Q1.

What does the concept of CSR mean, and what are the
main activities involved?
Introduction:
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is exercised by organizations when they
conduct their business in an ethical way, taking account of the social,
environmental and economic impact of how they operate and going beyond
compliance. As defined by McWilliams et al (2006), CSR refers to the actions
taken by businesses that further some social good beyond the interests of
the firm and that which is required by law.

CSR Concept:
Stakeholder theory, which was first propounded by Freeman (1984),
suggests that managers must satisfy a variety of constituents (such as
workers, customers, suppliers and local community organizations) who can
influence corporate outcomes. According to this view, it is not sufficient for
managers to focus exclusively on the needs of stockholders or the owners of
the corporation. Stakeholder theory implies that it can be beneficial for the
firm to engage in certain CSR activities that non-financial stakeholders
perceive to be important.
A different view was expressed by Theodore Levitt, the marketing expert. In
his 1956 Harvard Business Review article The dangers of social
responsibility, he warned that governments job is not business, and
businesss job is not government. Milton Friedman (1970), the Chicago
monetarist, expressed the same sentiment. His maxim was that the social
responsibility of business is to maximize profits within the bounds of the law.
He argued that the mere existence of CSR was an agency problem within the
firm, in that it was a misuse of the resources entrusted to managers by
owners which could be better used on value-added internal projects or
returned to the shareholders.

CSR Activities:
Community skills and education, employability and social exclusion
were frequently identified as key risks and opportunities. Other major
activities were support for local community initiatives and being a
responsible and safe neighbor.
Environment most companies reported climate change and
resource use as key issues for their business, and 85 per cent of them
managed their impacts through an environmental management
system.
Marketplace the issues most frequently mentioned by companies
were research and development, procurement and supply chain,
responsible selling, responsible marketing and product safety. There
was a rising focus on fair treatment of customers, providing
appropriate product information and labeling, and on the impacts of
products on customer health.
Workplace this was the strongest management performing area as
most companies have established employment management
frameworks that can cater for workplace issues as they emerge.
Companies recognized the crucial role of employees to achieve
responsible business practices. Increasing emphasis was placed on
internal communications and training to raise awareness and
understanding of why CSR is relevant to them and valuable for the
business. More attention was being paid to health and well-being
issues as well as the traditional safety agenda. More work was being
done on diversity, both to ensure the business attracts a diverse
workforce and to communicate the business case for diversity
internally. Business in the Community also reported a growing
emphasis on responsible businesses a source of competitive
advantage as firms move beyond minimizing risk to creating
opportunities.
Source: Business in the Community (2007).

Q2. Review the situation in any organization, and identify

what CSR activities are taking place and what more could
be done?
Proctor and Gamble Pakistan:
Procter & Gamble started its operations in Pakistan in 1991. The goal of P&G
was to become the finest global local consumer goods company in Pakistan.
Due to the commitment of the company with the goal it started growth, and
in 1994 the company acquired a soap-manufacturing facility and purchased
an expansive 7-acre land at Hub, Balochistan. During the past nine years,
the plant achieved state-of-art manufacturing technologies and quality
assurance processes.
P&G believes in working with and within local communities to respond to
their social needs and help them to develop their strengths. P&G Pakistan
has initiated and runs several programs focused at improving the lives of
Pakistanis, especially children, teens and young mothers. The areas of
concern include health and hygiene awareness, education and female
empowerment. All in all, these programs intend to transform the lives of
more than 3 million Pakistanis. These programs give clear clues about the
company policies and commitment of working for the improvement and
betterment of the people of Pakistan.

Pampers Hospital Education Program educates young mothers about

baby care practices, immunization and vaccination. The program
involves 1200 nurses, operates in 500 hospitals and reaches close to
300, 000 mothers.
Pampers Baby Care Clinic Program educates young mothers about
baby care practices, immunization and vaccination by going to their
doorstep. The program has a reach of 700, 000 mothers in 30 cities.
Always School Education Program educates female students about
good health & hygiene practices. The program reaches 250,000 girls,
1400 schools/ colleges, in 3 cities of Pakistan.
Safeguard School Education Program educates 5-9 years old children
about basic hygiene habits and importance of washing hands in 5000
schools, 20 cities of Pakistan, reaching close to 2 million children.

