Name: Jothi Narayanan
Location: Kerala, India

Name: Pierre Brunet
Location: Quebec, Canada

Name: Rahul Kumar
Location: Pune, India

Name: Adam Marshall
Location: Toronto

Name: Tim Adeyemo
Location: Nigeria

Name: Chris Macrae
Location: Washington DC, U.S.

Name: Tonye Clinton Jaja
Location: Lagos, Nigeria

Name: Hope O. Krukru
Location: U.K.

Name: Annebeth Riles Broad
Location: New Zealand Comment:

If everyone would share, there would be enough for all.

Mega corps by nature do not do anything, other than to maximize profits.

If any of the major multi mega corps wished to show social responsibility, environmental responsibility, or simply were responsible, they would not continue to produce the many toxic elements that continue to contaminate the planet, and which are directly the cause of much sickness. They may issue statements of conformity but as a rule these are commissioned and paid for by themselves....

I am VERY disillusioned by the corruption of corporations, and their lack of accountability and responsibility. But at the same time I am VERY disappointed with our politicians and the corruption, and lack of accountibility or responsibility to the American People.

I don't trust the corporations or even my government any longer. I think the corruption is so much worse because I believe people are not getting less greedy, they are becoming more greedy.

Corporate governance allows the chairman and directors to control and provide leadership, thus ensuring that the corporation remains a self-regulating and self-perpetuating centre for financial and human profit.

A company founded on ethical business conduct generates productivity and creates a loyal consumer base. To ensure effective monitoring and control of a company's business it is important to have a code of ethical conduct.

There should additionally be a corporate social responsibility statement to set out the company's commitment on quality and conduct to employees, suppliers, consumers and the community. These essential Instruments can improve staff performance and, promote greater consumer confidence.

Perhaps with corporate ethics and social responsibility ambition may replace greed as the force driving global enterprise.

I am in total agreement that CSR is not new. For some multi-national companies in Nigeria, it has been part of their business model.

Most went into it to fill a vacuum created by insufficient government responsiveness to the development needs of the people. Therefore the budget for CSR activities and the human resources employed to execute CSR programs in most of the companies have been steadily on the rise.

However, because of the size of these companies, the presence and outreach through CSR has become so overwhelming that coupled with the non-visibility of governments in these areas, they have come to be seen as the governments.

What has happened to most of these companies is that they are targeted for punishment by communities for the failures of government and whatever they do through CSR is seen as inadequate for the people because the people expect that all the companies' CSR activities should effectively cover every single thing that they are entitled to from their governments.

What does this say about CSR? Simply that while your heart as a company aches to see people in poverty and you want to run out to help, sometimes the right thing to do in CSR is to take the time (and sometimes the pain of government punishment) to ensure that organs of government function properly and helping to ensure that government funds are channeled to the right causes.

The concept of corporate responsibility is nothing new -- we know this because the pure ideology of capitalism is based on the idea of fair and equal opportunity.

For example, capitalist ideology has been against monopolies because early pioneers of this ideology understood that allowing them would not be responsible toward society at large, and toward viable competitors (also because monopolies are very much like dictatorships).

As part of my business studies nearly 20 years ago, business ethics was a small but mandatory part of our curriculum, and I can see today that such academic instruction didn't amount to a hill of beans.

Corporate scandal is as big now (if not bigger) than it has ever been, and it originates from society's insatiable hunger for wealth. When people work hard, they EXPECT to be rewarded for it, and corporations -- by their very nature -- are expected to maximize their shareholder wealth at all costs (it's how corporations survive).

And then there are corrupt executives who either steal directly from corporations, or mislead shareholders with falsified financial statements to justify exhorbitant bonuses.

I am VERY disillusioned by the corruption of corporations, and their lack of accountability and responsibility. I don't trust them, and I think the corruption is getting worse because I believe people are not getting less greedy... they are becoming MORE greedy.

To this date, corporations have failed to realize that they must aid the government by being fair to their employees and their clients.

The significant increase in profits being made by banks and other corporations is the main reason why poverty is so high in North America and abroad.

A (price) cap must be placed on every product and once that cap is reached the consumers should be able to purchase that product at a significantly lower price.

For instance, before cable and satellite television came about, the only thing we needed was a television to watch any broadcast. Now we are being bombarded with bills for everything.

Why should we allow corporations to continue to profit from technology when we know that it has been paid for in full many times over now? The government must intervene and stop this abuse of earnings.

I think that corporate organizations are beginning to realise that business is about people, within and without. This to me, means that corporate policies should not only address profit drives and internal human capacity development, but also the larger human environment.

This is important to ensure social harmony and co-operation which in turn results in profitable business. Any organization that has not begun taking CSR seriously is MAD (Mutually Agreed Destruction). My worry at present is that many organizations in Nigeria are yet to develop clear-cut CSR policies.

Americans are leaders in the notion of personal benevolence by means of a collective. For instance, clubs such as the Kiwanis, Lions or Rotary are continually asked to contribute to community improvement activities. For example, the Rotary has been a major contributor over more than a decade to an inoculation program, the object of which is to eradicate polio.

Most members of these clubs are businessmen or professionals and it is their way of assembling a greater number of participants in the activities.

Frankly, however, I would like to see more attention paid to the dismal lack of corporate ethics, as has been observed far too generally over the past decade.

Liberal markets are not dispensed from the practice of honorable behavior simply because the principal intent is to maximize profit. In fact, most ethical deficiency is observed in the distribution internally of those profits, unfairly and often inequitably.

