Globally, companies are giving back: seven countries surveyed for corporate social...

About 80 percent of the businesses surveyed in seven countries have executed some type of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practice, says a Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) study. In addition, because the importance of CSR has increased over the past few years, SHRM is forming a

The study--2007 Corporate Social Responsibility: A Pilot Study--surveyed HR professionals in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, India, Mexico and the United States. About 80 percent of HR professionals in those countries said their organizations participated in practices that could be considered socially responsible and that ranged from donating to local charities to monitoring global fair labor standards, the report says.

Globalization is spurring companies to incorporate CSR practices, Susan R. Meisinger, SPHR, SHRM president and CEO, said in a written statement, and HR professionals are playing larger roles in CSR programs, from developing strategies to implementing programs.

On average, organizations participated in multiple types of socially responsible practices, the report says. Charitable donations and fundraising are the most frequently reported CSR practices, but some organizations say they practice CSR by complying with industry regulations. Those beliefs are consistent with traditional views of CSR as either being a philanthropic program or one that ensures employees have optimal working conditions, the report says.

HR professionals employed by organizations in Brazil reported the highest rate of organizational participation in CSR practices, and HR professionals in China reported the lowest rate of CSR participation, the report says. HR professionals from Australia, India, Mexico and Brazil are more likely than those from the United States to report that their organizations had formal CSR policies. Encouraging employees to volunteer in a CSR program is the most frequently cited means of involving workers in those programs.

There is a "strong perception" that CSR programs can improve an organization's public image, the report says. However, there is no standard for measuring the success of an organization's CSR efforts, making companies partially dependent on how well the organization communicates its CSR practices to its stakeholders, the local community and society at large, the study says.

J.J. SMITH IS MANAGER OF SHRM ONLINE'S GLOBAL HR FOCUS AREA.

RELATED ARTICLE: CSR Impact on Business

Percentages of companies that consider CSR when making business decisions:

* Australia, 52 percent.

* Brazil, 62 percent.

* Canada, 54 percent.

* China, 35 percent.

* India, 38 percent.

* Mexico, 26 percent.

* United States, 47 percent.

See the full survey report at www.shrm.org/surveys.