Showing posts with label Corporate social responsibility. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Corporate social responsibility. Show all posts

Saturday, November 25, 2017

IS OUR CORPORATES REALLY INTERESTED IN SOCIETY WELFARE?


Corporate social responsibility (CSR)

What is CSR
Corporate social responsibility is the duty of the every corporate body to protect the interest of the society at large. Although the main motive of the business is to enhance the profit, the corporate should also take initiatives for the welfare of the society and perform its activities.
Why and how it is being implemented
CSR is being implemented by compulsion by law, every company allocate a part of their profit to be spend on the CSR activities. But in real terms the some corporate do not care about the society, they are only worried about to the turnover growth along with improved profits.
Is the CSR only allocating funds from the profit and remit to the Prime Minister funds or spending on some causes for the society? According to me the answer is big NO. Following of business ethics and to see that the product which we market do not harm the consumer or the environment and also educate the customers about products and its usages is CSR besides spending a portion of the profits to society.
DO our corporate do this? Really not. Silapathigaram, a tamil epic says about the character of businessmen as under:
Quote
A businessmen is one who will not take more than what he deserve and should not give less then what the buyer deserves
Unquote
Examples of misdeeds/quality issues of some companies/ product
Let us see some examples of how some corporate are indifferent to the consumers.
1.   There are always fine prints. The advertisement will highlight only the favourable points to the consumers but silent about the conditions. For ex. A telecom advertise that at X amount the user enjoys free calls and internet facilities for 70 days but the condition is the handset should be 4G compatible. Although the company knows through the systems about the user’s handset compatibility but it will be silent even if a non 4G Handset user select this option.
2.   The price will increase when the tax goes up but will never come down when the tax is reduced. Recently, when GST is introduced the tax for restaurants has been increased and consequently the price of the eatables was increased but when the GST is reduced, the end price to consumer is maintained as it is and the difference in tax has been added to the cost.
3.   The cosmetic products are advertised as Herbal where as the products contains  chemicals
4.   The waste from the units was allowed to mix with nature  instead of treated at the plant itself unless the government take it seriously.
5.   Some hospitals run by big Corporate, there are targets fixed for doctors and hence they resort to unwanted treatments to charge more.
6.   Recently, harmful chemicals were found in the soft drinks and ready to cook products but I really wonder what happens to the quality control.
7.   Stray cases of expired products were also taken back to the factory and the expiry dates were altered and marketed again.
8.   There were cases of selling expired products in some retail chain stored.
9.   In banking also the charges are revised by incorporating conditions at the time of agreement “that the bank reserves the right to revise the charges”. The same procedure is followed in case of credit cards also the terms are changed unilaterally.
10.                Some banks are selling products in the name of cross selling by misinforming the customers
11.                There were cases of selling gold jewellary of lower quality/ mixed with other metal came to surface.
12.                The standard quantity was not maintained. The quantity was reduced and while there is no change in price. ( suddenly the company reduce weight from standard 50g to 30 g but the price maintained)
Conclusion
The above observations may be stray cases and will not represent the whole, but what happened to quality check undertaken by the corporate. My idea is not to highlight the bad incidents but only brought out the such happening and indifferent attitudes in the name of marketing techniques and smartness to improve the bottom-line of the company.   The consumer is approaching the branded products only with a faith that it will be of quality but the faith is being shaken up slowly. I do remember in my younger days when I buy a pen I will ask a paper to check the pen whether it is writing and now I just buy it without testing. The pen is only an example and it is applicable to all products. 
Now, slowly people going back to the olden days of checking the detail such as expiry date, weights etc while buying the products.
If we do not wake up and implement the CSR in letter and spirit, the days is not too far, the consumerism will get stronger to put everything in place.  


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