February 22, 2012, by ICCSR
A CSR research seminar in Ghent
The night before… I have arrived in the beautiful city of Ghent to be met by couples cosying up under big red papier-mâché hearts and fairy lights in pizzerias along the river… It’s Valentines Day 2012 and I have arrived in this quaint Belgian city to talk about my true love tomorrow: my PhD in sustainable consumption! I am, however, feeling slightly anxious given that this is my first research seminar…
Having spent the last four years working in industry, I am used to presenting. What makes me nervous is the fact that I won’t be representing the ‘corporate line’ tomorrow; I will be sharing my own thoughts, opinions and research ideas. It feels very personal and quite new being only five months into my PhD. Still, I feel excited at the same time to be given the opportunity to travel, to network with a group of international academics, to gain some constructive feedback on my research and, above all, to taste some of Belgian’s famous chocolate! So I await tomorrow with nervous anticipation. I hope that I am fully prepared for the presentation and that the questions won’t be too challenging…!
The night after… So it’s the night following the presentations and I have returned to my hotel room having spent the evening ‘Celebrating CSR’ with my new PhD friends. The night consisted of sampling a number of key Belgian drinks (Kwak, Genever…), chatting about varied cultural, professional and academic backgrounds, strolling through the city and becoming rather philosophical about what the future holds, and generally taking the opportunity to reflect on what has been an incredible day.
I was dazzled by the beauty of Ghent by day and was not disappointed when I entered into the converted monastery, which houses Vlerick Leuven Management School, this morning. On arriving into the bright and airy seminar room, I was met with a collaborative environment where ideas could be shared freely. The CSR academic panel provided detailed advice around the PhD process, offering tips and words of support to all 20+ students in attendance. The students themselves also brought interesting experience and perspectives to the table. In fact, some of the most interesting conversations I had were with the other students. Getting to know everyone formally and informally was a lot of fun and I feel inspired to be part of the world of academia after today.
Most importantly, my presentation went really well! I felt that I captured all of the key points and gained constructive criticism around the areas of my research that needed it the most (my conceptual framework). The audience seemed genuinely engaged in my research, which gave me a huge confidence boost. I gained some invaluable feedback (particularly from my academic idol who chaired my workshop on ‘CSR and consumers’!) and I have been provided with much food for thought on how I can really strengthen my unique contribution.
The next day… So, now I am on the train back from Brussels to the UK, what can I conclude about my 2 days in Ghent? Well… I have loved every minute. I now have my first insight into the world of presenting academic research and I can honestly say that I liked it! I have learnt that an academic career can provide some exciting opportunities and I have gained some clear direction on how to build my research. Most importantly, I have met some fantastic people, both seasoned academics and fellow students, from all over the world.
On reflection, the common theme that bound us all together was our collective passion for CSR. From quants to qual methods, economic theory to social movement theory, all participants shared a common interest, and I find this really motivating. I hope to continue to ‘celebrate CSR’ with like-minded academics in the months and years to come. I already can’t wait for my next speaking opportunity… I am leaving Belgium with a notepad full of ideas and a suitcase full of chocolate!
By Sarah Singleton. Sarah is a doctoral student at the ICCSR, Nottingham University Business School.
Image supplied by the author.
Consumed with pride and in the certain knowledge that you will prove to be sustainable.
Well done !
Once the Grand Inga Dam across the Congo river is finished in 2025, it will generate twice as much electricity as the Three Gorges Dam
I had no idea such a job title existed wihitn corporations. Hmm.It’s interesting since the fiduciary duty of the managers/executives of corporations are to the corporation itself. And that means by law they must bring to the corporation any opportunities that directly relate to the mission of the corporate entity.But what is the fiduciary responsibility of the corporation to its country, or perhaps to the world since companies today are multi-national?Obviously this is a course very few top executives took in college, mainly because it didn’t exist. We call it ethics or morals. But Enron, MCI, Adelphia, and others show us that a handful of companies *only* measure of success was the next quarters profit even if it meant cheating.In other words, nobody stopped to say, Wait, it’s not just that we got the the top of the mountain, but also, how we got there. The fact that its near impossible to communicate with boards of directors and top echelon staff compound their separation from the people.Yahoo is an excellent example.They entered the Chinese market and assisted the local authorities in locating a journalist who was then imprisoned for 10 years. And then Jerry Yang defended their actions.Doesn’t Yang and Yahoo owe some kind of duty to the society that created a ready platform for their success?A corporation that doesn’t consider the people will end up in a society where people are not considered. And technology in the hands of people who don’t care about humanity will lead to enslavement.The two cannot be separated.The ideals upon which this country was founded are probably a good place to start when it comes to corporate social responsibility. Is the corporation investing and behaving in a way that promotes life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?If it’s not, what measures can be taken to correct it?In the case of Yahoo its fairly simple, stop turning over the names of journalists who are fighting for freedom of speech. When those voices of freedom are silenced (with Yahoo’s help) it means the company itself is complicit in violating the very ideals upon which this country was founded.That is why I think Intel needs to very carefully examine its role in China. And the role that its technology plays in the Chinese economy.Hitler had plenty of technology. Technology in the hands of those countries that do not respect human rights will ultimately turn against those who promote liberty (i.e., the Nazi’s didn’t believe the Jews were human).So a CSR job may be the most important role in the company!