To understand expectations of the level of executive engagement on CSR required within a company, GlobeScan specifically asked shareholders whether they agree or disagree that "In addition to their other duties, the head of a large company and its board of directors should be responsible for monitoring the company's social and environmental policies and practices." Strong majorities in all countries surveyed, including nine in ten shareholders in Europe and 94 percent in North America, agree that CEOs and boards should be responsible for monitoring their company's CSR practices.
This high level of expectation that CSR be considered important at all levels of a company reflects the importance accorded to CSR by shareholders, and portends to even greater attention paid to CSR by corporate boards. Other research by GlobeScan has found that active engagement by senior management within a company constitutes a key element to the implementation of successful corporate responsibility programs. Top level engagement on CSR should be considered an essential element to improving corporate reputation, as it not only will encourage internal involvement in initiatives and CSR being taken seriously from within, but will also send an important message to shareholders and the public that a company is committed to CSR.
See full Press Release.
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