Corporate social responsibility and its role in companies

What characterises a company? In addition to its products or services, it is of course economic success that is usually in the spotlight. However, other factors also play a key role in successful performance. Voluntary commitment is playing an increasingly important role, as part of which companies are committed to ecological and social aspects – in short: corporate social responsibility.

In the following article, we explain what the concept is all about, why society and the environment are not the only beneficiaries and how important social responsibility is to Rejlek.

Was it corporate social responsibility?

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) can be translated as the social responsibility of companies. Today, the concept is a key term for companies in all sectors, as it summarises ecological, economic and social measures that go beyond the applicable legal requirements. CSR is therefore a voluntary commitment to establish more sustainability in corporate practice through various steps and to promote positive aspects for employees, stakeholders and society in general.

How social responsibility strengthens your company

It is relatively obvious that CSR can benefit the environment and society. However, even if this benefit and the moral added value are at the forefront, the concept is also very important for commercial enterprises themselves and helps to increase the company’s success in many ways. This is achieved through the following factors, for example:

• Stand out from the competition: Volunteering contributes significantly to your corporate image and is therefore a good way to gain favour with stakeholders and to shape and consolidate your positioning.
• Strengthen employer branding: Employees and applicants are among your most important stakeholders. A meaningful workplace with values they can identify with and where the well-being of the team is promoted is more in demand today than ever before. Good CSR can therefore also provide massive support in increasing the productivity and motivation of the workforce and attracting qualified specialists.

• Reduce costs sustainably: Decision-makers often shy away from CSR measures because they are afraid of the resulting costs. However, smart investments can actually save costs in the long term – for example, by switching to green electricity and more energy-efficient devices or lower employee turnover due to good employer branding.

How can we fulfil our responsibility as a company?

So what specific ways are there to implement corporate social responsibility in your own company? On an ecological level, CO2 compensation, financial support for rainforest reforestation or species protection, the use of renewable energies, environmentally friendly means of transport and cooperation with suppliers and other partners who also show commitment in this area are examples. Recycling, circular economy and the general avoidance of wasting resources also usually fall under CSR.

At a social level, classic CSR measures include the promotion of development work, in-house training and further education programmes as well as health offers and public transport subsidies for employees.

If you are overwhelmed by the numerous possibilities, you can use one of the following three sets of rules as a guideline, which have been published to support companies in developing their CSR strategies:

• ISO standard 26000 Guidelines on social responsibility
• United Nations Global Compact
• OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises

CSR at the Rejlek Metal & Plastics Group

In our family business, we take social responsibility seriously and therefore cultivate corporate social responsibility at Rejlek in a variety of ways.

Through the Concordia social projects, we support young women and men in Romania in their vocational training as carpenters, bakers, cooks and waiters, helping them to start a promising career.

With our support, a specialised muscle therapy device was built at the HTL HAK Ungargasse school centre, which alleviates pain and helps those affected by joint inflammation to lead a pain-free life.

Training is a particularly high priority in our own company, which is why we not only train apprentices on an ongoing basis in our in-house apprentice workshop, but also promote the continuous further training of our employees.

Treating each individual team member fairly and creating a familiar working atmosphere are just as important to us as strengthening the enthusiasm, resilience, entrepreneurial responsibility and self-determination of our employees.

In addition, we are reducing our C02 emissions by operating PV systems and are constantly endeavouring to make the future more sustainable. To this end, we are researching new solutions on a daily basis, for example in the fields of e-mobility and medicine.

Conclusion: Towards a better future with corporate social responsibility

Businesses are an essential part of society and have a corresponding responsibility that goes beyond rigid laws. As soon as a company decides to fulfil this responsibility, a multitude of possibilities open up as to how this can be implemented – from development work and environmental projects to employee satisfaction measures. Anyone who dares to make the investment will realise that it is not only morally beneficial to get involved, but that the company’s success will also benefit as a result.

Are you looking for a responsible partner for your project? Write us a message right away and let’s create a more sustainable future together.