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THE STARSunday 16 November 2014

StarSpecial

Bringing young entrepreneurs to the fore > 2 Building the countrys human capital > 10

CSR

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CSR StarSpecial, Sunday 16 November 2014

Bringing youngentrepreneurs to the fore

ALLIANCE Bank has beenserving the financial andcommunity needs of

laysians since the 1950s. Itson to be the best customervice bank in Malaysia means committed to creating atainable and meaningfuliness ecosystem that applies

Malaysians at every stage of life.Alliance Bank believes thatareness and education are thendation on which the success

a nation and its people standon. To do this well, it leveragesits skills and expertise as aancial institution to providepport to Malaysians tontribute at grassroots level.

e children are our future

We all know that beingucated on finance is crucial. Yet,earch findings reveal that manyldren enter adulthood withy a cursory understanding ofancial management.n a study conducted under thepices of the American Dream

ucation campaign, it was

ealed that students betweenages of 15 and 21 reportedt they feel unprepared to facecomplex world of the 21st

ntury.Thus, financial literacy remainse of the main thrusts of thenks corporate responsibilitygrammes. It initiated a

mic book activity sheet calledagmire or Kancah Kewangan,ich allowed children to followadventures of Adam and hisl clique of six as they talked

out the merits of savings andnefits of interests.Following this, the Money &th Challenge (MMC) was held

2012. It was a financial literacy

iative aimed at instilling savvyney habits in the young.The challenge brought moren 700 students togetherm Standards 4 and 5 from 20ected schools across the Klangley, Penang and Johor to testir financial savviness. Each ofse 20 schools was required toect its top three students toend a one-day financial literacyrkshop.These children were alsoited to participate in an onlineracy quiz challenge to qualifythe MMC Grand Finale, whichteam from SJK (C) Puay Chai

won.Last year, the bank took its

ancial literacy educationrkshop for children to theds.Held in conjunction with itsionwide branch open housedshow tour, the fun anderactive one-and-a-half-hours Financial Literacy Workshopsince brought lessons

arding savvy saving habitsmore than 1,800 Malaysian

children below the age of 12.Young adults in college are not

left behind either. Upon invitation,the bank has been conductingfinancial management talks onspecific subjects such as wealth

management and investments atlocal colleges and universities.

Investing in continuouseducation

Alliance Bank also runs variousfinancial management initiativesto cater to the different Malaysiandemographics to enable them tomake informed decisions.

Many say that education beginsat home and it is the same case atAlliance Bank.

The bank understands thatits staff also appreciate financialplanning and wealth managementadvice and thus holds variousprogrammes regularly to help

them and their children makeinformed decisions about theirinvestments and plan their fiscalfuture.

The well-received AllianceExpert Series continues to growsince its inception two years ago.The series features three financialexperts who participate in aforum to discuss local and globalmarkets as well as investment

opportunities to the public.To date, the bank has held more

than 26 Expert Series sessions invarious locations in Malaysia. Theannual Alliance Corporate Day,hosted by Alliance InvestmentBank, avails insights from well-known market players andconsultants for the benefit of itsinstitutional clients.

In strengthening itscommitment and partnershipwith the small and mediumenterprises (SME) community,Alliance Bank launched theBizSmart Academy last year, afirst-of-its-kind holistic approachcombining business education,coaching and funding for youngentrepreneurs.

The BizSmart Academy is thebanks 360oproposition to helpSMEs accelerate their businessesthrough business support,business networking, advisoryservices as well as formal andinformal learning.

The online knowledge centre,found on www.BizSmart.com.my,

features articles on marketing,technology, branding, humanresource and much more to enablebusinesses to grow profitably andsustainably.

Existing customers can alsosign up for relevant businessseminars via the online site.

The BizSmart Academysannual Young EntrepreneursConference (YEC) is one of thehighlights of the young SME

segments calendar.Commended for its relevance

and networking opportunities, theTED talk-styled conference focusesprimarily on issues faced by youngMalaysian SMEs.

It features a well-balanced mixof successful young and seasonedentrepreneurs who share stories oftheir SME journey.

This years YEC, held in KualaLumpur in July, was a sold-out event and featured sevenentrepreneurs as speakers.

The KL event was attended bymore than 1,000 participants.During the YEC2014 in KualaLumpur, the #bizsmartacademyhashtag was one of the top 10trending topics on Twitter fromthe active online chatter ofYEC2014 delegates.

A smaller scale YEC2014 wasorganised in Penang where 350people attended. Perhaps the

most novel aspect of the BizSmartAcademy is the Banks SMEInnovation Challenge.

Launched in tandem withthe academy last year, the

challenge aims to nurturethe next generation of youngentrepreneurs who have been inbusiness for three years or less.

In its inaugural debut, thechallenge attracted more than200 business submissions vyingfor the RM250,000 cash prize anda chance at learning from the best.

The 13 shortlisted finalistswere given Blue Ocean Strategycoaching, mentoring by topbusiness leaders, and marketingand branding opportunities.

At its Grand Finale in Decemberlast year, Christy Ng Shoes wasnamed the winner of the GrandPrize, with TBA Resources Sdn

Bhd (Textbook Asia) as the runner-up who received RM100,000.

This years SME InnovationChallenge returned with a biggerand bolder programme.

It attracted more than 480entries from across the nationfrom a diverse range of sectorsranging from robotics, food andbeverage, e-commerce to medicaldevices, green technology andretail.

This is a strong indication ofthe programme gaining tractionamong young SMEs.

The learning programme wasenhanced with more practicaland relevant sessions with topicssuch as lean marketing and talent

management.Part of what motivated

finalists was the chance to spendan afternoon with successfulentrepreneurs and hear theirstories in the chief executiveofficer chatroom series.

Targeted media and brandingexposure arrangements are alsoscheduled to promote finalists andenhance their marketing strategy.This years challenge features cashprizes of up to RM600,000.

The bank also runs business-enhancing programmes such asgoods and sales (GST) workshopsand national budget seminarsas well as trade and foreignexchange seminars all year round

for existing SME customers andthe wider business community.Those interested in these

sessions can register atwww.BizSmart.com.my

finalists of the SME Innovation Challenge work on their assignments at one oftraining sessions.

Winners of the Money & Math Challenge from SJK (C) Puay Chai 2 with their trophy and mock cheque. Looking on is RaymondLeung (far left), group chief operating officer of Alliance Bank.

Alliance Expert Series speakers and organisers at the August 2014 session. Theyare (from left): Sim Lian Si, senior vice-president, head of investment and treasuryproducts, Alliance Bank; Aaron Loo, executive vice-president, head of groupconsumer banking, Alliance Bank; Mohd Zayd Zainal Abidin, manager, enterprisetransformation, Bursa Malaysia; Sue Tang, senior vice-president, head of sharetrading and investment lending, Alliance Bank; and Cheah King Yoong, vice-president, equity research, AllianceDBS Research Sdn Bhd.

Alliance Bankbelieves thatawareness andeducation are the

foundation onwhich the successof a nation andits people standupon.

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Sunday 16 November 2014 StarSpecial 3

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Since its launch in Malaysia in 2010, theNestle Healthy Kids Programme hasbenefited more than 10,000 children inthe country.

Tan Sri Datuk Seri Syed Zainol Anwar Jamalullail, Nestle Malaysia chairman (left),and Alois Hofbauer, region head of Nestl Malaysia and Singapore, at one of thecontract chilli farms in Kelantan.

Meeting commitmentsby creating shared valueT

HE last 10 years have seenmore companies in Malaysiadedicating a portion of their

ources towards CSR initiativesaddress their long-termtainability and future survival.While the intentions of CSRnoble, its critics argue thatreholders invest in companieswealth creation and thath activities utilise existingources and diminish returns toreholders.

Many approaches to CSRbusinesses against society,phasising the costs anditations of compliance withernally imposed social and

vironmental standards.

