Is CSR mere “window-dressing”?

The more frequent question about CSR is whether it is good intentions turned into benefit for others or whether it is “window-dressing”.

As I wrote in my previous post (“Social conscience of good business”) CSR is often based on self-interest and profit-making.

Christian Aid puts the following point: “…companies make loud, public commitments to principles of ethical behaviour and undertake “good works”… The problem is that companies frequently use such initiatives to defend operations or ways of working which come in for public criticism.” (Moloney, K. (2006); Rethinking Public Relations: PR Propaganda and Democracy; p. 107).

Roberts thinks of CSR as of a new form of corporate self-presentation associated with PR, “of prosthesis… that repairs its appearance [corporate body] but in no way changes its actual conduct” (Moloney, K. (2006); Rethinking Public Relations: PR Propaganda and Democracy; p. 110).

These two statements support the idea that CSR is “window-dressing”. This means that “wrong” organization’s actions are masked-up by “good” deeds towards people. Pretending to care about the society the company in fact pursues its own ends that may be in variance with society’s interests. Corporations call it CSR and spend their money to please people and to make them unaware of their malicious actions.

Consequently I’m more likely to say that in addition to “window-dressing” activities companies are weakening their ethical grounding and decreasing their truthful social responsibilities. The only way to stop this tendency is to increase the meaning of PR people’s morals and develop the value of individual ethics. And it may be that CSR will regain its credibility if people will trust single PR practitioners whose ethical principles will lead companies’ businesses along the good and moral path benefiting the society.