Social Responsibility

Social responsibility is an ethical framework and suggests that an entity, be it an organization or

individual, has an obligation to act for the benefit of society at large. Social responsibility is a
duty every individual has to perform so as to maintain a balance between the economy and the
ecosystems.

Social Responsibility and Ethics:

Social responsibility is an ethical theory, in which individuals are accountable for fulfilling their
civic duty; the actions of an individual must benefit the whole of society. In this way, there must
be a balance between economic growth and the welfare of society and the environment. If this
equilibrium is maintained, then social responsibility is accomplished.

What does it mean to be socially Responsible and Ethical?

The theory of social responsibility is built on a system of ethics, in which decisions and actions
must be ethically validated before proceeding. If the action or decision causes harm to society or
the environment then it would be considered to be socially irresponsible.

Moral values that are inherent in society create a distinction between right and wrong. In this
way, social fairness is believed (by most) to be in the “right”, but more frequently than not this
“fairness” is absent. Every individual has a responsibility to act in manner that is beneficial to
society and not solely to the individual.

Student social responsibility

Student social responsibility is the responsibility of every student for his/her actions. It is morally
binding, and suggests that each person act in such a way that minimizes the adverse effect on
those immediately around them. It is a commitment everyone should have towards society –
contributing towards social, cultural and ecological causes. SSR is based on an individual's
ethics. Instead of giving importance only to those areas where one has material interests the
individual supports issues for philanthropic reasons. It forms the base for SR or Corporate Social
Responsibility because if everyone in a business organization does his/her bit the bigger things
automatically fall into place. The trends however show that big charitable organizations recorded
high growth due to the SR efforts of individuals and not corporations or the government.

When Do Social Responsibility and Ethics Apply?

The theory of social responsibility and ethics applies in both individual and group capacities. It
should be incorporated into daily actions/decisions, particularly ones that will have an effect on
other persons and/or the environment. In the larger, group capacity, a code of social
responsibility and ethics is applied within said group as well as during interactions with another
group or an individual.
Businesses have developed a system of social responsibility that is tailored to their company
environment. If social responsibility is maintained within a company than the employees and the
environment are held equal to the company’s economics. Maintaining social responsibility
within a company ensures the integrity of society and the environment are protected.

Often, the ethical implications of a decision/action are overlooked for personal gain and the
benefits are usually material. This frequently manifests itself in companies that attempt to cheat
environmental regulations. When this happens, government interference is necessary.

Dimensions and Challenges of Social Responsibility:

Social responsibility is the assumed obligation of business to society. Being socially responsible
means to maximize the positive effects and minimize the negative effects on society (customers,
owners, employees, community, suppliers, and government). There are several kinds of social
responsibility: like legal, ethical, and philanthropic

Legal dimension of SR relates to compliance with laws and regulations established by the
authorities, which set standards for responsible behavior – the codification of what society thinks
is right or wrong. Legal regulation of businesses leadership are made because the society,
including consumers, interest groups, competitors and legislators, cannot be confident that
businesses do what is right in a particular field, such as consumer or environment protection.
This lack of confidence is the strength of legal size. Many ethical and economic issues go to
court or legislative debates. In other words, the laws set rules for responsible businesses
activities. They can be divided into laws that regulate competition, consumer protection laws,
environmental laws and laws that promote safety and fairness.

Ethical dimension of SR refers to behaviors and activities that are permitted or prohibited by
organization members, community, society, even if they are not codified by law. Milton
Friedman said that “the basic mission of any business is to produce, with profit, goods and
services, making the business to achieve its maximum contribution to society and, in fact, to be
socially responsible.

Philanthropic dimension of SR refers to companies contributing to the local community or

society. It offers four benefits to society

First, the philanthropic dimension improves quality of live. It helps the community to make there
an area where customers want to do business and employees want to raise their children. Second,
reduce the size of government involvement in charity offering help to people with legitimate
needs. Third, increase the staff leadership ability. Fourthly, the philanthropic dimension builds
the staff moral principles. Employees who are volunteering have generally better opinions about
themselves, their company and community.