Social Responsibility

“Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity.” — The Buddha

Community and society are built on the proposition that each member of the community needs to be aware of and protective of the needs of the whole. Showing concern and acting responsibly toward others and the communities in which you work and live means taking time to understand how you might make a difference using your particular talents, interest and connections. Organizations also can be good citizens in their community by identifying a cause or needs that have meaning for them and provide a structure for employees or members to contribute with broader impact than individuals alone could have.

In a number of studies, individuals with greater Social Responsibility exhibit more emotional intelligence than the average individual. In our virtual age many ‘communities’ are not necessarily neighbors, but they can be part of Social Responsibility.

If any of these behaviors are true of you, or those with whom you work, action tips are available at EQDashboard.com:

• Invests little in group or community unless it’s convenient
• Insists on specific rigid roles before participating in groups
• Demonstrates a social consciousness only when personally expedient
• Acts out of personal gain with little rgard for community needs
• Shows a lack of awareness of the underlying needs of ohers in a group and how his or her behavior affects the group.

Action learning tips and learning assignments on the job are a click away at EQDashboard.com.

You might also consider (a sampling of suggestions from www.EQDashboard.com):

Kotler, Philip. Corporate Social Responsibility: Doing the Most Good for your Company and Your Cause. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley and Sons, 2005.

Vogel, David. The Market for Virtue: The Potential and LImits of Corporate Social Responsibility. Washington: The Brookings Institution, 2006.

Werther, William, and David Chandler. Strategic Corportate Social Responsibility : Stakeholders in a Global Environment. London: Sage Publications, 2011.