CSR proponents counter byting that shareholders look atg-term wealth creation andt the sustainable development

a company is critical to itsure survival arguing that thetainability of a company is

pendent on the sustainabilityhe community it serves. Thisssentially the basis behind the

ncept of Creating Shared ValueV).The central premise behindV is that the competitivenessa company and the health of

communities around it aretually dependent.

It acknowledges trade-offsbetween short-term profitabilityand social or environmental goalsbut focuses on the opportunitiesfor competitive advantage frombuilding a social value propositioninto corporate strategy.

CSV is a main component ofNestls business strategy infact, it is at the very core of itsexistence and part of a legacy setby its founder Henri Nestl.

Henri Nestl founded thecompany in 1866 on the success ofa life-saving infant formula.

As a chemist and pharmacist,he was aware of the high infantmortality rates at the time but wasespecially concerned about the

plight of a neighbours baby whowas unable to breastfeed.

He had already started workon an infant formula and was ableto produce a viable powderedmilk product, which was easy toprepare.

This was the beginning of alegacy that has lasted until today.

Nestl aims to enhance thequality of life of its consumersby offering tastier and healthierfood and beverages, as well asinformation and services to enablethem to make informed choices atall stages of life.

Nestl is also investing in the

future health and wellness ofconsumers through its networkof research centres the NestlInstitute of Health Sciencesand the Nestl Health Sciencebusiness.

The company believes thatgood nutrition plays an importantrole in the health and wellness ofindividuals and society.

To build a business capableof both delivering superiorshareholder value and helpingpeople improve their nutrition,health and wellness, CSV is theapproach Nestl takes for thebusiness as a whole.

In addition to nutrition, Nestlalso focusses on water, because

water scarcity is a very seriousissue in many parts of the worldand water is the linchpin of foodsecurity.

Nestl also focuses on ruraldevelopment because the overallwell-being of farmers, ruralcommunities, small entrepreneursand suppliers is intrinsic to thelong-term success of its business.

n To view a video on CSV inMalaysia, scan the QR code:

Reaching out and impacting livesTHE objective of the NestlHealthy Kids Global Programmeis to raise awareness onnutrition, health and wellness,and to promote physical activityamong school-going childrenaround the world.

The Healthy Kids programmesare based on multi-partnershipapproaches and Nestl works

with more than 250 partnersworldwide, including nationaland local governments, NGOs,nutrition health institutes andsports federations.

In Malaysia, Nestl partnerswith the Nutrition Society ofMalaysia and rolled out its localHealthy Kids chapter in August2010.

The Healthy Kids

Programme in Malaysiaentails the implementationof two components that runconcurrently:lPrimary schools: The

Nestl Healthy Kids ProgrammelSecondary schools:

Program Cara Hidup Sihat(Healthy Lifestyle Programme)

The Nestl Healthy KidsProgramme is aimed at school-going children, parents andteachers. The programmeincludes an awareness campaignon nutrition and physical activitythat is done in an interactivemanner.

It also includes interventionprogrammes that consist ofeducational modules that focus

as basic hygiene and diseaseprevention.

The second phase of theprogramme, in collaborationwith the Ministry of Educationand the Nutrition Society ofMalaysia, began this year andwill continue until 2016 in 77day-boarding schools acrossSabah and Sarawak.

It will also include Train-the-Trainer Workshops for theteachers and engages with foodoperators to impart knowledgeon basic nutrition, food safetyand hygiene, and tips and recipeson easy, healthy meals.

The Program Cara Hidup Sihatwas launched in December2012 in collaboration withthe Ministry of Education and

Universiti Putra Malaysia.Aimed at enhancing the

knowledge and practice ofhealthy and active lifestyles,the three-year interventionprogramme (2012 2014) istargeted at lower secondaryschool students from 100 day-boarding schools nationwide aswell as their teachers, wardens

and food operators who areresponsible for preparing andserving meals on a daily basis.

Since its launch in Malaysia,the Nestl Healthy KidsProgramme has benefited morethan 10,000 children in thecountry.

n For more information, visitwww.healthykids.org.my

Rural development andenriching communitiesTHE Nestl Chilli Club is acollaboration between NestlsAgricultural Services Departmentand the Farmers AssociationBoards. This collaboration hasbeen on-going since 1995 whenNestl first started engaging withfarmers in Kelantan to producechillies for Maggi Chilli Sauce.

Aimed at improving yieldsand quality of crops to meetand comply with globalstandards, field demonstrationsand agricultural training areconducted to increase farmersproductivity, reduce farm costs,minimise environmental impactsand also enhance the work safetyof farmers.

The initiative is a classicexample of CSV as it alleviates

poverty by providing new incomeopportunities and a sustainablesource of income for poor farmersin the local community.

It also helps farmers improvetheir yield and quality of crops tomeet global standards throughGood Agricultural Practices andreduces the reliance on imports.

At the same time, it benefitsNestl with locally sourced rawmaterial at a specified qualityand foreseeable price, maintainstability of fresh supplies andprovide traceability.

The initiative was awardedthe Prime Ministers Award forsocio-economic developmentand the Salam accreditation for

excellence in Malaysian farmingpractices.

Preserving water and the environmentPROJECT RiLeaf is aKinabatangan riversidereforestation and oil palmsustainability initiative thataims to create a landscapewhere people, nature andagriculture (oil palm) co-existharmoniously in their need forwater.

The initiative will see thereforestation of 2,400ha of landalong the lower KinabatanganRiver and aims to create anatural riverine buffer thatwill help minimise the impactof soil sedimentation and

chemical fertiliser run-offs.This allows the river to

repair itself over the course oftime.

The reforestation is doneby actively involving the localcommunity within the areato supply forest tree seedlingsand provide services for theirplantings as well.

Project RiLeaf also aimsto educate oil palm farmerswith small holdings along theriver to implement sustainableagricultural practices in theirdaily farming activities by usingnatural fertilisers and pesticides,reducing chemical usage and

applying more professionalprocedures.

In November last year, Nestlsigned a collaborative agreementwith Sime Darby Foundation tofund Project RiLeaf.

The two parties establisheda mechanism that enables theprofessional management offunds and resources, which willbenefit the stakeholders withinthe Kinabatangan Corridor of Lifelandscape in Sabah.

So far, Nestl has planted morethan 220,000 trees along thelower Kinabatangan River andthe first 36 oil palm farmers havebeen audited and will be certified

under RSPO Group Certificationcovering 136ha.

on basic principles in healthyeating and active living as well

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A mutuallybeneficial responsibility

THERE was a time nottoo long ago whentaking part in corporate

ial responsibility (CSR) setporations apart from their

mpetitors.However, in the last few yearsspike in activities centringund environmental concerns

d social responsibility hasused a boost in CSR activities.act, a company runs the risk ofng appeal to stakeholders andtomers if it does not give backociety.

When we think about CSR, often associated withlanthropy whether it isunteering, donating or taking-conscious measures, itolves the intention and act ofing. Today, many companiesmoving further away from this

a of CSR as charity.First-hand experience fromrepreneurs is changing the

mmon understanding of CSRay.t is no longer an annual

ruistic gesture but anreasingly important

mponent of business strategyt is being integrated into theryday running of severalporations.Recent research suggestst more and more companiesadopting CSR approaches

help retain customers,ure efficiency and stimulateovation.This has led to a paradigmft of sorts CSR can now bewed as an investment rathern an expense, in a symbiotic

ationship between companyd community.

gaging customersd employees

Publicity stunts and greenshing (dissemination ofinformation to present anvironmentally responsibleblic image) have driven theblic to become increasinglyry of the motive of corporateial responsibility activities,ich places the onus back on

mpanies to start being trulyponsible.By showing the communityt you are serious abouttigating the adverse effects ofur business on the people orvironment, you are building adge of trust and acceptance.After all, a satisfied customer

s three or four people while angry customer passes the badws on to 10 people.Referrals by satisfied customers

n do wonders for the growth ofompany.Retaining customers is just ascial as recruiting new ones,

d maintaining a solid cliente is more plausible when socialponsibility is exercised.Global brand Nestl, formple, recognises the

portance of firstly creatingg-term value for society

order to do the same forreholders.

