WHI TEPAPER Gl obal Cor por a t e Ci t i z e nsThe St a t eof
Cor por a t eSoci alRes ponsi bi l i t ySponsored by: IFS Anders
EbbesenAnders Elbak Jason Andersson October 2012 I DCOPI NI ON
Corporatesocialresponsibility(CSR)reportingisanessentialrequirementforany
company striving to be seen as a responsible corporate citizen.
Over the past decade
CSRhasmovedfrombeingmerelyalegislativeormoralimperativetobecominga
critical business issue, and more and more companies are embracing
CSR as a key organizational
component.IDCresearchshowsthataccurateandreliableCSRdatawillbecome
increasinglyimportantascompaniesarepressuredtodocumenttheirCSR
activities and integrate sustainability and financial reporting.A
majority of companies (72%) surveyed in JuneJuly 2012 by IDC and
IFS said they publish a CSR report or a CSR appendix to their
annual report. This marks a
strongincreaseinCSRreportingcomparedwithasimilarIDC/IFSstudyfrom
2010,whichshowedthatalmosthalfofthecompaniesdidnotpublishaCSR
report or appendix.Inthe2010 studyonly23%ofthecompanieshadtriedto
quantifythefinancial
contributionsfromCSR,comparedwith63%today.However,thecompanies'
confidenceintrackingthefinancialcontributionhasfallenfrom76%in2010to
66% in 2012.While many companies are committed to CSR, a large
proportion of companies (79%) have no system,face limitations in
their current systems, or rely on
third-partyproductsorthird-partyintegrationforCSRdatacollectionandreporting.
ThischallengescompaniesintheirabilitytoeffectivelymonitorandtrackCSR
while possibly incurring unnecessary integration costs.
Thesurveyalsopointstoastronginterest(61%)inembeddedenterprise
softwaretotrackandmeasurecompanies'impactontheenvironment.
Comparedwiththe 2010analysisinterestinthistype offunctionalityis
growing as pressure for more accurate data increases. In the short
term environmental compliance will be the key CSR driver, with
cost-cutting and customer perception being other important drivers
of CSR
activities.Thefinancialcrisis,alackofaclearbusinessadvantage,andlackofbest-practicecompetencesinCSRwillbethedominantinhibitorsintheshortterm.
Thus,theeffectofthefinancialcrisisnotonlypressurescompanyprofitsbutis
also impacting CSR activities. IDC Sweden Upplandsgatan 7 111 23
Stockholm +46-(0)8-444 15 92 +46-(0)733 499 600
2#IDCWP33UIDCWP33U2012 IDC I NTHI SWHI TEPAPER
ThisIDCWhitePaper,sponsoredbyIFS,exploreshowlargecompaniesare
embracingCSR.ThesurveyhighlightsdriversandinhibitorsofengaginginCSR
activities,therole of stakeholders,thecompanies'abilitytotrackthe
impactofCSR
ontheirbusiness,andthepresenceofsystemsthatcansupportaccuratedata
collection related to CSR.The survey was carried out in June and
July 2012 in eight countries with a total of 409
phoneinterviewsandWebsurveys(seeTable1).TherespondentswereCFOsin
companies with revenues of more than 100 million. T ABL E1Numb e r
o f Re s p o n d en t sSweden50 Denmark50 Norway51 Poland50
Germany50 United Kingdom50 United States58 France50 Total409
Source: IDC, 2012
Morethantwo-thirdsofrespondents(69%)belongtooneoffiveindustryverticals:
industrial manufacturing,
processmanufacturing,retail,constructionand contracting, and
service providers (see Figure 1). 2012 IDC#IDCWP33UIDCWP33U3 F I
GURE1Ve r t i c a l Mar k e t s n = 409 Source: IDC, 2012
Additionally, in the appendix, we highlight findings by country.I
DCSURVEYRESULTS C S R C o n t i n u e s t o G a i n G r o u n d A c
r o s s t h eG l o b
eCompaniesareincreasinglyembracingCSRtomonitortheenvironmentalimpactof
doing business. IDC and IFS asked companies if they produced a CSR
report or CSR appendix in their annual reports. 72% of companies
document their CSR activities in their annual reports (seeFigure
2). This marks a significant increase comparedwith
the2010study,inwhichonlyhalfoftherespondentspublishedaCSRreportor
appendix.
