Press Release

For Further Information
Cheryl Kiser
kiserch@bc.edu
617/552-8948
617/552-4545

July 31, 2000

Organizations Band Together to Help Companies be Good Citizens

Chestnut Hill, Mass. -- When the Berlin Wall fell more than a decade ago, new markets opened up and private enterprise rushed in. Now big business has surpassed government in influence and power in nearly every part of the world, raising the public’s expectation that companies will behave responsibly and contribute to the overall well being of society.

"To the private sector, globalization presents both enormous opportunities and tremendous challenges. The competitive edge in this environment is a reputation for being a good corporate citizen – no small task in a global economy marked by shifting rules, political instability and weakened social structures," said Bradley K. Googins, executive director of the Boston College Center for Corporate Community Relations.

BC CCCR and four other leading organizations have joined together to form an online portal designed to help companies forge their corporate citizenship strategies in the new world economy. World CSR.com was conceived and created in the true spirit of corporate citizenship by the British telecommunications firm, BT. The portal, located at www.WorldCSR.com, provides access to the breadth and quality of corporate social responsibility work across the globe. This unique partnership is a one-stop shop where companies will find business-led advice.

"Survey after survey shows that many businesses want to put something back into the community but are unaware about how to kick-start the process," said BT’s Stephen Serpell. "Corporate social responsibility is about giving something back to the community but it is also about engaging business in what is ultimately a profitable exercise from which the community benefits. WorldCSR.com will bring together the best examples of CSR in the world and present clear guidelines for businesses to follow if they are considering a CSR program. This is the first time these organizations have joined together on common ground and BT is particularly proud that it initiated consultation between the founder members. We expect the practice of CSR to develop further as the portal encourages global dialogue, debate and cooperation."

Surveys also show that people worldwide want companies to contribute to society beyond making a profit. The Millennium Poll on Corporate Social Responsibility, for instance, found that six out of 10 of the 25,000 people polled base their opinion of a company on its social behavior.

"The combination of the founder member organizations – Business Impact, European Business Network for Social Cohesion, Prince of Wales Business Forum, Boston College Center for Corporate Community Relations, and Business for Social Responsibility – will provide an unbeatable resource for business led information. BT wants to encourage all businesses to use WorldCSR.com, particularly small to medium enterprises who may not feel CSR has a place in their business strategy, when it reality, it can make a big difference to the bottom line," Serpell said.

The Boston College Center for Corporate Community Relations is an international membership organization that provides research, executive education, consultation and convenings on issues of corporate citizenship. Since 1985 The Center has created the skills and competencies for community relations practice. The Center created the first Standards of Excellence for Corporate Community Involvement, with a companion Diagnostic Tool that helps corporations assess and plan their corporate community involvement. The Standards are a comprehensive tool for measuring and benchmarking a company's corporate community involvement activities across all business functions.

Through its research, knowledge building and Certificate Programs, The Center is the leading organization helping corporations rethink their role in the community. Its mission is to influence corporate behavior to more successfully partner with corporations in creating healthy, sustainable communities in which to live, work and do business.