Ivanović Dejan

Faculty of Organizational Sciences

+381 64 952 65 52
d.ivanovic.992@live.com

Belgrade, January 2014.

CSR in the telecommunications industry

The century we live in is marked by rapid globalization and the introduction of ICT. Production is monitored using
modern communication systems and is increasingly relying on the people who in an organized way think and act,
both in the virtual space and the real world.
With increasing and encouraging regularity, corporate sustainability is appearing on the radars and agendas
of companies around the world. Corporate leaders recognize the growing relevance and urgency of global
environmental, social and economic challenges.
Swedish companies have a long history of active CSR work and Sweden is viewed as a pioneer within the field. In
2013, Sweden topped the RobecoSAM Country Sustainability Ranking, which ranks 59 countries based on 17
environmental, social and governance indicators.
As for the business sector itself and its CSR engagement, it is noticeable that still a number of companies in Serbia
consider CSR as a public relations tool which helps improve their image or reputation in the society. CSR has a
potential to become much more than this, to create social, economic and environmental value added, and thus bring
benefit not only to a small elite, but to the entire society. It is encouraging that a number of compan ies purposely
avoid “marketing” their CSR activities, indicating increased awareness of the inherent benefits of practicing CSR. The
largest Serbian companies have high awareness of the importance of CSR, and a strategic orientation towards
responsible and constructive role and contribution in the community. One of them certainly is Ericsson.
Being fully aware of the subsequent effect of energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions of ICTs, while
recognizing the critical importance of ICT as an enabler for environmental and cultural change, in this document is
going to be presented a plan of action to become more socially responsible.
There have been identified the following goals of corporate philanthropy: while the following company aims to
increase awareness of the importance of ICT and encourage self-entrepreneurship based on modern technology,
one of its key objectives is to improve the reputation, as well as increase sales and attract new customers, attracting
business partners and investors, and therefore more support from the media, local communities and authorities.
In order to fulfill the objectives it is necessary to teach the employees the different forms of motivation and the
ultimate outcomes of this corporate social responsibility:
1. Better position of women in society
2. Better position and additional qualiffications in the labour market
3. Economic benefit to the company, improved company reputation and customer loyalty
4. Encouragement of enterpreneurship at the local level.
In implementing the strategy of corporate philantropy, it is strongly important to conduct both internal as well as
external changes.
To begin with, the focus will be on the following priorities in internal changes that the sustainability and environment-
friendliness becomes everyday practice of the employees. Internally, the employees are to be encouraged to travel
to work in a green manner, to opt for using public transport, cycling or car sharing, therefore improving their health
due to the daily physical activity and reducing traffic pollution. Furthermore, employees should be allowed to work
one day in a week from home, resulting in increase of their motivation and productivity. Once all reasonable actions
have been taken to avoid emissions, there should be taken actions to reduce the remaining emissions through
efficiency measures, such as using low-energy light bulbs, turning off computer and printers at the end of the day or
installing better insulation, striving to “Carbon Neutrality”.
In addition, a clean desk policy is to be implemented, where will be no unnecessary papers on the desks for better
productivity of the employees. In addition to that, there should be minimization of the use of paper bills, swithing to
electronical payment. All desktop computers should be replaced with laptops, since they use less power and take
less space. Also, one interesting solution would be switching to cloud computing. Such technique is further fortified
by server optimization strategies including the implementation of storage virtualization and capacity management
and converting physical servers to virtual servers, decommissioning inactive servers and data disks and ensuring re-
use of equipment. Finally, after the implementation of all of those internal techniques, the results should be
measured using “Carbon Footprint Analysis”, ensuring the minimum impact of the company on the environment.
Next, external changes are to be conducted through 3 projects.
First, supporting the initiative “Klikni zeleno“. Within the campaign, organizations, companies and institutions who
have their own site, can plant a tree and reduce the environmental footprint produced by their web pages (one web
page produces 3,6kg of CO2 per year, while one tree absorbs 10kg per year). After applying, the activists of “Klikni
zeleno“ will select an area, plant a tree and provide one year care. This will position the company as someone who
minimizes pollution on the Internet, and on the outside world.
Second activity involves the company's employees. First, they are to be motivated to participate in humanitarian
action such are cleaning riverside, parks in cooperation with Serbia Green Building Council, Ecoist and other
companies. Second, in coordination with Faculty of Dramatic Arts, employees and students volunteers would visit
Hospital for Child Cerebral Palsy, Pediatric Hospital, Center for Protection of Infants and Young Children iz
Zvečanska Street and slimilar, dressed as super heroes, clowns or even Santa Clause for New Years Eve, bringing
them gifts, food, clothes, much needed electronic equpment and brightening their day. This action can be realized in
cooperation with different fonds, such are “Blic Fond“, “Fond B92“, “Jedan u milion“. This would be even bigger
motivation for employees, bringing them closer to the company. All of this would be television covered, portraying
company like someone who is socially responsible, who identifies problems in the society and is ready to act.
Finally, the third activity is aimed at the increasing problem of women unemployment. This project is set to popularize
electronic communication and encourage enterpreneurship among women. T he basic concept is to organize ICT
education for women in rural areas. In order to do that, it is necessary to provide trainers and computers for digital
center, where would women (mostly middle-aged) who deal with different types of manufaction, learn how to use
new technologies in order to find new buyers and expand their production. This project (in the first, test year) would
refer to 30 women, and families that are defined as particulary vulnerable social group. Later, the number would be
expanded. The activities would include hiring trainers (or employees of the company), organization of travel for the
women to the digital center and providing laptops for them to use prermanently after the training. It would be great
support for raising awareness about the women's enterpreneurship, unemployement and the necessity of the use of
informational technologies.
The main reason for chosing those priorities (internal and external) is the desire to ensure quality and healthy living of
the employees, their devotion to company, minimal impact on the environment and creation of an example to other
companies to act on a similar, effective manner. As for the external activities, the goal is to advocate cooperation
with organizations from both local government, corporate sector and NGO sector that will support more healthier,
developed and more ecological environment.