Through its Creating Sharedue approach, Nestl focuses

creating value for society inee areas nutrition, waterd environment, and ruralvelopment which have theatest potential and influencejoint-value creation.These areas are core to ouriness and it is also wherecan contribute most to theiety, says Alois Hofbauer,ion head of Nestl Malaysia

d Singapore.

One of its water andenvironment efforts is ProjectRiLeaf, a reforestation and palmoil sustainability initiative in

collaboration with Sime DarbyFoundation.The riverine vegetation

restoration efforts along thelower Kinabatangan River unitesthe needs of people, nature andagriculture to demonstrate howCSR can be an effort of mutualinterest and co-existence for allstakeholders.

The project engages localcommunity members and oil palmsmallholders, strengthening therelationship between the companyand the community it serves.

At the same time, Nestl isable to do its part in protectingthe environment while building arespectable corporate reputation

as a responsible member of theRoundtable on Sustainable PalmOil.

Human capital development isyet another return of CSR. Nestl,for example, seeks to foster aholistic approach to work withits employees through promotingsocial responsibility.

An important message isconveyed to employees theirskills and contributions not only

benefit the company, but alsosociety as a whole.

Their jobs then start to havea deeper meaning and becomemore relatable on a human level. Itbecomes less about a pay chequeand more about working together

to accomplish something thatcould create a positive change.

This builds character beyondthe workplace by allowingemployees to experience the fullimpact of their participation inthe organisation while buildinghealthy corporate culture.

Corporate culture has a directimpact on how individuals makedecisions affecting all aspects ofmanaging a corporation.

Ultimately, employees andcustomers want to work witha company they respect thisrespect can only be earned if acompany acts with transparencyand responsibility.

Spearheading innovationand sustainability

CSR is closely linked withthe principles of sustainabledevelopment, calling oncorporations to consider the socialand environmental consequencesof their activities instead ofputting profit-making first.

Society expects companiesto be good corporate citizensand with the expedient natureof information transfer today,are able to identify companiesthat fail to address their socialresponsibilities.

Businesses that create andcarry out effective CSR initiatives

are not just being philanthropic;they are being smart.With the increasing

significance of the people, planet,profit triple bottom line, beingsocially and environmentallyconscious is vital in todayscompetitive climate.

Companies have found thatincorporating sustainablemeasures in their business andproducts spur innovation and end

up benefiting the company on alarger scale while also reducingcosts by allowing them to operatemore efficiently.

Keeping affordability,accessibility and social value inmind when designing products

can result in a competitiveadvantage for companies, provingthat sustainability is not merelya buzzword but a viable businessstrategy.

Customer feedback can also bebeneficial to product or serviceimprovement. Taking the needsof lower income customers intoaccount can generate productimprovements, which couldbenefit the target market as awhole, yielding returns that profitthe company as well.

Companies may come acrossvarious ways to improve theirofferings when processingcustomer feedback and thiscreates an avenue for innovation.

There are many ways ofpractising social responsibility,and companies that do it right areable to benefit from the way it candrive businesses forward.

Integrating green features intoproducts and services has longbeen one of the more popular CSRefforts but companies are nowexploring fresh ways to make theirbusinesses more environmentallyfriendly.

Fuji Xerox Asia Pacific,for example, has attemptedto considerably reduce itscarbon footprint by moving itsheadquarters to a new green officein Kuala Lumpur.

In order to continue our CSR

activities, we must be a strongcompany from the financialviewpoint as well, says YoshioHanada, president of Fuji XeroxMalaysia.

He acknowledges the symbioticnature of CSR, saying, StrongCSR participation supports thecompany in terms of brandawareness and understandingcorporate attitude, whileimproving financial results.

Maximising impactto match needs

Tandemic is an enterprisededicated to innovation andsocial change by engaging variouscompanies in building impactful

CSR strategies that address socialchallenges.

Chief executive officer KalJoffres believes there are certainapproaches to maximising thebenefits of CSR to both companyand community.

The biggest impact happenswhen a company adopts anorganisation for two to threeyears getting to know themand their challenges well andimplementing a whole set ofdifferent projects to help themgrow, says Joffres. Companiesthat focus their CSR initiativesby investing for the long termmaximise potential impact on thesociety they serve.

We need to move beyondbuilding good brand image as amotivation for CSR, adds Joffres.

Instead, try to look for realbusiness benefits from doingCSR. For example, a volunteeringopportunity can serve as teambuilding. A technology companysprototyping workshops inspireunderprivileged teens to get intoelectronics and they becomepotential employees.

Companies have much to gainfrom intelligently practising socialresponsibility, which, consideringall the returns, is less of anobligation and more of a smartbusiness move.

The best approach to CSR,

however, is still to give earnestly.Joffres believes it all goes back tothe original intention.

These CSR initiatives cannotbe thinly veiled approaches toselling products.

Instead, they need to begrounded in the belief that if wehelp people broadly, some of itwill come back to us.

> TURN TO PAGE 7

CSR is no longeran annualaltruisticgesture but an

increasinglyimportantcomponent ofbusiness strategythat is beingintegrated intothe proceedingsof severalcorporations.

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StarSpecial, Sunday 16 November 2014 CSR 7

Numerous ways to give backC

ORPORATE socialresponsibility encompassesa three-fold bottom line that

involves people, planet and profit.According to a 2013 report carriedout by the Massachusetts Instituteof Technology Sloan ManagementReview on sustainability andinnovation, 70% of companiesacross the US place sustainabilitypermanently on the top of theirmanagement agenda.

Although providing aid to theunderprivileged is still one ofthe most common CSR practices,organisations have, over theyears, come up with creative andinnovative ways to carry out CSRinitiatives.

The main objective of anybusiness is to make money but forthis to happen, the business hasto interact with its employees, its

customers, suppliers and otherbusinesses.

CSR helps businesses maintaingood relationships, create a goodimage and positive impact whilegenerating profit at the same time.

A good example is WPS ParkingSystems that is based in TheNetherlands. Quality, safety, theenvironment, CSR and carbondioxide reduction are high onthe list of this internationalorganisation that offers parkingfacility equipment as wellas maintenance and parkingmanagement software andservices.

Carbon management, wastereduction, and purchase and

supply of sustainable products areall part of WPS Parking Systemsobjectives and processes.

The organisation impacts thecommunities where its offices arebased as it hires locals and alsooffers charitable support.

KiKa, a Dutch foundationfor child cancer, is just one ofthe many local charities thathave been supported by WPSParking Systems. In addition, theorganisation also donates its oldICT systems to various charities.

Innovative CSR initiatives bringgreat profits to an organisation, itscustomers and the environment.

Consumer goods giant Unilever,for example, invented a newfabric conditioner that reduces theamount of water needed to washclothes.

This product is especially usefulin countries where the supply ofwater is scarce.

Unilevers Comfort One Rinse

fabric conditioner was released inIndia and Cambodia before it wasintroduced in Thailand, Vietnam,Indonesia and the Philippines.

Comfort One Rinse productsrecorded a total of 1.4 billionwashes in 28.7 million householdsacross the world in 2012. This wasa 66% increase compared to theyear 2010.

The Body Shop was one of thefirst few organisations to publisha full report on its CSR initiatives.The late Dame Anita Roddick,the Body Shops founder, wasan advocate for animal rights,environmental protection,community trade and humanrights.

This led to the setting up of TheBody Shops fair trade programmeand The Body Shop Foundation.

Since 1989, The Body ShopFoundation has been fundingvarious innovative charities. It hasalso given funds to global projectsthat are working towards socialand environmental change.

Giving back through sports

The 1Student 1Sport initiative

mooted by the Malaysiangovernment is an effective wayof encouraging organisations toembrace sports as an effectivemedium of CSR.

Organisations may sponsorequipment that schools orcommunity teams require topractise and play competitively.

