the best in corporate responsibility as defined by performance and benchmarking in individual programs, employee satisfaction and external reputation.

Pfizer
What is Corporate Citizenship? Citizenship defines our role in local and global communities and how we strive to conduct business responsibly in a changing world. Being a good corporate citizen includes listening to, understanding, and responding to our stakeholders about their needs regarding Pfizer's policies and operations. Stakeholders are people or groups who affect, or are affected by, Pfizer's business activities. Our relationship with them is at the heart of our citizenship because they define what it means for Pfizer to create value. They are the ones who will determine when Pfizer fulfills its mission to become the world's most valued company to stakeholders.

Proctor and Gamble
P&G's vision is to link business opportunity with corporate responsibility to create a concept we call “corporate social opportunity.” We believe that we can build our businesses while contributing our part to help address some of the toughest global health and social issues.

Sustainable development is a simple idea – ensuring a better quality of life for everyone, now and for generations to come. P&G embraces sustainable development as a potential business opportunity, as well as a corporate responsibility. Through our activities we contribute to the economic and social wellbeing of a range of other stakeholders, including employees, shareholders, communities in which we operate, and more widely, to regional, national, and international development. In summary, P&G contributes to sustainable development through both what we do and how we do it.
-2004 Sustainability Report

Texas Instruments
Beyond the bottom line, the worth of a corporation is reflected in its impact in the community. At TI, our philosophy is simple and dates back to our founding fathers. Giving back to the communities where we operate makes them better places to live and work, in turn making them better places to do business. TI takes its commitment seriously and actively participates in community involvement through three ways - philanthropy, civic leadership and public policy and grass roots efforts.

Unocal
Unocal understands that corporate responsibility programs, appropriately conceived and implemented, create real social value and contribute to mutually beneficial relations between our company and our communities. Effective corporate responsibility involves transferring knowledge and skills to our host communities, providing a range of opportunities for employees, and engaging with stakeholders to promote sustainable social and economic growth and respect for human rights.

Whirlpool
At Whirlpool we strongly believe in the principles of Corporate Responsibility - of achieving success in ways that honor ethical values and respect people, communities and the natural environment. Equal to protecting the health and safety of our employees, we consider environmental stewardship among our most important business responsibilities. This belief is only reinforced as our operations extend to virtually every corner of the globe.

Actions to protect our employees and preserve the environment for those who follow are based on more than a moral impulse; initiatives such as these help ensure the short-and long-term viability of our company.  Working in harmony with the environment and supporting those in our communities that need support provides our stakeholders with a real sense of Whirlpool's values.  We operate globally in ways that honor our values and respect the people, communities, and natural environment in which we work and live.  With over 90 years of operating businesses in community settings, Whirlpool knows the importance of backing words with responsible actions that support our stakeholders.