Corporate social responsibility (CRS) is considered to be a significant part of any business strategy. It is usually connected with “the establishment and operation of the value chain and with a clear, direct benefit for both the company and the community” (Urip, 2010, p.69).
To succeed in business development, a company has to monitor and gain control over the budget created for CRS. CRS standards touch upon certain social, economic, and even environmental issues like human rights, consumer interests, protection of the environment, etc. PeopleWater is one of the companies that have already adopted the foundational global standards and use CSR as a source of inspiration and improvement that does not contradict the basic rules of organizational development.
The peculiar feature of PeopleWater is that the company bases its work on the statistics and true needs of society. It is stated more than 3,500,000 people die because of water-related diseases annually (PeopleWater, n.d.). People are in need of safe and clean water; unfortunately, not all of them can find access to it in time.
This is why the initiative offered by PeopleWater according to which people contribute the charity process for those in need seems to be a powerful example of how CSR may positively impact the company itself and the world as a whole. The company introduces itself as a for-profit cause-based business, not a charity organization (PeopleWater, n.d). One of the goals PeopleWater sets is the necessity to overcome the outcomes of the global water crisis and support people, who really need additional help.
To bring a positive impact to the existed CSR considering the standards perspective, PeopleWater has offered the “Drop for Drop” initiative on the basis of which for every bottle sold, the company provides an equal amount of water to the communities and promotes rebuilding local wells (Turner, 2015).
PeopleWater’s director, Blake Nyman, says that it is really upset to see how many countries suffer from accidents of natural corrosion or other disasters (Turner, 2015). This is why the representatives of the company have come to one conclusion that the foundation for water purification and restoration of the buildings is the less they can do.
PeopleWater has made contracts with several international groups that provide financial help for the communities in need. It is not a very difficult task to provide people with clean water. It seems to be harder to make other people believe that they are a considerable part of the donation process. The company cannot take money from nowhere. It has to have a source of foundation, and this source is the people who are ready to buy PeopleWater bottles.
In general, PeopleWater and their initiative program turn out to be a powerful example of how the necessity to follow the standards of corporate social responsibility and the desire to be useful may contribute the global development. It is necessary to remember that some communities may suffer from a number of unexpected disasters every day.
Wealthy and healthy people should think that one day they can be those people in need, who can do nothing but wait for someone’s charity. PeopleWater performs the contact function between people, who buy water, and people, who are in need of water, and shows other companies how helpful their services and how inspirational their ideas can actually be.
References
PeopleWater. (n.d.)
Turner, M.L. (2015, Jan. 30). Buy one, give one: Shopping for charity. Chase.
Urip, S. (2010). CSR strategies: Corporate social responsibility for a competitive edge in emerging markets. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.