The Sony Corporation usedfootball as a medium to spreadHIV/AIDS awareness in Cameroonand Ghana, where the game is afavourite among the locals.

During the 2010 South AfricaWorld Cup, Sony sponsoredscreens for the matches to betelevised publicly.

The organisation knew that

these screens would attractlarge crowds and made use ofthis opportunity to air HIV/AIDS

awareness campaigns before andafter each match.

Sony reported that about 4,800people out of the 24,000 peoplewho were present had themselvestested for HIV. This numberexceeded its intended target of1,800 by more than twice.

Initiatives to benefit localcommunities

There are many companiesthat endeavor to educate localcommunities on specific issueswhile others choose to start withthe grassroots.

An example of this is theCSR initiative carried out byDominos Pizza Malaysia. Thepizza giant carries out theDominos Supports SchoolsProgramme that supplements

the Malaysian education systemthrough academic or co-curricularactivities and sponsorships.

The key features of theprogramme are:lEducation seminars Theseseminars were conceptualisedto help students enhance theiracademic skills and also in theirco-curricular activities as well-rounded students stand betterchances at getting employed.lHelp-The-Needy-Programme This programme helps schoolsthat are located within proximityto Dominos Pizza outlets toreceive funds for students who arefinancially underprivileged.lFundraising Incentive Scheme

This scheme is the latestaddition to Dominos SupportsSchools Programme. The scheme

provides incentives to schools thatparticipate actively in Dominosfundraising projects. Dominoswill reward the top three schoolsthat raise the most funds at theyear. The coordinating teachersat these schools will also berewarded.lAnnual Charity DriveDominos visits various charitableorganisations during festiveseasons to bring cheer and joy tothe needy and the less fortunate.This also helps foster closerties between Dominos and thecommunity.

Malaysias premier postalservice provider Pos Malaysiafocuses its CSR policy based ona two-pronged approach thataims to bring value to both thecommunity and the nation. Thefirst part of its two-pronged

approach is enhancing education.Through this approach,

Pos Malaysia intends tocontribute towards activitiesthat support nation building,especially in enhancing humancapital development for theunderprivileged.

The second part of theapproach is to enrich communitieswhere it seeks to promotecommerce and entrepreneurshipin communities, especially in therural areas.

The many innovative ways ofcarrying out CSR initiatives havebrought about greater change inmany communities across theworld.

We can certainly expect to seemore innovative and unique CSRinitiatives in the years to come.

CSR helpsbusinesses maintain

good relationships,create a good imageand positive impactwhile generatingprofit at the sametime.

> FROM PAGE 6

Starting small towards a greater goal

WHILE corporate socialresponsibility (CSR) is notthe panacea for all corporate

challenges, its returns helpin moving towards a moresustainable business and economyas a whole.

CSR initiatives for small andmedium enterprises (SME)may require different strategicdecisions but should be practisednevertheless. SMEs can getinvolved in supporting non-governmental organisations(NGOs), many of which are in need

of volunteers, not just donations.The investment of time and

energy is more feasible for a

smaller organisation that cannotset a separate budget for CSR dueto insufficient resources.

It is hard to afford teambuilding retreats as a SME, saysKal Joffres, chief executive officerof Tandemic, which is an SME.

Instead, consider doing jointvolunteering outings with anorganisation on a regular basis asit can really help bring the teamtogether.

Finding strength in differencesSMEs have fewer resources thanlarger companies. The latter aregenerally more motivated tocarry out CSR activities due toproven benefits to reputationand brand awareness.

However, this does notmean SMEs cannot fulfil theirsocial responsibility. In fact,

they should leverage on theirdifferences to leave their ownunique mark on society. Hereare a couple of ways SMEs cando this:

lRaise awareness of waysin which the company isalready fulfilling its socialresponsibility Smallerenterprises, especially start-ups,often have some societal need

in mind that to which they areseeking to cater.

William Lever, for example,simply aimed to make a soapthat would make cleanlinessmore commonplace when hestarted the consumer goodscompany now known asUnilever.

Aligning CSR measures withthe companys vision will proveto be more effective as socialresponsibility will take on animportant meaning withinthe organisation, which it thenechoes to its target market.

lForge ties to relate withcommunities on a personallevel Given their size, SMEstend to consist of a closer-knit

group of employees likelyto know each other and themanagement.

This dynamic can bebeneficial externally as well.This meant that SMEs can bemore deeply involved with theirlocal communities.

They contribute in terms

of employment and rely onbusiness relationships withcustomers and suppliers withinthe community. Given thisinterconnectedness, SMEs caninvest in the local communityto a much greater extent thanlarger companies althoughthe reach may be limited,they have the potential tocreate greater changes withinthat circle.

He goes on to elaborate thatcorporate team building activitiesshould be conducted regularly asit takes more than one-off eventsto build a great culture within theorganisation.

Consistency and continuityis important in working with

NGOs. Joffres explains that thisis because when NGOs trainvolunteers or set up events, itis an investment on their partthat usually only breaks even

CSR initiatives forsmall and mediumenterprises (SME)may requiredifferent strategic

decisions butshould be practicednevertheless.

if volunteers come back tocontribute several times.

It is also crucial to pay attentionto the most pressing needs of thecommunity being supported andidentify which segment needscontributions the most.

CSR practitioners can utilise

platforms such as Hati (www.hati.my), the largest open database ofnon-governmental organisationsin Malaysia, to identify those mostin need of benefaction.

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way Job Training Programme graduation ceremony.

(From left): Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah, AO, Jeffrey Cheah Foundation founding trustee; Tan Sri Datuk Muhyiddin Mohamad Yassin,Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education; Henry Lee Min Rong, JCFs outstanding scholar who was given the opportunityto pursue a four-year masters degree in engineering science at University of Oxford; and Liew Ziqing, the first Jeffrey CheahFoundation scholar to pursue a four-year masters degree in engineering at University of Cambridge.

nspiring hope through educationT

AN Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah, AO,founder and chairman ofSunway Group, believes that

ucation brings out the best inople. Quoting Nelson Mandela,says, Education is the mostwerful weapon you can use tonge the world.

Working in tandem with thesenciples, the Jeffrey Cheahundation (JCF), formerly knownhe Sunway Education Trust

nd, was established in 1997.Today it is Malaysias largestucation-focused socialerprise and the first of its kindhe country within the privateher education field.CF owns and governs the

nway Education amalgam2 learning institutions,

luding Sunway University,nash University Malaysia,

frey Cheah School of Medicine

d Health Sciences, Sunwayleges, Sunway TES and Sunwayernational School.CF aims to safeguard these

titutions by ensuring theets and operating surpluses ared to perpetuate the cause ofviding and sustaining quality

ucation.The operating surpluses frombusiness are reinvested

o Sunway Education forolarships, grants, research and

velopment, and expansion ofulty and facilities.CF has disbursed in excess of165mil in scholarships to moren 20,000 deserving students

date.

portunities aplenty

CF is designed to helprginalised and disadvantageddents in accessing qualityher education while mouldingm into dynamic leaders andovators.The award is given to studentso have excelled academicallychool and are looking to obtainundergraduate degree from anredited institution of higherrning.Scholarships offered undernway Education include

Jeffrey Cheah Foundationmmunity Scholarship, Jeffrey

eah Foundation-Sunway Groupolarship and Sunway Talentolarships.

The Community Scholarship isen for students 18 to 25 yearsfrom child welfare homes,

n-governmental organisations

or poor communities.This award provides an

opportunity for underprivilegedyoung Malaysians to pursuehigher education on par with theirpeers.

The JCF-Sunway GroupScholarship is offered to promisingstudents in recognising andrewarding their efforts andachievements.

Sunway Talent Scholarshipson the other hand, recogniseco-curricular talents by offering

students a chance to undertakeuniversity studies that suit theirlearning abilities and interests.

It is open to students withoutstanding achievement insports and music who havebeen successful in their chosendiscipline at state and nationallevels thereby encouraging aholistic education.