Ariel Help the Needy Program provides medical equipment to about 30

institutions for disabled children.
P&G-HOPE School Program runs 23 schools in Karachi and rural Sindh,
providing class-1-5 education to close to 1000 children.1

Company is again practicing corporate philanthropy and ignoring the other

indicators as per information available. They did not address CSR challenges
such as reducing the environmental impacts of their products, embedding
responsible business practices across their supply chains, promoting
employee health and wellbeing.

http://www.pg.com.pk/

Q3. What are the distinction between risk assessment,

health and safety audits and health and safety inspection?
Risk assessments
Risk assessments are concerned with the identification of hazards and the
analysis of the risks attached to them. A hazard is anything that can cause
harm (such as working on roofs, lifting heavy objects, handling chemicals,
working with electricity). A risk is the chance, large or small, of harm being
actually done by the hazard.
The purpose of risk assessments is to initiate preventive action. They enable
control measures to be devised on the basis of an understanding of the
relative importance of risks. Risk assessments must be recorded if there are
five or more employees.
There are two types of risk assessment. Quantitative risk assessment
produces an objective probability estimate based upon risk information that
is immediately applicable to the circumstances in which the risk occurs.
Qualitative risk assessment is more subjective, and is based on judgment
backed by generalized data. Qualitative risk assessment is preferable if the
specific data are available. Qualitative risk assessment may be acceptable if
there is little or no specific data as long as it is made systematically on the
basis of an analysis of working conditions and hazards, and informed
judgment of the likelihood of harm actually being done.
Risk assessments seek to identify typical hazards activities where
accidents happen, such as:
Receipt of raw materials, for instance lifting, carrying;
Stacking and storage, such as the risk of falling materials;
Movement of people and materials, for instance falls, collisions;
Processing of raw materials, with a risk of exposure to toxic
substances;
Maintenance of buildings, such as roof work, gutter cleaning;
Maintenance of plant and machinery, such as lifting tackle, installation
of equipment;
Using electricity, for example using hand tools, extension leads;

 Operating machines, for example operating without sufficient

clearance, or at an unsafe speed; not using safety devices;
Failure to wear protective equipment, such as hats, boots and
clothing;
distribution of products or materials, for example the movement of
vehicles;
dealing with emergencies, such as spillages, fires, explosions;
Health hazards arising from the use of equipment or methods of
working, for example VDUs, repetitive strain injuries from badly
designed work stations or working practices.
Most accidents are caused by a few key activities. Assessors should
concentrate initially on those that could cause serious harm. Operations such
as roof work, maintenance and transport movement cause far more deaths
and injuries each year than many mainstream activities.
When the hazards have been identified it is necessary to assess how high
the risks are. This involves answering three questions:
What is the worst result?
How likely is it to happen?
How many people could be hurt if things go wrong?
A probability rating system can be used such as:

Probable likely to occur immediately or shortly;

Reasonably probable probably will occur in time;
Remote may occur in time;
Extremely remote unlikely to occur.

Health and safety audits

Risk assessments identify specific hazards and quantify the risks attached to
them. Health and safety audits provide for a much more comprehensive
review of all aspects of health and safety policies, procedures and practices.
They cover the following.

Policies
Do health and safety policies meet legal requirements?
Are senior managers committed to health and safety?

 How committed are other managers, team leaders and supervisors to

health and safety?
Is there a health and safety committee? If not, why not?
How effective is the committee in getting things done?

Procedures
How effectively do the procedures:
Support the implementation of health and safety policies?
Communicate the need for good health and safety practices?
Provide for systematic risk assessments?
Ensure that accidents are investigated thoroughly?
Record data on health and safety which is used to evaluate
performance and initiate action?
Ensure that health and safety considerations are given proper weight
when designing systems of work or manufacturing and operational
processes (including the design of equipment and work stations, the
specification for the product or service, and the use of materials)?
Provide safety training, especially induction training and training when
jobs or working methods are changed?

