1.0 Introduction
Corporate social responsibility of an organisation is about the integration of social, Environmental and Economic consideration into decision making structures and processes of service rendering and production.
Social responsibility is the degree to which a company recognises what being a good community and global citizen means and act accordingly (Ejiwunmi O.M. 2005).
Davies & Co (1975) stated that “Social Responsibility is the obligation of decision makers to take actions which protect and improve the welfare of society as a whole along with their own interest”.
According to Davies & Co, to protect means guiding against negative influences on business and society while to improve implies creating some positive benefits for the business and society. This is achieved because corporate social responsibility involves using innovations to find creative and value added solution to societal and environmental challenges around a business organisation. Social Responsibility can be viewed from three perspectives which includes; obligations, reaction and response.
Social obligation is concerned with the society’s request that firms or organisations provides for all goods and services, so also providing opportunities for every one desiring to gainfully participate in organizational activities.
Examples of social obligations are payment of taxes, ensuring safety regulations are complied with etc. Social reaction is the prompt reaction to social interest group. This reaction is voluntary because these special interest group have great influence on the company. Examples of these group are shareholders, customers, employee.
Social response is seen in a company not only when the company complies with the law and most of the societal pressures but when it (company) makes efforts to anticipate likely societal problems and to respond timely to prevent them.
At this point, it is imperative to say that corporate social responsibility carters for different stakeholders which includes; shareholders, customers, suppliers, Government, Host communities, employee, the general public etc corporate social responsibility has various argument for and argument against, these will be dealt with in a later chapter of this study.
In order to respond to increasing social, economic and environmental demands, organisations are to be more concerned with what happens around them. In the process, management may have to make a trade off to satisfy issues that could affect their business negatively.
1.1 Statement Of Research Problem
Over the years a few organisations have found themselves in operations and Economic difficulties which surprisingly are not as a result of poor quality or marketing of their goods or services but which result out of the fact that they do not recognize the need to do one thing or the other to improve their corporate image and boost their profitability. This problem is mostly faced by organisation in the oil industries who operate in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.
1.2 Purpose And Objective Of The Study
This study is aimed at examining, evaluating and interpreting the relationship which exist between corporate social responsibility and Achievement of organizational objectives.
1.3 Research Questions
Some of the questions that are relevant to this study are:
- What is corporate social responsibility?
- Can activities of social responsibility improve organizational performance and image?
- What is the cost of being socially responsible?
- Does the benefit of being socially responsible surpass the cost?
1.4 Research Hypothesis
The thesis of this study will be;
- Ho: Is there a positive and significant relationship between social responsibility and organizational achievement?
Hi: There is a positive and significant relationship between social responsibility and organizational achievement. - Ho: Is there a significant relationship between the society’s response towards the social responsibilities carried out by the organisation and the organisation’s interest in the well being of the society.
Hi: There is a significant relationship between the society’s response toward social responsibilities carried out by the organisation and the organizational interest in the well being of the society. - Ho: Employees of organisation are not important in social responsibility consideration.
Hi: Employees of the organisation are very important considerations in corporate social responsibility.
1.5 Scope Of The Study
This study will cover all the various stakeholders involve in corporate social responsibilities in UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC.
Data will be sourced from the Bank (UBA PLC) through administration of Questionnaires to staff, brief interview with the staff and customers of the bank. Also browsing the internet is another way I will use in sourcing information, while text books consultations will not be left out.
1.6 Limitation Of The Study
The bias of respondence was a major problem in carrying out this work, not forgetting that some of the questionnaires were not returned by the respondence.
Also inadequate finance hindered the extensive work needed to be carried out.
1.7 Significance Of Study
The findings of this study would be more beneficial to the banking industries and other financial services organisation who aim for strong corporate image.
It could also serve as a reference material to other organisations that want to understand the fact an various ways in which they can be socially responsible.
1.8 Operational Definition Of Key Words/Terms
(i) Corporate image:
The way an organisation portrays itself to the public so as to gain an impression of the organisation in the eyes of the public.
(ii) Policy:
A set of principles that guides the operations of an organisation.
(iii) Social responsibility:
These simply refers to providing for the basic need of society so also ensuring that their activities do not create harm on the society.
(iv) Organizational achievement:
Being able to attain the main reason or reasons for the establishment of the firm.
(v) Organizational objectives:
This is what the organisation aimed to achieve.
(vi) Business ethics:
The ability of the firm to interact effectively with the outside world in a moral and valued manner.
(vii) Stakeholders:
Set of people or individuals that are affected positively or negatively by operations of the firm.
(viii) The society/Public:
The immediate environment and/or individual influenced or that are affected by the firm’s activities either directly or indirectly.
(ix) Profit:
This is the excess of total revenue of a company over its total cost.
(x) Organisation:
This comprise of different individual working together to achieve a common goal in which work are divided in manageable unit, each unit allocated with task and headed by a person.
Conclusion
Corporate Social Responsibility (CRS) is essential in the ACHIEVEMENT OF ORGANIZATIONAL OBJECTIVE because it is a concept which encourages organisations to consider the interest of society by taking responsibility for the impact of the organisation’s activities on customers, employees, stakeholders, communities and the environment in all aspect of its operations. This obligation is seen to extend beyond the statutory obligation to comply with legislation and sees organisations voluntarily taking further steps to improve the quality of life for employee and their families as well as for the local community and society at large.
