Understanding corporate social responsibility through an industrial-organisational psychology perspective : a case study

Abstract

Globally, the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been recognised as an integral part of business operations. Although the concept has variable definitions according to the different industries which engage in it, the central idea of CSR is to extend the desirable and positive benefits of business operations into the community in which the organisation operates. The concept of CSR is also recognised and of import in South-Africa. In the country, corporations that are traded publically must subscribe to the ideals of social responsibility, since their activities are monitored and reported on by the King report. CSR has also evolved from mere social and charitable contributions, to an array of activities that create desirable inputs into communities. In this study, one example of such a desirable contribution is presented in the form of professional services and training. The Industrial-Organisational Psychologist (IOP) practitioner has specific skills and knowledge that can be used to operate in the CSR initiatives of the organisations. This study explored how the IOP practitioner functions, operated and executes the CSR ideals of an organisation. In this case, a tertiary training institution engaged in a CSR initiative by assisting a community school with professional services and training. The initiative capitalised on the training institution’s internal departments, specifically the department for Industrial-Organisational Psychology. The IOP professionals involved in the CSR initiative developed a schedule for workshops, all addressing different needs identified of the participants, identified in a needs analysis process. The results of the research showed that such IOP-related CSR initiative have positive impact and results. Participants shared that they have found value in the training and sharing of knowledge. The results showed that the participants have learnt some specific skills such as communication, healthy choices and study method skills. Moreover, they shared that they have become more self-confident, self- and other-aware and that the training overall had positive impact in their lives. This research established that the IOP professional has the relevant skills and knowledge to operationalise an organisation’s CSR initiatives successfully