Perspectives in Responsible Sourcing

Thank you to the readers of the blog!

Wow!  It has been almost a year since we first started this blog and the response to it has been tremendous.  We have received many encouraging comments from all over and we are very proud to have been linked by various other blogs focused on issues of corporate social responsibility.

So this is just a short note to say "thanks" to the readers of the blog, "double thanks" to those who have subscribed to the blog, and "thanks much" to the other blogs and websites that have linked to us.  The continued support is greatly appreciated!

Also, long time visitors will notice that we have a new poll asking the question "how should governments promote corporate responsibility?"  Given the law that was recently passed by Indonesia law makers and the continuing debates around the globe about whether or not to mandate corporate responsibility, we thought it was a timely question to ask.  We'll share the poll results with you at the end of August.

As well, you will notice something new on the sidebar called "opinmind".  In about 24 hour's time, quotable quotes from our blog will start appearing in that space.  Should a quote catch your eye, just click it and you will be brought to the blog entry the quote was taken from.  It's a nice way to highlight the great writing on the blog and give readers another way to access previous blog entries.

Happy reading!

UPDATE: We've added one more feature to the blog.  By clicking the "Bookmark" button you can now add a link to the blog onto your Google or Yahoo! toolbar, or on sites like Digg or Del.icio.us!

Poll Results for November 1st

Over the last couple of months, we've been asking blog visitors to give their opinion on who, within the supply chain, bears the responsibility for ensuring goods are made in a socially responsible manner.  The results were interesting...

• 25% of respondents felt that retailers and brands, who often have the power to demand compliance from their suppliers, should carry the brunt of the responsibility.
• None of the respondents put the responsibility solely on the factories that employ the workers, nor solely on the middlemen who partner with factories.
• A further 25% of respondents placed the responsibility on the shoulder of consumers, who can presumably drive the demand for socially responsible goods.
• The remaining 50% of respondents felt that all of the above entities within the supply chain have a role to play in ensuring goods are produced in a socially responsible manner.

What conclusions can we make from the results of this poll?  Perhaps nothing that we didn't already know or believe.  But perhaps we should also think about what stakeholders were missing from this survey...

Government.  Governments were not included in the poll options because they are not direct players in a supply chain.  However, what responsibility do governments have in ensuring that (a) there are adequate laws and regulations to protect workers from exploitation, (b) such laws have consequences enough to deter exploitative behavior, and (c) such laws are adequately enforced? 

Workers.  While this is most certainly a controversial viewpoint, there are some who would argue that workers have at least a modicum of responsibility to demand better working conditions.  Obviously their socio-economic situation, fear, feelings of hopelessness, and distrust often stand in the way of them reporting exploitative behavior to authorities.  But worker testimony regarding working conditions is often the best way to root out exploitation within the supply chain, since their testimony carries so much weight and legitimacy.

Investors.  Again, since investors are not direct players in the supply chain, this was not one of the poll options.  However, few can deny that in the end it is all a money game, and those who control the money (both institutions and individuals) often control much more than just the purse strings and can sometimes dictate the strategic direction of the companies in which they invest.

Are there other stakeholders we haven't considered?  Given these other stakeholders, would the poll results be similar?  Do all of these stakeholders bear equal amount of responsibility or do some carry more responsibility than the others?

Amidst all of these new questions, we invite you to participate in a new poll, featured on the right menu bar of the blog, the results of which will be presented at the beginning of December.  Happy voting!

Poll Results for September 8, 2006

The results for the first poll are in!  For the past month, we have been asking blog visitors the following question: "Do you make a conscious effort to buy from companies that are socially responsible?".  61.5% of respondents said that they did try to buy from socially responsible companies, while the remainder of the respondents said that they did not.

Currently, according to Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS), the oldest ethical consumerism organization in the US, approximately 30% of adults in the US identify themselves as ethical consumers.  So it seems that we have more than twice the US rate of ethical consumers among our blog audience, which is hardly surprising since our blog audience is comprised mainly of CSR professionals and those who have interest in the topic of CSR.  More interesting, perhaps, is the number of respondents who said they do not think about social responsibility when they shop - are these respondents CSR professionals?  what factors do they take into consideration when they shop, if not social responsibility?  why does social responsibility fall below these other factors in their decision making? 

We invite you to participate in a new poll, featured on the right menu bar of the blog.  For the month of September, we are asking blog respondents their opinion on who bears the responsibility for ensuring goods are made in a socially responsible manner.  The results of this poll will be shared at the beginning of October, along with an invitation to participate in a new poll.

And while we have you here, please note that the bloggers' bios and information about CSCC can be found by clicking the "About" button on the top right of the blog.