Besides scholarships foroutstanding students, thereare also several collaborativeinitiatives with local mediaentities and separate awardsavailable to Monash UniversityMalaysia students. MonashUniversity Malaysia is jointlyowned by JCF and Monash

University Australia.Undergraduate, postgraduateand research students stand achance to receive scholarships toaid their pursuit of quality tertiaryeducation.

JCF takes its educational

corporate social responsibilityinitiative one step further byestablishing ties with prestigiousforeign universities such asHarvard, Cambridge and Oxford,enabling a two-way flow ofscholars and researchers betweenthese institutions and Malaysia inan effort to promote educationaladvancement and excellence inthe region.

Sunway also offers reputableprogrammes in partnership withworld-class institutions such as LeCordon Bleu, Lancaster Universityand Victoria University.

The group aims to changethe landscape of education inthe country having pioneered

twinning programmes to propeldeserving scholars to the globalstage.

Community building

The foundation represents the

vision and passion of its foundingtrustee Dr Cheah in improving thelives of bright Malaysian students.

As a non-profit organisation,it seeks to establish a timelesscommitment to benefit futuregenerations while holding trueto one of its founding principles -Giving to Society.

Apart from the scholarships,Sunway Group has also beenactively involved in theimprovement of several schools inthe Klang Valley.

Together with the Jeffrey CheahFoundation, the group has donatedmore than RM13mil towards sixschools to fund restoration worksand improve the environment forstudents.

These schools are SMK BandarSunway, SK Bandar Sunway, SJK(C) Chee Wen, SMJK (C) Yuk ChoyPerak, SK Convent Klang and SJK(C) Gunung Hijau.

Sunway Group also funded SMKBandar Sunways special educationclass (Kelas Khas), which wasestablished for students withlearning disabilities.

Subsequently, Sunway togetherwith JCF, have been involved incollaborations benefiting special

and underprivileged studentsfrom various non-profit and non-governmental organisations.

This reaffirms the groupsefforts in corporate socialresponsibility under its educationpillar.

Cultivating budding talentsEDUCATION is a powerful life-transforming enabler, and it actsas a tool to enrich and improvelives, says Dr Cheah. It is in thisspirit that the foundation seeksto develop young Malaysiansof great potential into leading

members of society in theirown right.Throughout the years,

Sunway Group has played apivotal part in assisting youngMalaysians to greater heightsin education. Sunway A-Levelsstudents Henry Lee Min Rongand Liew ZiQing performedexceptionally well in theirprogrammes at Sunway College.

This year, Lee was presentedwith the annually awardedJeffrey Cheah Foundation-Sunway Group Scholarship andis now pursuing his mastersdegree in engineering science atUniversity of Oxford.

Last year, Liew fulfilled hisdream to study at Universityof Cambridge and is currentlypursuing a four-year mastersdegree in engineering.

A former recipient of theCommunity Scholarship,Jagadesan C. Mohan, is todaythe owner and manager ofMitra IT Solutions, an officialpartner of Microsoft.

Jagadesan pursued hisundergraduate studies inBachelor in InformationTechnology at SunwayUniversity and went on tocomplete his MBA.

Another exceptional

recipient of the CommunityScholarship is Azerena NedibaZainal Abidin who graduatedwith a Diploma in Hospitalityand Tourism Management in2009.

She currently serves in theHousekeeping Department atCasuarina Meru Hotel, Ipoh, andcontributes in her own way toher Semai tribe community.

Another successful educationalinitiative was the nationwideinaugural Sunway-Oxbridge EssayCompetition 2014, which saw2,000 entries from secondaryschools around the country.

The group has also set healthcare goals for Sunway-ownedbuildings within Sunway ResortCity to be completely smoke freeby 2018.

In light of this effort, Sunwaysupported the Blue RibbonCampaign last year to promoteawareness of the benefits of asmoke-free environment.

Sunway Medical Centre,Sunway University and MonashUniversity of Malaysia wereamong the first 16 establishmentsto be awarded the Blue RibbonCertificate in recognition of thesuccessful implementation ofsmoke-free policies.

Sunway Group also stronglyengages in its Community Aid,Reach-out and Enrichment(C.A.R.E.) projects, includingbuilding an elevated Bus RapidTransit-Sunway Line, an elevatedcovered canopy walk and roadwidening works to ease trafficflow in Bandar Sunway, USJ andSubang Jaya.

Greater good

Sunway Group believes in theimportance of nurturing well-rounded students by providing anavenue of holistic learning.

At Sunways institutions,students are exposed to a wide

range of clubs, societies and sportsthat provide an extra edge tostudents who seek knowledge andexperience in diverse fields.

Coupled with world-classacademia, students are primedfor a rewarding experience, whichwill equip them for the future.Guided by the philosophy ofgiving, graduates are nurtured tobe socially-conscious individuals.

JCFs philanthropic effortsare structured in perpetuity toadvance educational pursuits.

Through this foundation,Sunway Education has conductedsubstantial community worksby adopting a proactive rolein promoting and developing

sustainability, and continues todo so until today.

nFor more information, visitwww.jeffreycheahfoundation.org.myorwww.sunway.edu.my/university/scholarships

Education is apowerful life-transformingenabler, and itacts as a tool toenrich and improvelives.

TAN SRI DR JEFFREY CHEAH, AO

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Broadband champion in nation buildingA

S Malaysias leadingtelecommunications serviceprovider and broadband

mpion, Telekom Malaysiahad (TM) continues to playivotal role in nation buildingd its business and services havede a positive impact, touchinglives of communities and all

laysians that it serves.TM is committed to creatingtainable value for all itskeholders and in support of thevernments vision of nurturing aowledge-rich and skilled nation,ys particular attention to its rolehelping to develop the nationsman capital through ICT,ovation and entrepreneurship.

mpowerment and equality

TM is an equal opportunity

ployer. Its non-discriminationicy covers ethnicity, gender andability. The principles of equalportunity and the empoweringwomen is reflected within andside TM.This can be seen with theting up of Tiaranita, ananisation for female employees

d wives of TM staff, which aimsenrich the lives of its membersd their families.The organisations mainectives include cultivatingspirit of muhibbah(harmony)

ong its members who are fromferent races and backgrounds.lso aims to increase the

owledge and develop the

ls of members through self-tivation programmes, talks,

minars and courses.Tiaranita began with only 50mbers when it was first formeduly 1992 and currently has

most 3,000 members.Since 2009, TM has also been

nducting an empowermentgramme that focuses on singlethers. Program Sejahtera helpsgle mothers be financiallyependent and provide for their

milies.TM provides small grants top them establish their owninesses to supplement their

ome. Single mothers unders programme have been

t for courses to gain newadditional vocational andrepreneurial skills in tailoring,

king, ICT, financial literacy andnagement.At the workshops, thesemen are also exposed toworking and business

portunities.A total of RM20,000 in cash andkind has been allocated for each

mily to help them operate their

businesses based on their skillsand interests.

Their business premises havealso been enhanced to furtherfacilitate the development of theirbusiness.

In addition, qualified childrenfrom these families are enrolledinto either Multimedia College orMultimedia University, both fullyowned subsidiaries of TM,to further their studies.

Creative thinking

TM is collaborating withSasbadi Sdn Bhd on its newinitiative TMs RoboticsProgramme under TMs PintarProgramme.

Robotics is one of theco-curricular activities underthe Ministry of Education andit encourages students to becreative and innovative throughexperiential learning with the

added elements of fun andinteractivity.

This programme runs intandem with the governmentsefforts of transformingthe education system in acomprehensive and systematicmanner based on the EducationDevelopment Plan 2013-2025.

Four of TMs adoptedschools that participated in thisprogramme were:lSMK Chenderiang, PeraklSMK Munshi Abdullah, SelangorlSMK Orang Kaya Haji, Pahang

l

SBPI Tun Abdul Razak, Pahang

In this programme, studentswere required to design, build andprogramme an innovative robotwith functionality that wouldcompete under specific situations.Higher-order thinking, creativityand various strategies wereemployed throughout the process.