However,thereweresomequitesignificantcountryvariations.WhileDenmarkwas
leadingthepackwithanimpressive98%,countriessuchasSweden,Poland,and
Franceareinthe50%to60%range,whiletheU.S.,traditionallyseenasanearly
mover in CSR, was at 83%, somewhat lower than anticipated.
Aerospace and defenseAutomotiveConstruction and
contractingHigh-techIndustrial manufacturingService providerAsset
intensiveEnergy and utilitiesOil and gasOtherProcess
manufacturingRetail4#IDCWP33UIDCWP33U2012 IDC F I GURE2CSRRe po r t
/ CSRAp p end i x i n Ann ua l Re po r t n = 409 Source: IDC, 2012
IntermsofthecontentoftheCSRstrategy,IDCandIFSaskedcompaniesto
highlightwhichareasweretargetedspecificallyintheirCSRstrategies.Theresults
show that areas related to environmental impact were the most
important elements of
companies'CSRstrategies.Recyclingpolicies,airandwaterpollution,energy
efficiency,andcarbonreductionwerehighlightedaskeysubjects(seeFigure3).In
the 2010 IDC study, the top 3 areas were recycling, energy
efficiency, and hazardous substances.
Almostasimportantwereissuesrelatedtohumanrights,supplychaintrackingand
control,andbusinesstravelpolicies.Whiletheoverallresultsshouldcomeasno
surprisegiventhatCSRhasalwaysmaintainedastrongenvironmentalfocus,the
surveyunderlinesthatthescopeofCSRhasbroadened,whichinturnwillforce
companiestostreamlinehowCSRactivitiesaremonitoredanddocumentedforthe
company's stakeholders. 2012 IDC#IDCWP33UIDCWP33U5 F I GURE3Co n t
en t o f CSRS t r a t eg y a n d CSRRe po r t i n g Source: IDC,
2012 The survey shows that there is some correlation between the
content of CSR strategy
andtheactualcontentofCSRreporting.Inotherwords,companiesarenotonly
broadening the scope of CSR strategy but are also broadening their
CSR reporting. D r i v e r s a n d I n h i b i t o r s o f C S R R
e p o r t i n
gFacinganincreasinglycompetitivelandscapeandthecontinuedimpactofthe
financialcrisis,companiesareundergreatpressuretopositionthemselvesinthe
marketplace.CSRactivitiescanbeatoolforbuildingbrandrecognition,butthe
resourcesinvestedmaybesubstantialandcompaniesmaynotbeequippedto
pursue a CSR strategy. IDCand IFS surveyed companiestoname themost
importantdrivers andinhibitors
ofCSRreporting.NotsurprisinglyandinlinewiththeactualcontentoftheCSR
reporting,amajorityofcompaniessaidthatenvironmentalcompliancewasthe
number 1 driver of CSR activities (see Figure 4). Environmental
compliancewas the top priority, with cost cutting and customer
pressure other key drivers.0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%Content
ofCRS strategy CSR report/appendix to
annualreport6#IDCWP33UIDCWP33U2012 IDC F I GURE4P r i ma r y CSRDr
i v er s i nt h e Ne x t Two Ye ar s n = 365 Source: IDC, 2012 In
terms of country-specific trends, the survey shows that in the
Scandinavian region
inSwedenandNorwayCSRisprimarilydrivenbyenvironmentalcomplianceand
customerpressureconsiderations,whileinDenmarkcomplianceandtheabilityto
document "green" efforts for marketing purposesare quite strong.
Poland stands out as focusing strongly on managing board-level risk
(second to compliance), while the U.S., France, the U.K., and
Germany all have compliance and cost-reduction as their
maindrivers.WethusseeaEuropeandivide,withtheScandinavianregionless
focusedoncost-cuttingasadriverofCSR,andtheAnglo-Saxoncountriesand
Central Europe highly cost-aware. The onslaught of the financial
crisis may be higher on the agenda in those countries.The financial
crisis has had a huge impact on all aspects of doing business. This
also
includescompanies'CSRactivitiesasthefinancialcrisisremainsthesinglemost
important inhibitor to CSR reporting (see Figure 5). Other
important inhibitors relate to the lack of clear business benefits
andthe lack of
best-practicecompetenceinthearea.Otherssaidthatthecostsofimplementinga
CSR policy simply outweigh the inherent benefits.
