Corporate Social Responsibility Trends that will shape better future for companies

One word that better describes 2017 is unprecedented. The dynamic business environment changed the companies in a number of ways, from the mainstream discourse about the role corporations should play in advancing and addressing the global challenges to dealing with challenges at workplace. In 2018 the expectation from companies is they will continue to expand their activism on, and invest in, the major issues that affect the employees. Here is the list of corporate social responsibility trends to look for in 2018:

Ending harassment and inequality at workplace:In February last year, Susan Fowler published her whistle blowing essay on the issue of sexism and harassment during her time at Uber. Stating, how women in every industry face rampant sexual harassment, and also the corporate culture policies that are devised strictly against them. If 2017 was about speaking truth to power, 2018 will be about major policy changes both internally and externally at the workplace.

Focused and forward thinking brand activism:Much of CEO and corporate brand activism we witnessed in the year 2017 came in response to presidential announcements. Leading CEOs issued reactive statements on everything from immigration ban to public lands legislation to the transgender military ban to white supremacy and much more. Hopefully, we will continue to see this and it’s important, as we expect more statements for business leaders contributing to brand activism in 2018.

A shift from disaster recovery to climate resilience: We witnessed a long influx of natural disasters in 2017, companies now will invest more into resources that will safeguard them against calamities. This trend in 2018 will certainly see company’s immune against major climate changes.

More CSR in the C-Suite: With the heightened expectations on corporations as influencers in social and environmental sphere, more companies are bringing CSR into C-suite. We are definitely expecting to see an increase in corporate citizenship roles to executive status in 2018, said an expert at Boston College Centre for Corporate Citizenship.

Surely, we are on the right course for 2018 as companies prepare for the better future.