The notion of shareholder status in relation to corporate ownership is not sufficiently developed. Improper distribution of profits to a comparatively select few is thievery of corporate value from other shareholders.

In consequence, I would like to see more effort made to influence the constituents of these clubs towards enhancing the sense and understanding of ethical corporate behavior.

Corporations can help increase the wealth of the working classes without increasing inflation and in a way that would increase their profits.

When times are good and profits are up, employees want a share of the pie. They demand wage increases because they are the ones primarily responsible for the increased profits.

Increased wages are inflationary because they represent an expense that has to be paid even when times are bad. The wage increase has to be passed on to the consumer as higher prices.

Investors are entitled to a minimum return on their investments (if possible). A minimum return of 10% to 15% of their investments should be taken from profits first (if possible). The rest of the profits (if any) should be divided between investors and employees. The employees would be entitled to a bonus whenever profits exceed a pre-defined minimum level.

Bonuses are not inflationary because they are only paid if profits are high. Paying a bonus would decrease the pressure to raise wages and would help keep a lid on inflation.

A lid on inflation would mean that interest rates could be kept lower and borrowing cost would be lower for the organization.

Paying a bonus would increase the demand for products and services among the working class and increase profits for the following year. Working class income would increase, demand for products and services would increase, there would be less poverty and none of this is inflationary.

Gee whiz! Now that I've read your enlightening essay, I realize that multinational corporations are really good for people. The poor things are just misunderstood!

Our company teaches the difference between right and wrong to recidivist youth and their families.

This contributes to peaceful, compassionate order in our communities. We use the Ten Commandments as our guide in teaching the difference between right and wrong.

Our company, New Homes for Africa, pre-fabricates cavity wall panels that enable quality structures to be erected speedily and cost effectively. Our policy is to limit profit only to that which can sustain the company as a viable entity.

We are developing housing units that are independent of external services and utilize only renewable resources -- rainwater, internal composting toilets, grey water reuse, photo voltaic/wind electricity and alternative cooking methods.

The aim is to eventually help reverse the urbanization pressure by allowing rural communities to thrive.

There is no such thing a a corporation doing anything for any U.S. community except close down divisions and export jobs out of the U.S. They have a free hand and it should be considered a criminal act.

It seems that CSR is becoming of greater importance in Poland.

It appears to me that there is nothing wrong with the fact that it is a mutual business, lucrative for both sides. The more companies become willing to support charitable works the better. It is always easier when there are more of those helping.

Corporate social responsibility is an issue that is being analyzed currently inside Chile.

It is considered one of the best political tactics for good governance, to face and to solve social inequities that not been solved only with economic growth.

This new strategic corporate social responsibility incorporates a message about social compromise for all society, and for private and political actors to renew social agendas with a perspective of sustainability, solidarity and social sensibility.

Who can lead it? Economic and political leaders are the most important actors, with awareness about the value of increasing codes of conduct about solidarity in all our structures and political systems, public and private.

It's ironic that tonight I've explored the corporate responsibility page on Principal Voices in that today I voted on a number of issues and proposals as a shareholder in my employer.

I think the only reliable way to make sure that corporations act responsibly is to make the employees shareholders themselves.

It has been proven time and again the democratization of information and capital improve the quality of life for all, so why do we tolerate corporations as the mini-dictatorships of the West?

Enlightened self-interest may be the driving force behind many corporate sponsored programs, but one would hope that corporate culture does not infect the charities themselves.

The temptation to be attractive to corporate America by emulating their "donor-partners" must be very tempting.

Evidence of the reflected mentality from corporate to charity entities can be found in the ridiculous compensation/perk packages enjoyed by executives in both cultures.

Misleading advertising campaigns and heavily obscured financial data are two other areas where the lines blur between the culture of corporate America and that of corporate charities.

My distrust of the motivation for corporate giving, as well as my doubts as to the effectiveness of those gifts, comes from observing both cultures from the inside.

By paying the proper price for the natural resources extracted, corporations can avoid migration and empower the local and national economies of the countries where these companies work.

Frankly speaking, corporate social responsibility, old as it may seem, has failed over the years to increase in comparison with the benefits that corporate shareholders have reaped over the years.

From a close examination one can see clearly that consumers are indirectly being taxed to finance the magnanimous gestures.

One has to look at the size of payments made by corporations when they fall on the wrong side of the law to realize that it will take more than moral pressures and pleas to get them to give society its fair share of what has been made available to these corporations.

My company intends to start to contribute to enhance and participate in the development of Angola, where it will start projects by helping to create school infrastructure and medical centers around the country.

Trying to integrate genuine humanity into our capitalistic society seems like another ploy to, like the article says, get investors interested and promote corporate image in order to increase revenue and popularity.

That is what capitalism by nature seeks to do. To suggest that companies may be trying to change their ways is simply a cover-up for what they are actually aiming for.

If the capitalist system exists to provide capital, why would companies be interested in doing anything besides that? They have simply discovered an easier and more appealing way of doing it, conveniently under the guise of helping the community, which a corporation would gladly do if it brings in more revenue.

Simply put, a corporation will do anything to get more, and perhaps there are some guilty consciences involved for being such dirty human beings.

While some individuals may idealize "corporate social responsibility" as something with a measurable beneficial effect, the damage that our system of commerce does to people is far greater than the good corporations are attempting.

It seems like a ridiculous and transparent farce to me. Corporations will always be more worried about their image and revenue than the good of the world.

The capitalist system is about the survival of corporate powers, not about people! It's a psychopathic and self-devouring system.