Corporate Social responsibility is a concept that obliges corporations to commit non-profit obligations before their stakeholders, community they serve and target markets alongside their for-profit concerns. CSR is about corporate citizenship, corporate conscience, and sustainable social performance of the businesses. Namely CSR makes today’s companies more socially responsible through corporate self-regulation and consideration of social, environmental, charity and other socially-related concerns. Through CSR policies companies monitor and ensure their active adherence to ethical standards as well as the international norms of sustainability.

On the other hand, the lack of corporate ethics and social responsibility significantly downsizes company’s reputation and good standing in the eyes of its stakeholders, customers, agents, suppliers and wider public. CSR is therefore perceived as an essential strategic tool to win competitive positions, customer loyalty, and good name on the competitive market in a non-profit way. In some cases, for the sake of social good, certain laws may oblige a company o comply with CSR commitments even though such imposition is beyond the company’s concerns. Thus CSR embraces responsibility for the corporate activities and encourages a positive effect on company’s employees, stakeholders, consumers, communities, environment and wider public overall.

Many acknowledged companies (Procter & Gamble, IKEA, Cadbury, and Marks & Spencer etc) have developed a positive CSR image throughout the decades of their expansion on international markets. This is rather important for their good standing and brand promotion on the globally competitive markets. Their CSR policies can serve as examples to be followed by other market players as they established corporate codes of conduct that place their social and ethical obligations over the sole profit-making concerns. The organizations like these are therefore appealing to the general public, while the extensive emphasis on social issues enables them to win new target markets and increase profits.

As a designer, I feel socially responsible too. This is because I know that every person can donate for charity, help a child, and contribute to humanitarian aid or socially-oriented campaigns. In the world around us many people are daily surviving in financial dire straits. There are many regions in Asia and Africa where people are even starving on scarce food and water supplies. Being aware of this, as any rational and faithful person I do not want to wait until a big corporation or a global organization like UN or World Bank donates to these people. I am confident I can help these people on my own, and everyone can to make the world a better place.

The issue is, however, not all about money. As a designer I am placing my works for sale on Facebook and donate a part of the profit to charities and funds responsible for aid campaigns. As humans we should not wait until one more Ethiopian child dies tomorrow, we should act today. Even many of us are scarce of financial resources; we can join in aid programs on Facebook and contribute to their online promotion. As responsible citizens, it is rather important that each of us develops a sense of individual responsibility for the world around us. I am 100% confident that every more or less conscious person can benefit socially-oriented initiatives in this or other ways.

At least, everyone can watch for environmental safety and elimination of pollution in our immediate neighborhoods. Every person can benefit by starting with the smallest activity like picking a paper from a pavement or helping an elderly to pass the crossing. These deeds are small and may seem like a drop in the ocean, though everyone should start with something, get fonder, more socially responsible, set a positive example to others, and make up socially responsible citizens around us.