At FSquared we have thought long and hard about what we want our Corporate Social Responsibility statement to say and we realised that social responsibility has been at our heart since before the term was even coined.
OK so maybe Howard Bowen coined the term first in 1953, in Social Responsibilities of the Businessman, but the origin of the concept has deep roots with us, based as we are in a city famed for its Victorian philanthropy and a former home to both Marx and Engels.
Though we may not have quite such revolutionary thoughts, FSquared’s very first strapline was “social solutions for business”. Now, apart from the fact that people thought we provided champagne luges, ice sculptures and chocolate fountains, that sentence meant: that as a Corporate entity we put Social issues first and believe it is part of our business Responsibility to make a difference. We believe that good businesses make a social difference, and that businesses that make a social difference do good business.
To breakdown our approach we’ve divided our disciplines into the 4 widely recognised areas of People, Community, the Environment and the Marketplace. In a broader sense our practices support the 10 Principles of the UN Global Compact.
We are not listing our actions, this plan and this policy so we can impress you. We are writing down the values that have been at the core of our approach since the day FSquared was conceived. Corporate Responsibility to us is something so entwined with how we work and so deeply embedded in our culture that the steps we take are not made due to buzz words or government initiatives, but due to the Vision and Mission we live by everyday – 9 to 5:30pm Monday to Friday (or Monday to Thursday for some, as a healthy Work-Life Balance is one of the things we champion).
Don’t talk to us about bottom lines (triple or otherwise!) – it’s an old fashioned concept we have grown out of. The search for sustainable Social, Economic and Environmental outcomes should be part of every single decision you make – it is part of everyone one of ours.
We believe that each person makes a difference no matter how small their voice – and at FSquared we may still be a small consultancy but we are learning how to work together to make a big noise and make a big difference.
