A new standard for being socially responsible

Today’s consumers seek organizations that demonstrate socially responsible business practices. ISO, the International Organization for Standardization, has been working on the issue for many years and has decided to launch an International Standard providing guidelines for social responsibility (SR). It will be available October 15.

ISO notes a need for organizations in both public and private sectors to behave in a socially responsible way is becoming a generalized requirement of society. The stakeholder groups that are participating in the in the development of this standard include industry, government, labor, consumers, nongovernmental organizations and others, in addition to geographical and gender-based balance.

The guidance standard will be published as ISO 26000 and be voluntary to use. It will not include requirements and will thus not be a certification standard. It will focus on seven key aspects of social responsibility: organizational governance, community involvement and development, environment, fair operating practices, consumer issues, labor practices, and human rights.

There is a range of opinions as to the right approach, ranging from strict legislation at one end to complete freedom at the other. ISO says it is looking for a middle road that promotes respect and responsibility based on known reference documents without stifling creativity and development. ISO’s guideline is designed to encourage voluntary commitment to social responsibility that will lead to common guidance on concepts, definitions and methods of evaluation.

The document is 100+ pages (including the annexes). For those who are interested, a website developed by representatives of EU industry can be found here.

The site is designed to help understand ISO 26000 without needing consultancy or other external services. The recommendations are developed from a user perspective, and may be particularly interesting for small and medium organizations.

ASQ, American Society for Quality, notes that increasing consumer demand leaves many asking, “Do we have what it takes?” As part of its growing effort to assume a leadership role locally and internationally in the SR movement, ASQ created the Socially Responsible Organization (SRO). If interested, you can join the community.