TM hopes to help thesestudents become science andtechnology leaders and bemore well-rounded individualsby enhancing their self-confidence and improving theircommunication and leadershipskills.

InnovationTMs continuous investment

in customer and supplier-relatedecosystems helps the organisationdeliver exceptional customerexperience.

TM is always willing to go astep further for its customers andhas created an exciting and livelymarketplace while providingcompelling and relevant lifestyle

The TM Earth Campaims to createenvironmentelawareness amongschool students.

TMs Robotics Programme encourages creativity and innovation.

Each TM Earth Campis held at six zonesacross the nation.

and business communicationservices.

The Radio over Fibre (ROF)technology, G-FiWi, is analternative access networktechnology. It has the potentialto support faster networkdeployment at a lower cost,especially in challenginggeographical environments.

TM R&D, a wholly ownedsubsidiary of TM, has completedthe proof of concept bytransmitting triple-play contentat a minimum speed of 500Mbps.

TM R&D has been successful inpatenting this technology.G-FiWi also received the

merit award for Best Research &Development at the 2013 MSCAsia Pacific ICT Awards. This ledto TM R&Ds accreditation withan Order of Merit in materialengineering at the World InventorAward Festival (WIAF) 2013,which was recognised by the HighCommission of the 2013 WIAF

A big thank you to TMfor its continuous supportand contributions to meand my family. The skillsthat I have gained havegiven me confidence to beindependent and supportmy family. I am humbledand thankful for the breadmixer contributed by TM,which has helped improvemy cookie business. Siti Kartini Ismail

A big thank you toTM for giving me theopportunity to be part ofTM Earth Camp Borneozone. It was a valuableexperience for me as itmade me appreciate nature

and especially the beautifulbiodiversity of ourcountry. I really enjoyedthe programme and Ilook forward to joining itagain in the near future. Onamery BenjaminYanggau, student,Sekolah Menengah StMichael, Penampang

Joint Organising Committee.This year, TM initiated a

G-FiWi 2 project to integrate bothuplink and downlink systemsfor better project demonstrationand improve current wirelesstransmission distance.

The project will alsodemonstrate a bi-directional40GHz ROF system with a singleoptical fibre. The new prototypewill boast wireless Internetbrowsing capability, which isdesirable due to vast bandwidthcapacity of the hybrid wireless-optical link.

G-FiWi 2 is expected to havegreater potential applications as aresult of point-to-multipoint andmulti-service activities providingmore connectivity for futurehigh-speed wireless distributionsystems.

Greener footprints

For the past five years, TM hascollaborated with the MalaysianNature Society to organise TMEarth Camp, a three-day naturecamp to create awarenessof environmental issues andMalaysias rich biodiversity.

The camp allows schoolstudents across the nation toappreciate nature through real-lifeexperiences in the hope that theywill spread this knowledgeto their peers.

Each camp is held at sixzones nationwide and features aprominent theme such as earth,

water, air, fire and community,which represent vital componentsof the environment.

Activities at the camp includecampaigns on habitat protection,water testing, climate changeawareness, nature crafts andlocal community engagements.Since its inception, the camphas benefitted more than 5,278individuals, including 560students, 90 teachers, 55 TMvolunteers and their children, and600 local community members ineach camp.

Last year, the cross-zoneconcept was introduced allowingparticipants in the northern zoneto explore differences in the flora

and fauna in the central zone.The involvement of governmentagencies such as the Ministry ofEducation, Ministry of NaturalResources and Environment, andthe Sabah Forestry Department,as well as other organisations addvalue to the camps, which havegrown tremendously over theyears.

TM is committedto enrichingthe lives of itsstakeholders andbuilding Malaysiashuman capital,in support of thegovernmentsvision of nurturinga knowledge-richand skilled nation.

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Datin Badrunnisa believes the AYTPhelps nurture young individuals to beCEOs of tomorrow.

m left:) Benjamin Ooi Tien Wei, Ain Nurfitrah Aidrul Hisham and Divya Darshinianandan have benefited from AYTP.

Alicia Tan Yen Fern (left) and Mohd Akram Mohd Yusof gained valuable experiencethrough the University Leadership Development Programme.

Participants of the Axiata Young Talent Program are thrown into real-life situations to improve their ability to think on their feet.

Developing CEOs of tomorrowW

HEN the Axiata YoungTalent Programme (AYTP)was established, the

anisation wanted to focuscifically on nurturing talented

ung individuals to become theOs of tomorrow.Our philosophy is to extendtalent management workt we do in Axiata to create atainable leadership pipelinethe benefit of the society ourinesses are in, says Datin

drunnisa Mohd Yasin Khan,up chief talent officer atata Group Berhad.Based on Axiatas strengthalent management, AYTPsents students with the chance

obtain a holistic leadershipvelopment programmmet complements conventionalooling curriculum and

thods.We feel that if we do notpare the young before theyer the workforce, then certain

ucational opportunities aret, she continues.The opportunities thatdrunnisa refers to are personald leadership skills that willist the youth in their pursuit

becoming top-notch corporateders.By building the essential values,tudes and competencies,dents who are part of AYTPuld be more well-prepared tofuture CEOs for the nation.n order to ensure thatmising students have the

nce to develop such skills,Ax-Factor curriculum was

veloped under AYTP.Ax-Factor is offered at threecks the National Secondary

hool Programme, the Pre-versity Programme andUniversity Leadership

velopment Programme eachusing on students at differentdemic stages.For the National Secondary

hool Programme and the-University Programme,ata collaborates with partnerools and colleges to seek outdents who will be part of thegramme.

The duration of the programme

more than five years for theondary school programme andre than one year for the pre-versity programme.The university programmeased on an open application

where the residential UniversityLeadership DevelopmentProgramme is delivered overtwo weeks during the summer

holidays.We select academically soundstudents with leadership potentialbased on evidence of them havingexercised leadership capabilitiesin school. We then develop them

further in their leadership journeythrough AYTP, says Badrunnisa.

The premise of Ax-Factor liesupon the principles of emotionalintelligence, which emphasisesmanaging oneself before leadingothers effectively.

The programme is designedbased on self-directed and activelearning, progressive deepeningof competencies, problem-basedand experiential learning, learningthrough social interactions,integration with academic

programme and structuredassessment and evaluation.

The students in thisprogramme are in their formativeyears and are more eager tolearn making them the righttarget age group that is receptivetowards this tailor-madeapproach.

Young adults who enterthe workforce upon graduationmay have already formed theirattitude and motivation. If westart younger, it is easier to createthe right mind-set to start on theirleadership journey, she says.

Axiata has been consistentlyimplementing and improving theprogramme for the benefit of the

students.The organisation recently heldan Ax-Factor workshop for itsForm 3 students that encouragedthem to apply the learnings frompast workshops through a series

of fun and challenging activities ofa grand finale.

The workshop focuseson developing leadershipcompetencies, communication,critical thinking, creativity as wellas attitude.

I know by developing thesefocus areas, I can be a better

corporate leader in the future,says participant Ain NurfitrahAidrul Hisham.

Another participant, DivyaDarshini Sivanandan, concurs andadds: The objectives of what I

want to achieve definitely revolvesaround the competencies.Before this I was not a goodcommunicator but after havinggone through the programme, Iam getting better.

I was an over-confidentperson before enrolling in thisprogramme. After I joined AYTP, Ilearnt not just to be humble but tocooperate and be more inclusive,shares Benjamin Ooi Tien Wei,one of the participants of theworkshop.

Themed Putting Yourself inOthers Shoes, the workshop forthe Form 3 year group utilisedThe Hunger Gamesconcept thatis currently popular among theyouth.

Besides the recent workshop,the curriculum includes an arrayof activities including critical and

creative thinking workshops,public speaking and communityservices.

AYTP was established in 2011as a leadership developmentprogramme but was restricted toAxiatas own scholars.

