Don’t mistake corporate social responsibility for corporate decency

WHEN we talk about companies “doing the right thing”, we often think of big initiatives or sweeping gestures – an ambitious environmental programme here, a charity donation there. While businesses should do their best to give back to society, the mere existence of these highly-visible, external actions doesn’t always tell us who the company is at its core. Sure, maybe they are making bold moves to combat climate change, but they could also suffer from an exceedingly toxic internal culture, which may in turn affect the lives of employees and their families.

Decency is something more fundamental. Decency reveals itself both in outwardly visible actions as well as in ways that are much more subtle; it’s about always trying to do the right thing by one another, even when no one’s looking.

As we emerge from the turmoil of the pandemic, decency will be a key differentiator for businesses. A lot has been said about the Great Resignation, but from what I’ve seen in Asia-Pacific, I think of it more as a “Great Re-evaluation” – a moment in time where people are questioning just how they want to spend their working lives.