For the second time in as many months, I’m disappointed in the Wall Street Journal’s choice to publish tired opinions and outdated views of corporate social responsibility. 

In an opinion piece in last week’s Washington Post, the respected author and global editor of Thomson Reuters, Chrystia Freeland, blasted corporate social responsibility as a “cult” and a “fetish.”    At first glance, I found Ms.

Guest blogger “Edil K” posted these questions in the lead up to Mission Measurement’s session at the 2010 Health and Human Rights Conference in Toronto last week. 

“The business just doesn’t get what we’re trying to do here!” “The C-suite doesn’t have time to spend on this…it’s not at the top of their priority list.” “…We have a strategy.  We’re just looking for Marketing to help us with the tagline.” 

More than 1000 representatives from corporations, NGOs and governments gathered in San Francisco last week for the annual Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) conference.  The long-standing conference covered 4 days this year, beginning with pre-conference trainings on Tuesday and carrying through Friday with a series of keynote speakers, group panels, working sessions, and networking events.  As a rookie attendant, I found the event exhilarating and was particularly enthralled by two sessions that incorporated public-private partnerships.

More than a dozen leaders of the corporate social responsibility community in Chicago gathered on Friday, September 18th to share their experiences and ideas over lunch.  Hosted by Mission Measurement as part of the Leaders in Social Innovation (LSI) luncheon series, the discussion drew representatives from banking, healthcare, professional services, insurance, social media and philanthropy. 

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a term that has evolved in recent years.  Those who follow the pattern in which corporations engage in social issues have noted how the role of CSR has grown from that of mindful compliance to one of strategic importance.  I was reminded of this recently while chuckling at an episode of the NBC sitcom “30Rock.”  In it, one of the show’s characters sports a t-shirt with the corporate slogan, “Sheinhardt Wig Company: Not Polluting Rivers Since 1997.”    

“Is the economic downturn affecting the willingness and readiness of companies to look at the economic, social, and environmental impact of their business practices? Or is this a perfect time to reassess current programs and adapt them to changing—and in many cases increasing—needs in society?” 

Sometimes, we can find corporate social innovation in the most unlikely of places. Lube Stop, a northeast Ohio-based chain of three dozen oil change outlets, is taking recycling and sustainability in the auto industry to an entirely new level. They are thinking through every aspect of their business in order to reduce their environmental footprint, while also adding value to their business and their customers.