0%5%10%15%20%25%30%35%40%Most important Second most important Third
most important2012 IDC#IDCWP33UIDCWP33U7 F I GURE5P r i ma r y I
nhi b i t o r s o f CSRAc t i v i t i e s n = 271 Source: IDC, 2012
In terms of country-specific developments, companies in Poland,
Germany, the U.S.,
andFrancesaidthefinancialcrisisisthesinglemostimportantinhibitortoCSR
reporting. In Norway and the U.S. companies also highlighted a lack
of a clear image of the business advantage from CSR. T h e I mp a c
t o f S t a k e h o l d e r s o n C S R A c t i v i t i e
sCompanies today face numerous stakeholders that influence the
companies' day-to-day operations and long-term success. In an
increasingly globalized and competitive
landscape,companiesaroundtheglobeareforcedtotakeintoconsiderationtheir
stakeholdersinsecuringbrandawareness,attractingnewtalent,andmaintaininga
strong customer base, while building a strong image among the
general public. This is reflected in how companies rate the
importance of stakeholders in driving CSR
activities.Customers,investors/owners,andauthorities/legislationareratedasthe
most important stakeholders overall (seeFigure 6). Potential
customers, employees,
andthegeneralpublicfallintoasecondgroup,whilethemedia,competitors,and
suppliers are regarded as the least important
stakeholders.CustomersareregardedasthemostimportantstakeholdersinGermany,theU.K.,
and Sweden, while investors are ranked at the top of the list in
Denmark, Poland, and
theU.S.Authoritiesarerankedinthetop3inNorway,Sweden,Germany,and
France, while employees are among the top 3 stakeholders in France
and Poland. 8#IDCWP33UIDCWP33U2012 IDC F I GURE6S t a k eho l d er
s ' I mp o r t anc e Gi v e n t o CSRAc t i v i t i e s n = 405
Source: IDC, 2012 C o n f i d e n c e a n d A b i l i t y i n T r a
c k i n gE n v i r o n me n t a l I mp a c tWith a continued strong
emphasis on CSR and CSR reporting, companies are faced with the
challenge of being able to effectively track the impact of the CSR
activities on
thebusinessoperationandoverallsuccessofthecompany.Forcompanies,the
abilitytoaccuratelyshowtheimpactofCSRwillnotonlybecriticaltomeasurethe
timeandresourcesinvestedinCSR,butwillalsobeanimportantmarketingtoolin
bringing this information to internal and external stakeholders.The
survey shows that the majority of companies (72%) find it critical
or very critical to
beabletotracktheenvironmentalimpactofdoingbusiness(seeFigure7)and
almost as many (70%) are confidentin their ability to track the
environmental impact (see Figure 8).0 20 40 60 80
100SuppliersCompetitorsMediaThegeneralpublicEmployeesPotential
customersAuthorities/legislationInvestors/ownersCustomers(%)To a
largedegree To some degreeTo a limited degree2012
IDC#IDCWP33UIDCWP33U9 Intermsof
country-specificresults,companiesintheU.K.regardtheabilitytotrack
theenvironmentalimpactashighlycritical,withGermanyandPolandandthe
Scandinavianregionnotfarbehind.Ontheotherhand,theU.S.andFrance,while
still expressing the view that the issue is important, appear to be
less
concerned.Buttowhatextentdoestheeffectivetrackingoftheenvironmentalimpactleadto
businessbenefits,beitcost-reductionormoreintangiblebenefitssuchasthe
"reputational" dividend that CSR will bring? F I GURE7Cr i t i c a
l t o Tr ac k E n v i r o nmen t al I mp ac t ? n = 403 Source:
IDC, 2012 10#IDCWP33UIDCWP33U2012 IDC F I GURE8Co nf i d enc e i n
Abi l i t y t o Tr ac k E n v i r o n men t al I mp ac t ? n = 396
Source: IDC, 2012
Q u a n t i f y i n g t h e F i n a n c i a l C o n t r i b u t
i o n F r o m C S RTracking and documenting the environmental
impact of doing business is only part of
thestory.CarryingoutnumerousCSRactivitiesmaybeasizeableinvestmentand
the financial benefits from carrying out CSR are equally as
important as being able to
monitorandtrackCSRactivities.Hence,wehavesurveyedcompaniestolearnif
efforts have been made to calculate the actual gains from investing
in CSR activities.
