Increasing competitiveness of macedonian businesses through csr

8th SEEITA – 7th SEE ICT Forum Meeting & 7th MASIT Open Days Conference14-15 October 2010, Ohrid www.seeita.org

Increasing competitiveness of Macedonian businesses through CSR

-The Case of

Business Leaders Forum Macedonia -

Katerina Spasovska,Development Coordinator

Center for Institutional Development


Content

• Short Info about the Center for Institutional Development –CIRa

• CIRa Capacities

• Social Responsibility of CIRa

• CSR case: BUSINESS LEADERS FORUM Macedonia: rationale behind the initiative, description, founding members, activities, membership


Short Info about CIRaCivil Society Organization funded in 2004, with a mission to strengthen capacities of civil society, businesses and local communities for achieving tangible societal changes

Foremost known by pioneer initiatives: • Law on donations and sponsorships • Administration of Corporate Funds• Public philanthropic campaigns • “Leaders in Social Responsibility Awards”• Electronic Newsletter “Philanthropy in Macedonia”• Business Leaders Forum Macedonia


CIRa capacities

• 17 experienced professionals with different educational backgrounds

• 4 floor building with 8 offices, meeting/ training room for 20 people, library, 3 vehicles, professional training equipment

• Great network of partners that have been participating in our activities

• Annual budget of around 1.000.000 EUR distributed in the community .


Everybody talks about CSR, but…

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world”

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi


Social responsibility of CIRa

Towards the employees: participative decisionmaking, competitive salaries and daily allowancerates, life insurance policy, paid annual healthcheck, business mobile, loans without interest,flexible working hours, compensation days forovertime work, paid consultations with apsychologists, usage of vehicles for privateneeds, professional development andvolunteering opportunities



Towards vendors: annual and multiannual contracts (in return we get free services, discounts and vouchers), payment on time, partnership and friendship (participation on our events-Santa Clause), strengthening of their capacities (sharing our inventory, system and working procedures) , raising their awareness about CSR (vendors as donators to our activities)



• Towards the target group of beneficiaries/ clients: donation of equipment, volunteering of CIRa staff, free of charge facilities, equipment and dumping prices for NGOs with limited finances, continual communication and support

• Towards the community: Targeting social problems and running public campaigns with volunteering engagement of CIRa employees and financial support by CIRa unrestricted funds


CSR case:

Business

Leaders

Foruminitiative


Business Leaders Forum Macedonia

• First Initiative of this kind in Macedonia

Started in 2008 by the Center for Institutional Development with support from PontisFoundation (administrator of BLF Slovakia) and SlovakAid

• The main aim: to link and consolidate knowledge in order to help Macedonian

companies to achieve competitive advantage by applying CSR principles in their business models


Rationale behind the BLF:CSR Challenges to Macedonian Companies

• Lack of understanding about CSR and its benefits

• Lack of skills and knowledge to apply the concept

• Shortage of funds to make CSR works

• Lack of communication channels for sharing information on CSR issues, possibilities and trends

• Lack of cooperation and mutual initiatives between the “peers”


Rationale behind the BLF:CSR Challenges to Macedonian Companies

• Lack of media support for promotion of good CSR examples i.e. journalists are hardly recognizing responsible businesses-they treat only those who are irresponsible

• Lack of governmental support/motivation to entrepreneurs or companies to run the CSR model of business


What is BLF?

A Platform that brings together small,

medium and large-sized companies’ committed to run the business in a responsible way by

integrating CSR principles into the

business models and everyday operations in

order to provide long-term sustainability of their businesses and the

country as a whole.



Founded on May 26, 2010 by 6 companies with strong CSR focus:

• Ading AD Skopje • Gemak Trejd• INet• Makedonski Telekom AD – Skopje• KPMG Macedonia DOO Skopje • TTK Bank s.c. Skopje

Center for Institutional Development is Administrator of BLF.


By Signing the Memorandum of Understanding, 6 Executive Directors have agreed to apply the CSR principles in their work and to share their knowledge and experience with other BLF members.



BLF mission is to support members to plan, implement, assess and improve their CSR

activities in order to achieve sustainablebusiness growth that increases company profit and produces positive economic,

social and environmental effects for community development.



BLF activities

• Strategic counseling and education to member companies

• Innovation and learning-organization of regular meetings, debates, workshops, trainings, conferences etc

• Helping businesses to get connected with stakeholders and develop successful cross-sector partnerships.

• Implementation of joint activities for improvement of the business environment and community development

• Promotion of the best CSR practices and sharing of ideas, information and experience at local and international level


BLF Membership

• Only companies can become members of BLF.

• Interested companies should contact CIRa, fill out CSR Profile template and the BLF Membership Application Form.

• The existing BLF members decide on the acceptance of a new members by voting at quarterly session.

• The work of BLF is supported by the membership fee paid by its members


BENEFITS from BLF MEMBERSHIP• LEARNING the best practices from “peers”-the leaders

of the Macedonian business community• Access to INFORMATION and EXCHANGE OF IDEAS• SUCCESSFUL POSITIONING in the market as leader of

change- implementation of projects that affect community and business environment

• SAVING COSTS-sharing resources with other members • SELF PRESENTATION on BLF events, increased

PUBLICITY and IMAGE as good corporate citizen • SOCIAL CAPITAL gained through Networking and

partnerships


The era of declaratory CSR is over… stakeholders are looking

for results

http://198.170.85.29/Ruggie-Why-Companies-Must-Pay-Attention-to-Human-Rights-5-Nov-2009.pdf

http://198.170.85.29/Ruggie-Why-Companies-Must-Pay-Attention-to-Human-Rights-5-Nov-2009.pdf


QUESTIONS?


Thank you for your attention!