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PG and Research Department of Commerce and Department of e-Commerce of Kongunadu Arts and Science College has organized an International Workshop on "Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility" on 7th September 2011. The experts from inland and foreign countries acted as the resource persons and shared the deliberations during the workshop. The workshop provided the platform to 580 participants for comprehending the concept of ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and enhancing their knowledge.
Theme of the Workshop and its objectives:-
The business ethics has drawn significant attention since from the birth of the social responsibility movement in 1960s. The concern for ethical business practices has become common and tactical only at the dawn of the digital era of globalization. Business ethics and CSR have arguably become more important to business world, colleges and business schools in recent years. CSR encompasses good ethics, both within the walls of the company and outside. Within the walls of the company, the ethics and CSR consider the welfare of the four stakeholders ? Managers, Consumers, Investors and Employees. The CSR motivates the enterprise to involve in social issues such as ? Community Development and improving the working conditions. CSR goes deeper than the Business Ethics. To effectively implement CSR program, the ethical values must be internalized by the top management and reflected in the policies of the firm. Right leadership, integrity and commitment to social values can bring the expected behaviour among the individuals. In this context, the workshop has the following objectives:
1. To know the relationship between ethics and CSR
2. To describe the concept of CSR
3. To realize the importance of the implementation CSR programme
Inauguration of the Workshop
The workshop has been inaugurated at 10 am with the prayer. Dr.S.Nakkiran, Professor, Ambo University, Ambo, Ethiopia delivered a key note address. He pointed out that "any business enterprise can not grow and diversify, unless the social and economic environment is conducive to their development."
At the inaugural session, the Special address has been delivered by Tc Venkatesan, Managing Director, Atline Technologies private limited, Salem. He emphasized that In todays? Global, dynamic economic world, corporates tend to forget or do not adapt Social Responsibility and ethics gets diluted. This is mainly because the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is not known or not taken seriously or the indirect benefits are now counted by corporates.
Er.K.M.Elangovan, Joint Secretary, Kongunadu Arts and Science College delivered the inaugural address. Dr.R.Devi, Principal carried out the presidential address. Dr.M.Revathi Bala, Convenor of the workshop welcomed the gatherings.
Technical Session - I
Dr.R.Chandrasehar, Advisor, Aegis Global Limited presented a paper on 'Ethics and CSR - Emerging Paradigm'. He stated that the meaning of "ethics" is hard to pin down, and the views many people have about ethics are shaky. Many people tend to equate ethics with their feelings. But being ethical is clearly not a matter of following one's feelings. A person following his or her feelings may recoil from doing what is right. In fact, feelings frequently deviate from what is ethical. For appreciating the ethical practices, it is better to be aware on "whatever society accepts,". But no one ever tries to decide an ethical issue by doing a survey. Further, the lack of social consensus on many issues makes it impossible to equate ethics with whatever society accepts.
Technical Session - II
Dr.K.Ravichandran, Reader in Cooperation, Gandhigram Rural Institute handled technical session II on CSR in Third Sector. He viewed that the commitment under CSR is beyond statutory requirement and is closely linked with the practice of sustainable development. The concept of CSR revolves around 3 major elements namely economic, social and environmental impacts, commonly known as Triple Bottom Line. Activities under CSR need to be seen as those which would in the long run create synergies to secure sustainable development coupled with competitive advantage for the organization.
Technical Session - III
Dr.R.Karunakaran, Assistant Professor, College of Business and Economics, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia. He indicated the major thrust areas of CSR practices in Indian banking. These areas include children welfare, community welfare, education, environment, health care, poverty eradication, rural development, vocational training, women empowerment, protection to girl child, employment. However, the core areas for reporting CSR activities are slightly different in both types of banks. Indian banking industry is found to be adopting an integrated approach of combining CSR with the ultimate customer satisfaction voluntarily. In recent years an attempt has been initiated to ensure socially responsible behavior of banking sector in more systematic manner. RBI has also insisted upon taking measures for sustainable development of economy through realizing the dire necessity of CSR.
Technical Session - IV
Dr.R.Ramesh, Assistant Professor, Department of Development Studies, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia handled technical session IV on 'Development, Ethics and Post Modernity'. He expressed that CSR is a concept of post-modern literature that emerged after concepts like governance and market-driven development for social progress. Development has been taken to mean different things at different times, in different places, and by different people in different professions and organizations.
The positive aspects of CSR are that it contributes to employment generation, augmenting personal incomes of individuals and households; it contributes to bring down income poverty levels, and in augmenting the common facilities in the areas where they operate. CSR is carried out as part of answering the ethical questions in business and profit-making. This has added a share to the total global funds available for development /well-being.
Valedictory Session
Valedictory Address has been delivered by Dr.V.Sugantha, Dean (SF Courses), Kongunadu Arts and Science College at 4 pm. She congratulated the efforts taken by faculty members to organize a wonderful workshop. She expressed her gratitude for all the resource persons and the participants. The participants expressed their feed back. Mrs.S.Poorni, Assistant Professor, PG Department of Commerce proposed vote of thanks. The workshop came to an end successfully with the national anthem at 4.30 pm. |
