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In line with our commitment in favour of corporate social responsibility, we chose to have our first interview with Isabelle Barth, director of the CESAG and professor at the Strasbourg School of Management.

We would like to thank Mrs Barth for answering positively to our request and for the time she granted to us.

The CESAG is the Centre d'Etude des Sciences Appliquées à la Gestion (Center of Study of Sciences Applied to Management). It is located in Strasbourg and includes 70 scientists dedicated to the study of management practices. Its objective is to review all the major fields of management: accounting-management control, marketing, human resources, information systems and strategy. Given the studies conducted, methodologies are action research, participant observation or intervention research.

For more information, you can visit the CESAG's site  

Is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) a subject CESAG's scientists focus on?

Yes, it is, as several scientists support this topic in the CESAG. As in companies, it is linked for the moment to an HR issue, whereas CSR is a transverse topic that should be therefore shared by all the employees of the organization. By linking this issue to a function, there is much chance people will feel little concerned, as CSR is not full part of their job description. The objective in research as in management is to turn it into an everyone issue.

How would you define CSR exactly?

CSR comprises three core elements that are diversity, ethics and sustainable development.
In concrete terms, it means the company is a social actor and that in that capacity, it deals with issues relative to these three values. The company considers within this framework actions that could formerly come within institutions (like the State) and that aim at favouring more social justice or more respect to the environment.
It induces deep questionings on the role of companies. Actually, considering the Weber or Bentham traditions, it is considered that their mission is to make profit. CSR is thus also a thinking on the role a company must play and on its place in the society in its whole.

What is the advantage for the civilian society that companies implement CSR policies?

The properties of this movement are to be measured in terms of efficiency. The company is able to treat certain topics much faster than the State is. It is able to show results in short or medium terms.
However, institutions should not necessarily withdraw. It is important that regulations and laws back the actions led internally by companies. Whether it is related to sustainability, ethics or diversity, it is indeed a very structuring conduct of change, that concerns the whole organization and that is to be implemented in the long term.
The Institution must therefore take over at the right time for this structural change to take roots in the society as well.

Is CSR a fashionable issue or an achievement?

There is a chance it will become a fashionable issue.
This concern emerged in France, 15 or 20 years ago and is increasingly current. We must nevertheless remain careful. It must not turn into an issue that expires with time.
Today, when we have a look at research publications at the international scale, they are continuously on a rise.
The first publications on the diversity issue date back to 1992/1993. The last 2007/2008 meters are still in progress.

According to you, why is CSR presently a widely discussed topic?

A rise of interest in these issues is presently noted, due to awareness, and to a very high societal pressure. To understand, just pay attention to the comments on the condition of our environment.
The same is for diversity. The question of seniors, for example, is a current issue with the new measures applicable in 2010*.
Scientists therefore presently work a lot on these topics and thus participate in the thinking.
And finally, it must not be neglected that these issues are fascinating and transverse, and thus likely to be tackled in numerous research issues.

Diversity management, that is one of the core elements of CSR, is your specialty. What does "diversity management" mean?

Indeed, I have been working on it as my favourite issue for now about 4 or 5 years.
Diversity management is based on the idea that difference is richness. The lower version of diversity is tolerance. By presenting it this way, I am a bit simplistic for it will be easier to comprehend.
From an ethical point of view, excluding somebody from the business world or not allowing them to fulfil their potential because of what they are is simply unacceptable.
From a business point of view, discrimination is synonymous with under-performance for both the victim and the witness. The company thus truly ought to treat these questions and work at reconciling all particularities.
It is important and interesting to act in order to put an end to discriminations, harassment and to give everyone career advancement possibilities and projects.

In practical terms, how does a company come to adopt a management strategy that favours diversity?

There are several ways it can be tackled according to the company's history and level of maturation.
The first one is when the company's attention is drawn on the issue. It can take the form of a complaint in the HALDE (Haute Autorité de Lutte contre les Discriminations et pour l'Egalité - High Authority against Discrimination and for Equality), a court, trade unions, i.e. a third party.
The second usual way is internal to the company. An individual with conviction can bear these kinds of values and will act accordingly.
Lastly, we find business interests. This third way is the most frequent. In these business interests, certain approaches show project logics:
For example: L'Oréal proposes cosmetic products that must be suitable for skin and hair types that are different according to the ethnical origin. The trademark's interests thus drive to recognize diversity as richness.
Besides these project logics, there are also regulatory logics. This is the case of little demanded jobs. When the company realizes it cannot hire standard applicants, it will hire people that are different. Women for "male jobs" for example.

Is this easy to implement CSR once we decide to do so? 

Quite the contrary.
When you change profiles, it means that after integrating them, you must be able to keep them, motivate them and make them advance.
If the actors have not understood the interest of diversity management or if resources to do so were not given to them, it can create numerous conflicts.
For example, when women take up jobs that are traditionally male jobs, a changing room or a cabinet must be built. It will lead to jealousy as the new changing room made for 2 women is larger than the one 80 men are sharing etc. This is the company's life and it is often complicated to be different.
Lastly, there are what we call the "cosmetic strategies". They indeed exist, unfortunately. They consist in making believe the company is committed in CSR issues whereas the reality is completely different. A nice ethical chart is displayed in the entry of the company. But actually, when you ask people, it does not conform to reality. That distortion creates misunderstanding and suffering.

Do you think new generations are more able to bear CSR's values?

I would say new generations have a more instrumental vision of the company. It is the result of the bad working conditions experienced by their parents. From a very young age, they came to the conclusion that the company's usefulness is only to pay a salary.
Nevertheless, many of them also seek the passion job and a better balance between their professional life and their personal life. But I think seniors also wish to find that balance. It is very difficult to categorize by age.
On the other hand, one thing is certain, the relation to authority has changed. The younger generations are not sensitive to line authority and trust in a charismatic leader rather.
On the face of it, the younger generations are attracted by companies that bear CSR values. But I am not sure it means they feel more concerned for all that. They are inclined to travel, but are they open-minded for all that? They are steeped in comments on diversity, but do they act differently from the generations above them in their behaviour? I am not convinced they do. Hence the retakes in companies.
When we interview young students, we note they are witnesses or victims of multiple scenes of discrimination without they even realize it.

So, after all, what is CSR's future in our companies?

Promoting diversity as any other issue related to CSR must result from a true strategic will.

More than subscribing to it, it must be believed in as its implementation is not easy and often runs counter to our natural reactions.
I hope new generations will be able to take up the challenge. Anyway, I personally strongly believe awareness of people from their earliest years on these topics would prompt tomorrow's managers to be socially responsible.

Interview conducted by Marine Ponchut

Project manager assistant

* From January 1, 2010, companies of 50 employees and above will be subjected to a penalty (1% of the wage bill) if they have not signed an agreement or adopted an action plan relating to recruitment and job maintenance of seniors.

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