Developing a Framework for Supporting the Delivery of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) through Design in Product- and Service-oriented Industries

Background The growing body of research on CSR has revealed that pursuing CSR separately from core business activities, notably their primary offerings, cannot have a positive impact on both society and business in the long term. However, relatively little attention has been given to the relationship between CSR and design. The central aim of this article is to identify the important role of design in helping organizations implement CSR practices in a strategic sense, and to demonstrate where design can contribute to the overall goals of CSR and which design activities can influence adherence to CSR practices. Methods To address the relationship between CSR policy and design input, this article evaluates CSR-related documentary evidence produced by eight companies. Two completely different industries are therefore considered: the retail industry, which is a service-oriented business; and the product-oriented electronic goods industry. For the purpose of content analysis, the analytic framework “CSR-Design Matrix” is proposed, by which CSR decisions and design activities that can influence CSR can be evaluated. The different CSR orientations in product-oriented companies and service-oriented companies are analyzed and compared. Result From the analysis of the CSR-Design Matrix, it is revealed that a large number of the CSR policies are directly and indirectly and/or currently and potentially related to design. The forms of involvement are varied, from designed outcomes of objects and services to the design of business and the organizational process, depending on the specific issues of CSR and the industrial context which the companies are engaged in. The largest amount of design activities engaged in CSR practices of the retail industry is indicated as being “CSR informed communication strategies” whereas those of the electronics industry are realized as “socially responsible products and services.” Irrespective of industrial context the number of CSR practices requiring design involvement in making decisions outweighs the number of those that do not. Conclusions It is clear from the findings that designers have power; they can make conscious decisions that affect shareholders, employees, customers, communities and the environment. Indeed, emphasizing CSR from a holistic design perspective can be a valuable tool for addressing the problems and issues faced by organizations and by society. Therefore, design needs to be perceived as an integrated thinking process. It is thus necessary for organizations to develop new and better strategic interventions that effectively incorporate the altruistic/humanitarian motivations of employees, notably design professionals, with the company’s commitment to the CSR initiatives in a more formalized way.