It was only last year that theprogramme was offered on astand-alone mode to a muchbigger audience.

This is to ensure that theorganisations pledge of RM100milover 10 years will reach morestudents, thus creating moreimpact. Only in its fourth year,the AYTP has benefited about 470students across the three tracks.The aim is to reach 2,100 students

in 10 years.The programme has indeed set

new standards for building youngleaders to do more and be moreopen to develop their potential tolead the nation in the future.

Mohd Akram Mohd Yusof,an undergraduate student fromUniversiti Tenaga Nasional, says:Theres a saying if you want togo fast, you go alone; but if youwant to go far, work as a team.That is what the programme hastaught me.

Another student from MonashUniversity Malaysia shares asimilar view.

The programme not onlyhelped me to discover myself but

also the people around me. Weformed valuable friendships in ourown little family, shares AliciaTan Yen Fern.

Axiata stops at nothing todeliver the students with thebest. The organisations talentmanagement programme withinthe organisation also providesthe students with a uniquementorship experience.

The organisations employeeswho are enrolled in the talentmanagement programme havethe opportunity to coach andnurture the younger students inAYTP a win-win situationthat develops the leadership skillsof Axiatas employees as well as

providing the students with rolemodels to look up to.If we are a country that aspires

to be a major economic player anddo businesses on a regional andinternational scale, we definitelyneed competent CEOs.

That is the reason we arereaching out to the students todevelop the talent pipeline evenwhen our future CEOs are still inschool, says Badrunnisa.

If we are a countrythat aspires to bea major economicplayer and dobusinesses ona regional andinternational scale,we definitely needcompetent CEOs.

That is the reasonwe are reaching outto the students todevelop the talentpipeline even whenour future CEOs arestill in school.

DATIN BADRUNNISA

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Social media shapes

CSR strategies

RECENTLY, an online videofeaturing labourers in theUnited Arab Emirates using

pecial phone booth to make anernational phone call to their

milies went viral.The Coca-Cola advertisementwcased the beverage

mpanys Hello Happiness Phoneoth that accepted Coca-Colatle caps instead of coins toke a free three-minute phoneto help foreign workers to

nnect with their loved onesk home more often.

Similarly, in the spirit ofhting against breast cancer,rting apparel company Pumadged to donate 100% of profitsm the sale of its Project Pinkr as well as US$1 (RM3.20)every project pink hashtag onitter and Instagram to supportast cancer research.These are only two of manytances when companies arebracing social media and theernet to deliver their socialponsibility messages and CSR

mpaigns.ndeed, social media has

yed an important role in manycessful social responsibilitygrammes in recent years.

Two decades ago, the Internets a new way to gain access toormation that would have beenreachable before.The number of Internet usershe turn of this century was

0 million and 14 years laterhis year the latest statisticsnternet World Stats showed

76.3% growth to 2.8 billionernet users.As the content on the Internetws, Internet users are noger interested in being floodedh information and advertising.

ers are now more interested in

ial interactions and above all,active actions.

On top of that, social mediars are far more outspoken

d influential towards businessics than ever before.When consumers aresatisfied with a companysformance on social or

vironmental issues, they createine pressure through socialdia which makes the reactionmediate, inerasable and most ofpublicly accessible.This also makes it difficult for

mpanies to ignore any publicdback.One recent example of howinesses moved into more

tainable and ethical practicese to social media influence wasen fashion retailers bandedether to create a safety planmprove working conditions in

ngladeshi factories.The incident that took placet year was a result of a socialdia outcry after disasteruck when a Bangladeshiment factory collapsed,ing more than 1,000 workers.

nsequently, H&M, Zara, Gapd Abercrombie & Fitch endorsedagreement to practise publicountability, mandatory repairs

d renovations to improve andure factory safety.

rtual presence is criticalReceptive organisationst provide and respond

engagements throughial media are effectivelyating value in customer

mmunication.The possibility of influencingustainable lifestyle is greaten one considers the potential

mmunities that these

organisations can reach via theWorld Wide Web.

Take into account severalwell-known brands presence onFacebook, for example. H&M andZara have more than 20 millionfans each while Starbucks (38million), Dove (24 million) andCoca-Cola (90 million) also have asizeable share of online audience.

Interestingly, some chiefexecutive officers have far morefans and followers than theircompanies.

Tools to make or break

Richard Branson, for instance,has more than 4.5 million Twitterfollowers, compared to VirginGroups 164,000 followers; whileDell (404,000) has less than half ofMichael Dells followers (864,000).

These companies know thattheir consumers are observingevery business decision and willnot hesitate to hold their leadersaccountable for each move.

Thus transparency andimmediacy in disseminatinginformation become a huge factorin the likeability and success ofbrands.

One business leader who wastaken to task for his social mediafaux pas was Abercrombie &Fitchs CEO Mike Jeffries.

In a 2006 online video thateventually went viral last year,Jeffries stated that the brand wasmeant only for cool kids and thatit was exclusionary implyingthat the company did not cater tofat or ugly people.

This was said despite the

companys touted philosophy thatpurportedly embraces diversityand inclusion.

After a huge public outcry,Jeffries eventually issued a formalapology but the damage was done.

The company still suffered

losses in profits and its reputationsuffered among its targetconsumer group of those agedbetween 18 and 34.

Share price for the branddropped by 40% last year.

On the other hand, one ofthe earliest and most successfulcompanies that had improvedconsumer awareness of itsproducts is Unilever, which,through its Dove brand, tackled

societal issues related to bodyimage and self-esteem with theReal Beauty campaign.

Partly entertaining andpartly provoking, the series ofadvertisements it put out is agood example of delivering a CSRmessage in a way that consumerscan relate to and embrace warmly.

There were also instanceswhere a company shows anotherhow online-based CSR should bedone such as the case with the2010 Gulf oil disaster.

Oil and gas company BP, thatwas responsible for the oil spill,experienced severe backlash onsocial media that included anti-logo competitions and onlineprotests, resulting in a 50% drop ofits share prices in just two months.

Instead of admitting itsmistake and cleaning up themess it created, BP went withthe traditional route of defensivecommunication and tookmore interest in polishing itsunsalvageable reputation.

Pepsi, on the other hand, sawa missed opportunity and kick-started the Refresh campaignthat invited people to vote forthe best solutions to aid in the oil

spill clean-up, offering US$1.3mil(RM4.1mil) for the effort .

Online engagementmatters

Social media is a relatively newmedium for businesses to reachout to its consumers, potentialconsumers as well as the society atlarge. Some businesses are doing itwell, while others are still playing

catch up.Regardless, social media is a

critical communication medium.With this medium, companieswill need to not just improve theirbusiness procedures, supplies andproducts but they will also needto meet the expectations andbehaviours of their consumersthat demand fair businesspractices.

Yet, despite the growingconcern for social andenvironmental issues that

further spur the interest in CSRactivities, 63% of respondentsin a 2012 CSRWire study saidthat they do not know whereto find information regarding acompanys CSR efforts.

Furthermore, 55% of themalso claimed that they do notunderstand the impact of buyingsocially responsible products.

Evidently, there is clearly still alot of grounds for organisations tocover to ensure that the messageof their CSR campaigns reach theiraudience clearly and effectively.

Utilising social media as acommunication platform willallow companies to engage witha following of online users on a

more personal level, allow real-time performance monitoring andshare CSR-related informationconcisely.

Social media is here to stayas the new frontier in businesscommunication but unliketraditional communication tools,this is the one that consumersuse to discuss brands openly andone the world pays instantaneousattention to.

Social mediahas playedan importantrole in manysuccessful socialresponsibilityprogrammes inrecent years.Two decades

ago, the Internetwas a new wayto gain accessto informationthat would havebeen unreachablebefore.

Companies areembracing social

media and the Internetto deliver their CSR

messages.

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StarSpecial, Sunday 16 November 2014 CSR 15

Fuji Xeroxs green office aims to reduce its environmental footprint.

