The business of corporate social responsibility
Ever since the dawn of the industrial age, debate has raged over whether or not companies carry a responsibility solely to make profit, or whether they have a responsibility to the society from which they generate a profit. As a company in the gaming industry, Tsogo Sun is mandated by our bid commitments to give back to society and the communities in which we operate, but I believe there is much to be said for 'doing good while doing good business', writes Noëleen Bruton*.
However, in the interests of keeping an open mind, I recently did some research into the business of corporate social responsibility (CSR). The most well-known critic of companies being socially responsible was Milton Friedman, a businessman who, in 1970 argued that only people have responsibilities and that business is responsible only for using its resources to engage in activities designed to increase profits, as long as it does so in open and free competition without deception or fraud. Read the full article