Csr Tesco
Tesco, corporations, society and consumers
In this essay we are going to start to look closer at what is important for a business and what is important for society. We are going to look closer at Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and find out what it means for a business and society. Some businesses, especially big businesses, shape many aspects of our lives. Some are around us all the time. Some have turnovers larger then a normal person can imagine. Some multi nationals have turnovers larger then some states. That being the case, how de we want them to conduct themselves? How do we want them to behave?
To start, we have to answer some questions. What is important when you are a businessman and you manage a business? Do you have some responsibility to the society and the rest of the world? To answer these questions we are going to look at both sides of the spectrum. At one side of the spectrum we have the free market views of people like the economist Milton Friedman. He has argued that a business not should think about the society and the problems that the society meets. The only social responsibility of a business is to make money and get the highest profit as possible – anything else is theft from the shareholders pocket. “There is one and only one social responsibility of business–to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within the rules of the game, which is to say, engages in open and free competition without deception or fraud." (Friedman 1970). He also claims that you cannot do good with other people’s money, social work is only for governments and for social workers. The business of business is business.
On the other side, almost every business in the world is part of a society. Businesses are social creations. In that case don’t we expect some more responsible behavior from them? Can we expect them to use their power and influence to make society better? Or at least not to do any
In this essay we are going to start to look closer at what is important for a business and what is important for society. We are going to look closer at Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and find out what it means for a business and society. Some businesses, especially big businesses, shape many aspects of our lives. Some are around us all the time. Some have turnovers larger then a normal person can imagine. Some multi nationals have turnovers larger then some states. That being the case, how de we want them to conduct themselves? How do we want them to behave?
To start, we have to answer some questions. What is important when you are a businessman and you manage a business? Do you have some responsibility to the society and the rest of the world? To answer these questions we are going to look at both sides of the spectrum. At one side of the spectrum we have the free market views of people like the economist Milton Friedman. He has argued that a business not should think about the society and the problems that the society meets. The only social responsibility of a business is to make money and get the highest profit as possible – anything else is theft from the shareholders pocket. “There is one and only one social responsibility of business–to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within the rules of the game, which is to say, engages in open and free competition without deception or fraud." (Friedman 1970). He also claims that you cannot do good with other people’s money, social work is only for governments and for social workers. The business of business is business.
On the other side, almost every business in the world is part of a society. Businesses are social creations. In that case don’t we expect some more responsible behavior from them? Can we expect them to use their power and influence to make society better? Or at least not to do any
Bibliography: Allen, K. (2006) THE GUARDIAN Tesco opens doors to local sources, available at http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2006/sep/15/food.supermarkets (accessed: 10.11.11) Boddy, D and Paton, S (2011) Management, an introduction 5th, p 141-149, ESSEX, Pearson Education Friedman, M. (1970) THE NEW YORK TIMES COMPANY. The Social Responsibility of Business is to increase its Profits. Availeble at: http://www.colorado.edu/studentgroups/libertarians/issues/friedman-soc-resp-business.html (accessed 10.11.11) Karani, A, (2010) THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, The Case Against Corporate Social Responsibility, Available at: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703338004575230112664504890.html