Q Why Does Social Responsibility Matter to Me? Do you have an area of social or environmental needs that you care about? Do you know how business leaders can redefine success to include profits but also inclusivity and sustainability? Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock.com Social responsibility focuses on how companies impact society as a whole. While not all managers agree on the value of social responsibility to a company’s bottom line, many companies have contributed resources, knowledge, and products to assist their communities. Social responsibility often leads to positive associations for companies that do the right thing and potential customers may seek out companies that are socially responsible when making purchases. Social responsibility requires a company to contribute to society and is not the same thing as ethics. Companies that build programs for social responsibility must do so with the commitment of top executives, planning, and the appointment of a director who is a top-level executive in charge of recommending policies and helping departments understand how to take up specific social responsibilities. The social responsibility director will often complete a social audit which is a comprehensive report of what leaders in the company have done and are doing in regard to social responsibility throughout the year. Refer to the following scenario to see why social responsibility matters to you and the world around you. Imagine you have a class assignment to research a section of a social audit report for a company that interests you. Social audit reports often include sections about human resources, community involvement, quality and safety of products, business practices, and sustainability. These sections include both the positives and negatives a company is experiencing and a plan to continue to improve. There are a lot of sections in a social audit to choose from and you are excited to learn more about social responsibility. Why Does Social Responsibility Matter to Me? Which section of the social audit report will you choose to research?