Inotherwords,whatisthebottomline,andarewesuccessfullyabletomeasure
gainsachieved?63%ofthecompanieshavetriedtomeasurethefinancial
contribution of their efforts to reduce the impact of business on
the environment (see
Figure9).66%saidtheyareconfidentintheirabilitytoquantifythefinancial
contributions(seeFigure10).However,comparedwiththepreviousIDC/IFSstudy,
the confidence level has decreased by 10 percentage points.The
U.S., Germany, and Sweden are the most active countries in terms of
quantifying the financial contribution. On the other hand
confidence in quantifying remains strong in Germany, Poland, and
the U.K., with France and Norway less confident.
Amongthosethathavenotmeasuredthefinancialcontributionroughlyhalfpointto
the difficulty of measuring as the most important inhibitor, with
35% saying that it is a
relativelylowpriorityinthecompany(seeFigure11).IntheU.K.andFranceit
remainsarelativelylowpriority,whileintheothercountriesthedifficultiesin
quantifying remains the most important inhibitor. 2012
IDC#IDCWP33UIDCWP33U11 F I GURE9Ha s Yo u r Co mp an y Tr i e d t o
Qua nt i f y t h e F i na nc i al Co nt r i b ut i o nF r o mCSR?
Source: IDC, 2012 F I GURE1 0Co nf i d enc e i n Abi l i t y t o Qu
an t i f y F i n an c i a l Co nt r i b ut i o n F r o m CSR? n =
248 Source: IDC, 2012 Yes (62.8%)No (37.2%)12#IDCWP33UIDCWP33U2012
IDC F I GURE1 1Re a s o n s f o r No t Qu ant i f y i n g F i n a
nc i a l Co nt r i b u t i o n n = 135 Source: IDC, 2012 E n t e r
p r i s e S o f t wa r e a s a T o o l f o r T r a c k i n gC S R '
s I mp a c
tIDCandIFSaskedrespondentsabouttheirinterestinandabilitytotrackand
measuretheimpactofbusinessoperationsonanumberofenvironmentalareas
including carbon footprint, solid waste, air and water pollution,
and product end-of-life
impact.38%ofcompanieswerenotabletotracktheenvironmentalimpact,while
24% were able to track some environmental measures but not others
directly in their
enterpriseapplicationsystem.6%ofcompanieshadintegrationtothird-party
systems, while 11% offered limited integration to a third-party
system (see Figure 12).Only one in five companies has an integrated
ERP system that enables them to track
theenvironmentalimpact,whilethemajorityreliesonintegrationtothird-party
products.Thechallengesandcostsofhavingmultiplesystemsexchanging
information may impede the ability to produce reliable data.
Companiesthatcurrentlydonothavesystemsinplacetotracktheirenvironmental
impactareexpectedtobepressuredbybothinternalandexternalstakeholdersto
have that ability as pressure mounts to deliver key CSR data. 2012
IDC#IDCWP33UIDCWP33U13 F I GURE1 2Ab i l i t y t o Tr ac k En v i r
o n men t al I mp ac t F r o mCSRi n Cur r en tS y s t em n = 390
Source: IDC, 2012
61%ofcompaniesexpressedastronginterestinhavingtheircurrententerprise
software able to effectively track the environmental impact (see
Figure 13). The U.S.,
Sweden,theU.K.,andGermanywerethemostpositive,rangingfrom64%to84%.