Safety practices
To what extent do health and safety practices in all areas of the
organization conform to the general requirements of the Health and
Safety at Work Act and the specific
Requirements of the various regulations and codes of practice?
What risk assessments have been carried out? What were the
findings? What actions were taken?
What is the health and safety performance of the organization as
shown by performance indicators?
Is the trend positive or negative? If the latter, what is being done
about it?
How thoroughly are accidents investigated? What steps have been
taken to prevent their recurrence?
What is the evidence that managers and supervisors are really
concerned about health and safety?

Health and safety inspections

Health and safety inspections are designed to examine a specific area of
the organization an operational department or a manufacturing process
in order to locate and define any faults in the system, equipment, plant
or machines, or any operational errors that might be a danger to health
or the source of accidents. Health and safety inspections should be
carried out on a regular and systematic basis by line managers and
supervisors, with the advice and help of health and safety advisors.

Q4. What is work-life balance, and what can be done

about it?
Worklife balance
Life is a balancing act, and in American society, it is safe to say that almost
everyone is seeking work/life balance. But what exactly is work/life balance?
We have all heard the term, and many of us complain that we dont have
enough of it in our lives. Among men and women alike, the frustrating
search for work/life balance is a frequent topic of conversation, usually
translated into not enough time and/or support to do, to handle, to manage
our work commitments or personal responsibilities.
Juggling competing demands is tiring if not stressful and brings lower
productivity, sickness, and absenteeism, so work/life balance is an issue for
all employees and all organizations.
The meaning of work/life balance has chameleon characteristics. It means
different things to different groups, and the meaning often depends on the
context of the conversation and the speakers viewpoint. The following are
working definitions of terms used regarding work/life balance; some
definitions overlap and some are continuing to evolve.
Work/family: a term more frequently used in the past than today. The
current trend is to use titles that include the phrase work/life, giving a
broader work/life connotation or labeling referring to specific areas of
support (e.g., quality of life, flexible work options, life balance, etc.)
Work/family conflict: the push and pull between work and family
responsibilities.
Work/life balance from the employee viewpoint: the dilemma of managing
work obligations and personal/family responsibilities.
Work/life balance from the employer viewpoint: the challenge of creating a
supportive company culture where employees can focus on their jobs while
at work.

 Family-friendly benefits: benefits that offer employees the latitude to

address their personal and family commitments, while at the same time not
compromising their work responsibilities.
Work/life programs: programs (often financial or time-related) established
by an employer that offer employees options to address work and personal
responsibilities.
Work/life initiatives: policies and procedures established by an
organization with the goal to enable employees to get their jobs done and at
the same time provide flexibility to handle personal/family concerns.
Work/family culture: the extent to which an organizations culture
acknowledges and respects the family responsibilities and obligations of its
employees and encourages management and employees to work together to
meet their person.

Hot To Achieve Work Life Balance?

Programs and policies that facilitate work-life balance acknowledge that
employees have responsibilities and lives outside of work and help
individuals better manage these multiple demands. Conflict between work
and other life responsibilities can diminish the quality of both work and home
life for employees, which in turn can affect organizational outcomes such as
productivity, absenteeism, and turnover. Efforts to help employees improve
work-life balance can improve morale, increase job satisfaction and
strengthen employees commitment to the organization. Additionally, the
organization may reap benefits in terms of increased productivity and
reduction in absenteeism, presenteeism and employee turnover.
Programs and policies that can promote work-life balance include:

Flexible work arrangements, such as flextime and telecommuting.

Assistance with childcare.
Eldercare benefits.
Resources to help employees manage personal financial issues.
Availability of benefits for family members and domestic partners.
Flexible leave options beyond those required by the Family and Medical
Leave Act.

References
http://www.ispi.org/pdf/suggestedReading/11_Lockwood_WorkLifeBal
ance.pdf
http://www.pg.com.pk/
http://monizaharie.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/armstrong_hrmpracti
ce.pdf