"Worth it in any case"

St is a so-called "soft factor": The social and ecological responsibility of a company. Accordingly, those who ultimately demand a monetary or otherwise measurable quantity behind everything and anything have a hard time with this term. But corporate social responsibility is increasingly becoming an important success factor for companies, as we learn in an interview with Prof. Dr. Jürg Krummenacher. He is a lecturer at the Institute of Business and Regional Economics IBR at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, where he heads the Public and Nonprofit Management Competence Center. As the head of the CAS Corporate Social Responsibility course, he deals intensively with practical issues relating to this topic.

Although there is an ISO 26000 standard or guideline on corporate social responsibility, this standard cannot be certified. So to what extent is CSR just "nice to have"? Or what is the relevance of CSR for companies?

Jürg Krummenacher: Issues surrounding the social responsibility of corporate management have become increasingly important. For example, more and more consumers are paying attention to the fact that the companies they buy from act in a socially responsible manner and offer products that are manufactured in an environmentally friendly manner. Ensuring this is part of responsible corporate governance today.

What form can this corporate social responsibility take for an SME, for example?

For me, CSR starts in the company. It's about taking care of employees, offering fair employment conditions and enabling a good work-life balance. For me, the possibility of part-time work is also part of this, as is support for employees who are involved in voluntary work. Much of this is often forgotten, but it is part of socially responsible corporate management. But it also includes the careful use of resources and an ecologically compatible supply chain. Furthermore, companies can also actively engage in voluntary work themselves, for example by making working days available for voluntary work, organising their own action days, e.g. campaigns for the benefit of the environment, or supporting social institutions through donations. Awarding contracts to workshops for the disabled is another way of actively demonstrating social responsibility. As you can see: There are many different forms.

How do you see this in practice? Are Swiss companies well "on their way" in this respect?

In my environment, I notice that awareness of social responsibility has grown. In the canton of Lucerne, for example, there is a separate network called "Companies with Responsibility". Admittedly: There's room for more. But overall, there is a great deal of interest in CSR activities.

Isn't it true that companies want to see a return on investment everywhere, including in their social activities? In other words:

Is CSR worth it at all, and if so, how?

Corporate social responsibility pays off in any case. Let's take the example of reducing electricity consumption. This has a direct monetary impact. Or a good working atmosphere: there is less absenteeism, you have healthier employees overall. And staff turnover decreases. If you can convey a positive image, you are considered an attractive employer. All of this will become increasingly important in the future.

But can the impact be quantified?

Quite. Swisscom, for example, offers its customers a new TV box that consumes 40 percent less electricity than the old version. The company is thus demonstrating that it is taking on ecological responsibility that can also be measured.

The Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts now offers a CAS Corporate Social Responsibility. What are the main cornerstones?

Our CAS is now very successful; 23 people are currently taking part. We can almost speak of a kind of "Lucerne model", because only the ZHAW offers a comparable CAS alongside ours. However, this is geared more towards social management. In our Lucerne CAS, we attach importance to conveying that CSR is part of the management task and as such cannot be delegated. Ecological sustainability is treated on an equal footing with social responsibility. In addition, aspects of economic sustainability are also examined. Apart from lecturers from various departments of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, the speakers all come from the private sector or from governmental as well as non-profit organisations.

As part of the management task: How can CSR be integrated into management systems?

First and foremost, social responsibility must be approached strategically. This means that the first step is to analyse where a company stands and to identify opportunities and risks. From this, the CSR strategy must then be developed, either separately or as part of the overall corporate strategy. Monitoring is always important as well.

Often beautiful concepts are developed, but then disappear somewhere in a drawer. How do you experience this in your field? Is that the case?

We see that those companies that practice CSR work very consciously with it. Monetary key figures are also reported.

What role do standards such as ISO 26000 or SA8000 play?

Of course, these are also taught at our company. SA8000 is an international standard for working conditions, defined by the ILO (International Labour Organization). The guidelines of the UN Global Compact are also important for us and are also trained. However, it is up to the company to decide which standards to follow.

Overall, interest in CSR activities is high.

How do you see the binding nature of following such standards? Is the principle of voluntariness a suitable means or does a certain regulatory pressure still need to be applied?

In principle, I think that voluntary action is a good thing. Unfortunately, there are black sheep everywhere; I am thinking, for example, of the raw materials industry. The question of what form liability should take in the event of massive environmental damage is a controversial one. Switzerland, as an important hub in the commodities trade, also has a responsibility here. This is also the reason for the popular initiative "For responsible companies - to protect people and the environment", which we will probably be able to vote on in one or two years.

Apart from what would happen if this initiative were adopted: How can companies "learn" CSR? What can a CAS like the one at the HSLU really teach here?

The advantage of our CAS is that it provides a comprehensive overview of CSR instruments, and it also gives participants the opportunity to reflect on their own behaviour. We are now running the CAS for the fourth time. The response from corporate circles has been extremely positive; 80 graduates have already completed the course.

However, this figure seems to me to be quite low in view of the more than 500,000 SMEs in Switzerland.

Well, the requirements for the CAS are also quite high. That's a bit limiting. You also have to see that people from larger organizations tend to take this course, less from small companies. In addition, there are other approaches to CSR, including on-the-job training. Overall, however, I notice that the demand for this topic is increasing.