CSR :The Human touch

Value creation through Corporate Social Responsibility known as CSR was the CSR Committee meeting agenda. He was the chairperson. There were four proposal laid on his table. The submissions were explained through presentation by the top-notch personnel of the company. The projects were analyzed and scrutinized by the finance head, the legal head , the company secretary, CFO, CEO, through and through. Now it was his decision. To choose the one best for his Company.

Chairman communicated:

"Gentlemen , Our Company's think tank have done their job impeccably. All the projects are model in excellence , but I still feel something is missing. Give me one day and I will let you know. " He said and the meeting disbursed .

Driving back home that day, on a rainy Mumbai night, Chairman's car stopped at the signal. Traffic was halted. As a typical Mumbaikar he was annoyed by the potholes and traffic. On the left side of the pavement Chairman saw an old man drained in rain. He looked tattered and his face was sulked with hunger. The old man went in the nearby pan bidi shop and requested the shopkeeper to give the packet of potato chips for free. The chips were manufactured by Chairman's company. The shopkeeper typically declined his request. The same time, Chairman saw that a young man got off the rickshaw and purchased two packet of chips and added a cold drink for the old man. He then asked the old man to commute in his rickshaw. Chips and cold drink purchased by the lad were manufactured by Chairman's company. Completely dumbstruck by the incident, Chairman hoped to meet the young lad, but the traffic started and the rickshaw disappeared from sight.

Next day, to Chairman's surprise, he saw the young lad working in his company.

"O he is my employee. " Chairman whispered proudly.

"My employee, purchasing products manufactured by my company for a needy person. " He muttered and ambled in the Board room.

Management and the committee members were waiting for his decision.

"What is CSR ?" Chairman asked everyone and the bookish definition bombarded on him.

One said :

"Making Good Business Sense as the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as the local community and society at large. CSR is one of the management strategies where companies try to create a positive impact on society while doing business."

"Ok. What is value creation? "Chairman asked the members. Again, the perfect academic definition showered on him.

The other said:

"Value creation happens when a business or organization uses its work and resources to create something of value that is sold to a customer base. In turn, the business earns a profit for what it has created and the customers have a want or need fulfilled."

"Rightly said, perfectly modeled but Gentlemen sorry , absolutely wrongly executed. May I introduce a new member on the committee. Varun please come in." Chairman said admiringly. The young man who helped old man came in reluctantly.

"Varun gave me the real meaning of CSR yesterday night." Chairman said and lauded him for his meritorious act.

Chairman came to know the missing element in those perfect projects. The missing element was the human touch.