A number of organizations give corporate responsibility awards to companies they believe advance the interest of their organization. Corporate social responsibility awards can be given by industry, by geographic location, or by the type of achievement. Types of corporate social responsibility awards can include environmental awards, diversity awards, or economic development awards. These awards can are given out to corporations that demonstrate exceptional social responsibility or make significant strides in socially responsible technology. Corporate social responsibility awards are distributed by many types of groups, including media outlets and organizations promoting social responsibility, and also by other corporations.
Generally, social responsibility awards are given out by organizations dedicated to a social cause. Groups dedicated to promoting social causes give awards to corporations that conduct business in ways that champion their causes. For instance, a local water conservation group might give a local business or national corporation a water conservation award for efforts to help conserve water within their community. A group dedicated to racial diversity in the workplace may award a company that has had a history of racially fair and diverse hiring.
Social responsibility generally includes operating with environmental, economic, and humanistic awareness, or making decisions that neutrally or positively affect things like pollution control, education, and industry performance. Media companies that give out corporate social responsibility awards include magazines, television stations, and industry-specific publications. When an award is given by an industry-specific group or publication, it highlights excellence within that specific industry.
Sometimes, an industry group can give awards to companies to promote a cause within a field of business. Corporate social responsibility awards can be given by industry leaders to draw attention to or raise standards in a certain area of social responsibility. An award given by a public relations news organization that is promoting environmentally friendly causes might highlight the best public relations campaign promoting environmentally friendly or green behavior. Dairy organizations might use awards to promote humane practices in corporate dairy operations.
Corporate social responsibility awards can help promote good corporate social practices, but should not be used as the sole indicator of a company's commitment to social responsibility. A single corporate social responsibility award does not necessarily mean a company always operates using socially responsible business practices, but can indicate a company that is moving toward social responsibility. Some social responsibility awards hold greater weight than others. The reputation of an award is often dependent upon the reputation of the organization giving the award.
