A few words about Romanian Corporate Social Responsability (CSR)

My friend Dragos kindly asked me to express my opinion about last year’s Romanian CSR initiatives. First of all I am not an expert in this field so I may be wrong in many of my observations but…. let’s move on.

What are the first 3 companies that you appreciate for their social commitment?

I can not name 3 organizations that impressed me but I can name one: Ciel. Ciel is making a very good job with their Ciel Awards competition. They educate youngsters about business and some of the best new entrepreneurs started with their competition.

What makes you angry about Romanian CSR initiatives?

I hate companies that tout their social responsibility with usual bullshit: “We help the society by making quality products” or “Our CSR program is aimed at our employees: we really care about them and want to make them happy”. Guess what? You, as a company, are obligated to have quality products… you should care about your people! Don’t brag with stuff that you should do anyway.

What is the most important cause for companies to get involved in?

I am a liberal and I think that only by stimulating entrepreneurship (whether it is business related or not) this country can evolve. So … I would like that every big company to invest money into schools or business/ personal development programs. In a word EDUCATION.