Critical Debates in Design | Task 4: Corporate Social Responsibility

Corporate social responsibility is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model. The goal of CSR is to embrace responsibility for the company's actions and encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment, consumers, employees, communities, stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere. Furthermore, CSR-focused businesses would proactively promote the public interest by encouraging community growth and development, and voluntarily eliminating practices that harm the public sphere, regardless of legality. CSR is the deliberate inclusion of public interest into corporate decision-making.

Big corporations are way too powerful to be allow to operate without thinking in the social and environmental impact they have. It seems just fair that they incorporate CSR to their practice. It can be a way of distracting or compensating public opinion though as the company may also be engaged with harmful business activities on regular bases.

Based on my online research I would say that Cannon has a good and very complete CSR policy. They include in their policy a wide variety of areas like environmental care, social welfare, humanitarian aid and disaster relief, arts and culture, science and education and workplace.

I consider my responsibility as a designer to be environmentally conscious and not to do anything against my own moral principles and political views. As a product and graphic designer I realize that my projects might be manufactured or printed spending a lot or resources so it is my duty not to put anything out there that is knowingly not a good solution, it is not offering anything innovative or doesn't optimize resources. It is important for me not to get involved with any company or individual that don't respect human rights or is prejudicial to the environment.

Sources: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_social_responsibility#Criticisms_and_concerns

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sustainable-business/corporate-social-responsibility/index_en.htm

http://www.csreurope.org/

http://www.canon-europe.com/About_Us/About_Canon/CSR/index.asp