Some people believe that corporations have a responsibility to promote the well-being of the societies and environments in which they operate. Others believe that the only responsibility of corporations, provided they operate within the law, is to make as

I believe that it is incumbent upon the corporations to promote the well-being of the societies and environments in which they operate and their aim should not only be to make as much money as possible.

While it is arrant true that corporations are ultimately meant for business and to make money, it is also true that the people who work in these corporations are a part of the society. Since the people who work in the company are greatly influenced by the company’s environment, the company is indirectly influencing the society. Currently working in a well-renowned MNC, I can directly relate to this. There are several initiatives run by the company in the direction of positively influencing their employee’s life. They include sessions for enhancing the personal growth of employees by carrying out behavioral trainings and team building activities in which the employees are a part of a team and are assigned specific tasks to augment interaction between team members and to elicit conversations and debates. There are Health Checkup events organized regularly to underscore the importance of personal health and Blood Donation drives to contribute to the society and create a culture among employees to support such causes. Since these activities will strongly influence the employee and make him a better member of the society, he is bound to transfer these habits to his family members and friends, ultimately influencing the society in a better way. Thus, the corporation has successfully created a better workforce and also contributed to the society.

On the other hand, since sustainability is the need of the hour, there are several initiatives to spread awareness regarding the sustainable use of resources within and outside the company. Regular mails are sent to employees with instructions to make economical use of resources and also employees who show commendable performance in activities related to sustainability are rewarded in order to promote such behavior among other employees. Since most of the people in the society are associated with some or the other organization, this leads to the creation of a better and sustainable society and also an efficient use of resources in the corporation.

The above examples stated how corporations can influence their employees who will thereby influence the society. Apart from this, corporations organize social activities in which their employees teach underprivileged children or carry out cleanliness drives at public places or organize a crowdfunding campaign for the destitute students. This not only helps in improving the society but also adds a lot to the company’s brand value. Brand value is directly correlated to the company’s perception in the market which ultimately leads to better recognition.

While all these things will require a certain amount of financial resources, the amount of value gained by the company in terms of employee satisfaction and brand image creation is incomparable when compared to the pecuniary expenditure. This is because the company is not only measured in terms of the market share and the amount of money it generates. Factors such as customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, and brand value also play a major role in shaping the future of the company. Thus, I believe that companies while contributing to the society and the environment are indirectly contributing to the company’s growth and if the company ignores the society and just concentrates on making money, it will not lead to a favorable outcome.