The sustainability journeyC

ORPORATE socialresponsibility has been partof the long history of Fuji

Xerox and is deeply ingrained intoits DNA and culture.

Joseph C. Wilson, founder ofXerox Corporation, describesXeroxs corporate value andbusiness domain, Our value iscreating better understandingamong men. Our businessdomain is promoting bettercommunication.

Former chairman of FujiXerox Yotaro Kobayashi says,Companies exist to serve societyand contribute to creating a bettersociety.

Kobayashi also established thegood company concept. FujiXerox would be strong companyfor shareholders, a kind companyfor local communities and futuregenerations, and an interesting

or exciting company for itsemployees.

These principals wereestablished 34 years ago and sincethen all subsequent presidentshave set the same tone from thetop.

Tadahito Yamamoto, currentpresident of Fuji Xerox, teachesthe leaders and managers of thecompany that CSR at Fuji Xeroxis synonymous with corporatemanagement and hence, theyaspire to live it out in every aspectof the business on a daily basis.

Fuji Xeroxs journey startedin 1960 when there was a need

to conserve paper. In 1969, thecompany obtained its first double-sided copier.

In 1995, Fuji Xerox startedrecycling parts and consumablesand in 2000, it had achieved itszero-landfill objective.

In 2004, it built its integratedrecycling plant in Thailand andfor the past three years, FujiXerox Malaysia has shipped 21840ft (12m) containers of usedsupplies and trade-in machinesto Fuji Xerox Eco Manufacturing,Thailand.

Earlier this year, Fuji Xerox

Malaysia launched its firstSustainability Report 2013and thejourney continues.

Fuji Xerox Malaysia continuesto embark on its CSR journey by

practising Genko itchi. Genko itchiis the Japanese term for unity ofword and deed.

In other words, there is a needto walk the talk. Just as Fuji XeroxMalaysia helps its customersimprove their productivity andefficiency, the same must also bereflected in its own operations.

In the spirit ofgenko itchi,Fuji Xerox Malaysia is buildingnew solutions for its internalstakeholders to improve workflow.

The new green officeestablished in Kuala Lumpur city

centre has helped Fuji XeroxMalaysia reduce its environmentalfootprint considerably and strivesto encourage further reductions incarbon and paper use.

Sustainability is a journey thatneeds to be undertaken by askingourselves what the ultimatepurpose is and setting that as anend-goal with defined milestonesto get there.

We should still strive to attainthe ultimate goal by narrowingthe gap year by year and peopleare at the core of making thisjourney successful.

Companies existto serve societyand contribute tocreating a bettersociety.

YOTARO KOBAYASHI

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Aid along the path less takenT

HERE are numerouscharitable foundationsall over the world whose

iness is to provide some kindassistance monetary orerwise to those that need it.These foundations comewo forms the non-profitanisation and the privatendation that is set up by anividual, a family or a group ofividuals.n lay terms, there is really notch difference between the

o except who founded themd certain legal and reportinguirements.Private foundations are alsoually non-profit, with theirds managed by their ownectors or trustees.These foundations usually dorequest funds from the public;

funding for their charitablejects comes from an individual,

mily or a single corporation runthat individual or family.Typically, private foundationsestablished by economically

ll-to-do individuals who arere often than not big names inglobal business community.

The intent is to use theirnomic independence anduence to affect change in local

d international communities inas such as poverty, health care,

ual rights and opportunity andmate change.As with any charitable cause,re are those that can be

nsidered to be more popular

n others.An obvious example is the glutbreast cancer awareness andalth care funding campaignst pop up every October,ich is national breast cancerareness month in Malaysia andeveral countries around therld.Another example is the numberprojects that deal with the issuehe availability of clean water in

veloping countries.Though these are certainlyrthy causes and vital publicues that need to be addressed,metimes the bandwagon leaveshind other issues that are justcritical but may not get the

ention they require.

alth

Health care is a big issuebally, but especially in thirdrld countries where facilities

d the requisite skills to usem are lacking, and, even if theyavailable, millions do not haveper access to them.

Many private foundationsdicate some of their effortsmproving the state of healthe in these countries. The Bill

Melinda Gates Foundation,example, funds projects that

dress immense global healthues such as HIV, malaria and

io.t also brings attention to areast are not commonly given focusare nonetheless significant

nfectious diseases that aree and therefore, somewhatglected, and discovery andnslational sciences.According to the Gatesundation, many healthnditions in the developing

solutions and too little fundingis directed toward problems thatdisproportionately affect theworlds poor.

It quotes research that states

that only 10% of all medicalresearch is dedicated to conditionsthat account for 90% of the global

disease burden, and limitedsupport for research that doesaddress otherwise neglecteddiseases and populations isseverely limited.

The Gates Foundation thereforesupports and funds projectsthat work to solve these healthproblems and consider the paththrough development and deliveryof a solution by promotingcross-discipline collaboration andcoordination among researchersand funding.

Economic development

The Bill, Hillary & ChelseaFoundation was established

by the former president of the

United states to bring businesses,governments, NGOs andindividuals together to createeconomic opportunity and growthof communities all over the world.

The foundations work alsoincludes improving health,increasing opportunities forwomen and girls and helpingcommunities address the effectsof climate change.

Though economicimprovement is the eventualend product of most activity toalleviate poverty and mitigatethe effects of climate change,the Clinton Foundation is one ofthe few foundations that stateeconomic development as aspecific issue that it wishes toaddress in its works.

Of course, the foundationachieves this goal through

projects that focus on providingbetter opportunities for educationand employment as it believesthat increasing access to theseresources and to investmentcapital and markets givesindividuals the opportunity towork their way out of povertyand uplift their communities,thus affecting the economicdevelopment of the larger societyand the country.

The Clinton Foundationsvarious programmes under itseconomic development initiativeprovide training in different skills sales skills or specific types offarming, for example and workto ensure that the people in the

communities the programmesare active in have fair access tomarkets.

Transparency

Economic growth and equalopportunity cannot really happenin a country with an unstablegovernment.

Two foundations thatfund projects that focus ondevelopment programmes onaccountable and democraticgovernance are the William andFlora Hewlett Foundation and theFord Foundation.

Established by the co-founderof Hewlett-Packard William

Hewlett and his wife Flora, the

Hewlett Foundation generallyawards grants to liberal andprogressive causes that it believescan have a significant impact onlocal and global communities.

Its Global Development andPopulation Program promotestransparent and accountablegovernance around the world andseeks to foster the use of high-quality research and analysis tocreate sound policy in developingcountries as well as improve thequality of education and childrenslearning and ensure access tofamily planning and reproductivehealthcare.

The Ford FoundationsDemocratic and AccountableGovernment focus area seeks tostrengthen the right of peopleto assemble and advocateand promotes government

transparency on several issues, notleast of which is public spendingand the reform of key globalinstitutions that govern the flow ofresources.

Both these foundations do notlimit their work on accountablegovernance to developingcountries or the so-called thirdworld; they also support projectsthat seek to reform democraticprocesses or public health policiesin their native United States.

Similarly, the Open SocietyFoundations, founded by investorand philanthropist George Soros,is a network of institutes thataward grants to projects thatfocus on, among other things,

independent media.A free and independent

press helps ensure governmentaccountability, so the OpenSociety Foundations supportprojects that expand freedom ofthe press, increase public accessto knowledge and information,and include minority voices in themedia.

Their focus on public accessto knowledge includes accessto classroom textbooks,scholarly research, legalinformation, scientific data andnew technologies, all of whichcan bring new opportunitiesfor knowledge creation anddissemination, especially among

disadvantaged groups.

The Ford Foundationfunds projecst thatbring effective andaffordable healthcare solutions to theworlds poor.

The Clinton Foundations initiatives provide skills training to farmers and work to The Ford Foundation and the Hewlett Foundation both fund programmes that

Typically, privatefoundations are

established byeconomicallywell-to-doindividuals whoare more oftenthan not bignames in theglobal businesscommunity.

csr - 16 november 2014

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