Corporate Social Responsibility Press Release
provided by 
6.30.2008 - 03:29pm ET
News from:
IBM
New IBM Consulting Offerings Help Clients Be Greener, More Ethical
Improving Corporate Social Responsibility Can Grow Revenue, Market Share
(CSRwire) SOMERS, NY -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 06/30/08 -- New IBM (NYSE: IBM) consulting
offerings can help clients understand and improve their societal impact --
from carbon management to labor practices -- increasing their competitive
position and appeal to consumers and other interested parties.
"Operating a business ethically and environmentally is not only a
requirement today, but also an opportunity -- companies that demonstrate
they adhere to the highest societal expectations of conduct have a
significant advantage in attracting consumers, investors and talent," said
George Pohle, IBM vice president and global leader for business strategy
consulting. "But in order to do that, companies must be able to accurately
assess how well they meet those expectations now, and where and how to make
improvements."
The ability to meet these expectations has become critical, as people are
watching company behavior more closely than ever on a whole range of
issues -- the environment, fair wages and workplace safety, international
trade, product safety and reliability, philanthropy, and more. Empowered
by the Internet, they are equipped to organize and act quickly to reward
or punish brands depending on what they observe -- deciding what to buy,
who to work for, where to invest, and how business should be regulated.
IBM's Corporate Social Responsibility Benchmarking Utility helps
clients
assess: - Whether they're currently treating CSR as an expense or an
investment;
- The effectiveness of their environmental policies, labor
practices,regulatory compliance, corporate values, and other CSR-related
activities,and where they may have gaps;
- How well they engage customers and other stakeholders to understand
their concerns and to communicate CSR performance.
The
benchmarking utility is based on data from a survey by IBM of c-level
executives at more than 250 companies worldwide. The study, titled
"Attaining Sustainable Growth Through Corporate Social Responsibility,"
shows that 68 percent of the executives surveyed see CSR as an opportunity
to grow revenue and 54 percent believe it gives them a competitive
advantage.
But the report also shows some significant gaps in how companies are
approaching CSR -- more than three quarters of the executives surveyed
admitted they don't understand their customers' concerns about CSR, and
only 17 percent are even asking them. This indicates that many companies
need to analyze and improve their CSR practices to ensure they line up
with what customers and other key stakeholders expect.
In another survey conducted by IBM of more than 1,100 CEOs worldwide, the
majority of respondents said they plan to increase their investments in
CSR activities by 25 percent over the next three years. The key for them
is to ensure they are investing in the right programs, policies and
practices to meet the expectations of their stakeholders, and that is what
these new consulting offerings from IBM are designed to help them do.
Based on what the benchmarking utility reveals about a client, IBM can use
its CSR Strategy Assessment and Roadmap offering to help it improve its
business processes and operations, address any shortcomings, and integrate
CSR into its overall strategies and objectives.
IBM can then assist clients in a range of CSR areas,
including:- Carbon footprint analysis and management;
- Environmental procurement;
- CSR policy development and monitoring for suppliers;
- "Green" data center;
- Information sharing and engagement with customers, shareholders,
regulators and advocacy groups;
- Linking philanthropy to corporate strategy;
- Diversity and labor practices;
- Engagement with employees on CSR.
This is an example of IBM's
focus on higher value services and
innovative solutions to address client needs.
For more information about IBM's global survey on CSR, go to:
www.ibm.com/gbs/csrstudy
To learn more about IBM's strategy and change offerings, visit:
http://www-935.ibm.com/services/us/gbs/bus/html/bcs_strategyplanning.h
tml?re=gbs_fe_leftnav
For more information please contact:
Jay Cadmus
IBM Media Relations
914-766-2326
203-948-2351
www.ibm.com
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Corporate Governance and CSR - General
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