ENHANCE CORPORATE IMAGE WITH THE ISO 26000 STANDARD

Sep 22, 2019 News, Standards in Focus

What takes twenty years to build and five minutes to ruin? Answer? Reputation, at least according to Warren buffet, one of the richest men in the world. Many organizations consider their greatest asset to be their good name or reputation; and thus, they work actively to build the “bank of goodwill” towards them. The ISO 26000: Guidance on Social Responsibility offers guidelines to help companies and businesses desirous of building and maintaining their corporate image.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become a common practice among many organizations worldwide. The positive impact and effectiveness of CSR is sought in all areas of modern business. CSR policy can be used successfully in terms of building a positive corporate image of the organization among the interested parties and the society.
Enhancing corporate image and reputation can result in a range of benefits to organisation including customer preference in doing business with it, guaranteed stakeholder support in times of controversy and increased value of organisations in the financial marketplace.
The ISO 26000 is an International Standard developed by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) in 2010. The standard provides guidance rather than requirements, so it cannot be certified to unlike some other well-known ISO standards. Instead, it helps clarify what social responsibility is, helps businesses and organizations translate principles into effective actions and shares best practices relating to social responsibility, globally. It is aimed at all types of organizations regardless of their activity, size or location.
The standard provides guidance on recognizing social responsibility and engaging stakeholders on ways to integrate socially responsible behaviour into their organizations. The document addresses the seven key underlying principles of social responsibility, which are Accountability, Transparency, Ethical behaviour, Respect for stakeholder interests, Respect for the rule of law, Respect for international norms of behaviour and Respect for human rights.
In addition, the seven core subjects and issues pertaining to social responsibility are in detailed in the standard. These issues are Organizational governance, Human rights, Labor practices, the environment, Fair operating practices, Consumer issues, Community involvement and development.
The standard also aims to provide practical guidance related to making social responsibility operational and assists with identifying and engaging with stakeholders. Further, it offers guidance in enhancing credibility of reports and claims made about social responsibility.
By implementing the guidelines in the ISO 26000, many organisations around the globe have experienced increased confidence and satisfaction among their customers and other stakeholders. Further, the integration of CSR programmes in organizational strategies have put greater emphasis on the issues of the environment and the society; and it is an effective measuring mechanism for evaluating the impact and benefits of CSR on the corporate image of the organizations.
Finally, the ISO 26000 standard is intended for use by all types of organisations in the private, public and non-profit sectors, whether large or small, and whether operating in developed or developing countries such as ours. While not all parts of the standard will be of equal use for all types of organisations, its core subjects, which addresses a number of key issues, is relevant to every organisation. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the individual organisation to identify which of the issues are relevant and significant to it and to implement those issues to enhance its corporate image.
For further information, kindly contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 219-0065, 219-0066 or 219-0069.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)

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