Abstract:
In the present business environment, although profit remains a key
criterion in performance evaluation, organizations are stimulated to include
in their strategy, besides economical objectives (profitability, value creation
for shareholders), social responsibilities such as: increasing employment in
the area where it operates, ensuring labor safety, preserving and protecting
the environment, developing the local community where the organization is
placed. Therefore, nowadays, the responsibility of the organization
transcends its basic function– “to do business”. For many experts,
organizational social responsibility (OSR) leads to sustainable performance
because it favors long-term competitiveness, creates new commercial
opportunities, and improves social cohesion. For instance, the actions of
environmental protection and conservation of resources allow organizations
that undertake them to reduce their functioning costs, generating competitive
advantages through costs. The modern responsible organization strives for
the best possible balance between economic wealth, social justice and
environmental quality. The practical implementation of social responsibility
requires important investments and changes in the structure of organizations.
These can prove expensive for the organization, which risks, on the short
term, to be in disadvantage compared to its competition. This is why certain
authors remain cautious regarding the possibility to reconcile economic
performance and OSR. They perceive environmental aspects as a constraint
causing non-productive added costs rather than an opportunity for
investments that generate competitive advantages. This paper attempts to
make a statement about the manner in which the actions undertaken by the
organization in the name of social responsibility can be associated with
performance. This work presents a cognitive approach to performance and
stimulates reflections on a new direction for responsible business
management.
