Whilst there certainly was some hesitation about Pearson and the feasibility of a CSR strategy, my attitude was positive and I seemed to be excited about creating a document that could be useful and beneficial for the company.
Looking back, I think I had the rose-coloured glasses on. In fact, I think that I have had the rose-coloured glasses on for quite some time now.
I always thought that CSR was such a positive and beneficial initiative for companies to engage in. I thought that it was philanthropic and selfless, developed to genuinely give something back to the community. Throughout this process, I have discovered that this is not so. When researching Pearson’s global programs, I really began to understand the level of strategy involved in CSR. I think that it is easy to overlook this strategy and to the unsuspecting eye, Pearson’s programs are purely philanthropic. Yet, to someone really looking, like me, you start to see how they ingeniously weave their products and services into their partnerships, to ensure future profit.
Whilst I set out to create a document that could really impact beneficiaries, I have come out of it thinking that maybe this is not possible. I had invested so much hope in CSR, considering the decrease in government spending on international aid, and the difficulty of fundraising in Australia, that I failed to see that maybe they just don’t really care about CSR? Maybe all they care about is the bottom line, that is… making money.
Considering decreased support for international aid, and the ever-growing host of global problems, I really hope that this is not so. I do hope that companies see the benefit of CSR and of the impact that they can make, and hopefully my Industry Report has shown just one company that they can make a difference.