India, Brazil ahead of US in CSR survey

India is among the few countries where more than four out of five organizations are practicing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), ranging from donating to local charities to undertaking global fair labor standards, an international survey conducted by the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) has revealed.

According to SHRM, human resources personnel in India, Brazil, Mexico and Australia are more likely than those in the United States to report that their organization has formal CSR policies.

Brazil reported highest participation rate at 95 percent with the United States at 91 percent.

The employees in India and Brazil, the survey found, are encouraged to spearhead volunteer programs.

In the United States, HR professionals cited contributions to society, public relations strategies and employee activism as top drivers. CSR practices are also seen as important to employee loyalty, morale, retention, recruitment and productivity, all of which are key responsibilities of HR professionals.

China has the lowest percentage for encouraging employees to spearhead CSR programs and Chinese respondents reported the lowest rate of participation in CSR practices, SHRM reported.

Over half of the organizations surveyed recognize employee participation in volunteer programs, with the United States leading at 72 percent.

The study, titled '2007 Corporate Social Responsibility: A Pilot Study,' surveyed human resource (HR) professionals in India, the United States, China, Mexico, Brazil, Australia and Canada.

"Organizations are increasingly assessing the social and environmental impact of their business decisions," said Susan Meisinger, president and chief executive officer of SHRM.

"As a result of globalization, I believe more organizations will incorporate CSR practices in their business strategies. As these practices increase, HR professionals will play a larger role in CSR programs, from strategy to implementation," she said.

In the United States, Brazil, Australia and Canada, the main obstacles to CSR programs were reported to be cost, unproven benefits and lack of support from senior management.

"While some organizations consider cost to be an obstacle to CSR practices, others point to improved image, competitive advantage and greater market share as clear benefits," said Meisinger.

While the types of CSR practices varied among countries, they did not vary by organizational sector. For–profit public and private companies, nonprofit organizations and government agencies reported participating in the same types and range of practices.

According to SHRM, this study has revealed that the majority of organizations across these seven countries have policies pertaining to corporate social responsibility. The report presents a global view of corporate social responsibility practices and the integration of corporate social responsibility in organizations' business decisions. Intra–organizational responsibility for creating and implementing corporate social responsibility strategies is also explored in the report.