Csr

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

WITHIN

THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY

By : R J Wright

This assignment is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Salford for the degree of:

Bachelor of Arts with honours in Hospitality Management

Declaration

The following work has been completed by R J Wright and it is all my own work except where it is referenced accordingly.

R J Wright

R J Wright

Abbreviations

1. CSR Corporate Social Responsibility

2. PR Public Relations

3. AEF Aviation Environmental Federation

4. ETS Emissions Trading Scheme

5. CO2 Carbon Dioxide

6.

7. US United States of America

8. UK United Kingdom

9.

Contents Page

1. Title Page 1

2. Declaration 2

3. Abbreviations 3

4. Contents 4

5. Abstract 5

6. Definition of Corporate Social Responsibility 6

7. Defining the Concept 6

8. CSR within the airline industry 8

9. The Companies 9

10. Taking Action 10

11. a

12. a

13. a

14. aa

15. a

16. Bibliography

Abstract

Researcher: Roderick Wright

Date of completion: 19 Nov 2007

Background information: A brief insight into the history and development of corporate social responsibility, from it inception to current day. It then looks at CSR within the Airline Industry, in particular the levels airlines are using to address their carbon footprint.

The report then looks at the strengths and weaknesses of the airlines in meeting their CSR. Finally it will briefly look at recommendations that they could adopt to improve the actual and perceived status as a CSR organisation.

Aims & Objectives: To determine if British Airway and other Airline Companies are Corporate Social Responsible Companies, or are they merely using the CSR status as a public relations exercise to ensure they achieve a sustainable competitive advantage.

To provide feasible and affordable recommendations the airline industry could implement to show they are or at least wish to be a CSR company.

Definitions of Corporate Social Responsibility

The phrase Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) was coined in 1953 with the publication of Bowen's 'Social Responsibility of Businessmen', which posed the question 'what responsibilities to society can business people be reasonably expected to assume?' (Bowen 1953). Throughout the 70s and 80s academic discussion of the concept of CSR grew, but the first company to actually publish a social report was Ben and Jerry's in 1989(Marlin 2003), and the first major company was Shell in 1998(Shell 1998).

It is universally agreed there is no single definition of Corporate Social Responsibility that has been agreed by all aspects involved in it use, implementation or control, but a great many companies and organisations world wide promote its ever increasing use in today's environmental and economic climate. CSR can best be described as a concept.

Defining the concept:

According to the European Commission, Corporate Social Responsibility is, "a concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis", (Bushill-Mathews, 2003), He then goes on to say, ...'the commitment of business to contribute to sustainable economic development, working with employees, their families, the local community and society at large to improve their quality of life'. However The World Business Council for Sustainable Development іn its publication "Makіng Good Business Sense" by Lord Holme and Richard Watts, used the following definition. "Corporate Social Responsibility is the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality оf life оf the workforce and their families as well as оf the local community and society at large." (Strong 2004 p16)

The same report gave some evidence оf the different perceptions оf what this should mean from а number оf different societies across the world, such as: "CSR is about capacity building for sustainable livelihoods. (Kosdrosky 2000 p32) It respects cultural differences and finds the business opportunities іn building the skills оf employees, thе community and thе government" from Ghana, through tо "CSR is about busіness givіng back tо society" from thе Philippines. (Yoon et al. 2006, p377-390)

The definitions above seem to be very similar but if studied they are also different, the similarities between all the above definitions are, as Bushill-Mathews and strong says it is a "commitment by a company to its employees and to consider its impact on the environment." For example many companies develop community projects in the vicinity of their sites, to offset negative impacts or 'give back' to the community and the local workforce.