France, Denmark, and Poland were less enthusiastic. F I GURE1 3I nt
e r e s t i n So f t war e t o Tr ac k E n v i r o n men t al I mp
ac t n = 403 Source: IDC, 2012 Yes (61.1%)No
(38.9%)14#IDCWP33UIDCWP33U2012 IDC CONCLUSI ON T r a c k i n g a n
d Mo n i t o r i n g C S R D a t a Wi l lB e c o me a K e y E l e
me n t i n C o mp a n y R e p o r t i n gOver the past decade CSR
has moved from being a "moral" or legislative necessity to becoming
a key business issue. More and more companies are embracing CSR,
not only because of legislative requirements, but also because it
quite simply seems "the right thing to do" from a business
perspective.ResearchbyIDCManufacturingInsights(Perspective:FromComplianceto
SustainabilityAChangingMarket,IDC#MI235198,June2012)showsthathigh
sustainability focus is strongly correlatedto profitability.
Environmental measurement
leadstobetterresourceconsumption,transparency,andbetteroperational
management, which in turn leads to lower costs and higher process
efficiency and ultimately higher profits. The continued adoption of
CSR will reflect the extendedscope of CSR activities that
istakingplaceamonglarge,globalcompanies.Focusisnolongerconfinedto
documenting"green" technologies as CSR will becomea key instrument
in realizing direct cost savings and achieving"reputational"
dividends from investors, customers, company employees, and the
general public.
AmajorityofthesurveyedcompaniespublishadedicatedCSRreportorCSR
appendix in their annual accounts. This has helped build a more
holistic image of the
company.However,asCSRcontinuestogainground,wewillseecompanies
embracingCSRreportingandfinancialreportingasequallyimportantbusiness
performance measures.The survey shows that the majority of the
surveyed companies currently do not have
embeddedfunctionalityinplacetoeffectivelymeasureandtracktheenvironmental
impactofdoingbusiness.Thesurveypointstoamismatchbetweenthe72%that
publishCSRreportsandthe21%thathavethefullabilitytomeasureandreportin
their current enterprise system.While many companies are committed
to CSR, some cannot track the environmental
impact,whileothersfacelimitationsintheircurrentsystemsorrelyonthird-party
integrationfordatacollection
andreporting,challengingcompaniesintheirabilityto effectively
monitor and track CSR while incurring unnecessary integration
costs.
IDCbelievesthattheincreasinginterestinconsolidatedreportingforCSRand
financialreportswilldrivedemandforcost-efficientrepositoriesandsystemsthat
alloworganizationstoretrieve,monitor,andtrackCSRandsustainabilityefforts.So
while companies appear to have some level of confidence in their
ability to track and
calculateenvironmentalimpact,thepressuretodeliveraccurate,reliabledatawill
become ever more important. This will effectively challenge the
companies' reporting systems and procedures.
CompaniesthatarenotabletoaccuratelydocumenttheirCSRactivitieswillsoon
learnthatlackingormisstateddataonCSRprogresswillnotonlyimpact
managementinsightandbusinessinnovation,butwillalsothreatenthecompany's
reputationamongcorestakeholders,whileatthesametimenegativelyimpacting
company profits.2012 IDC#IDCWP33UIDCWP33U15
Enterprisesoftwarethatprovidesflexibilityinprovidingaudittrails,enablesa
comparisonofproducts,plants,orregions,andsupportscorporategoalsand
decisionmakingcouldpotentiallybeakeyenablerinthatrespect.Andthesurvey
showsthatthereissubstantialinterestinhavingintegratedsoftwarethathelps
companies organize their CSR data. APPENDI X: COUNTRY/ REGI
ONSUMMARI ES T h e S c a n d i n a v i a n R e g i o nIn terms of
CSR reporting we see some discrepancies across theScandinavian
region. While 98% of Danish companies produce a CSR report/CSR
appendix to theannualreport,theshareforSwedenandNorwayis50%and78%,
respectively.The key drivers for CSR include environmental
compliance, followed by customer
pressureandcost-cutting.ThemainCSRinhibitorsarethefinancialcrisisand
thelackofaclearimageofthebusinessadvantageofimplementingaCSR
policy.IntermsofstakeholderimportancegiventocompanyCSRactivitieswesee
somevariationacrosstheScandinavianregion.InNorwaypotentialcustomers,
customers,andauthoritiesareregardedasthemostimportantstakeholders.
Swedenrankscustomers,investors,andauthoritiesasthekeystakeholders,
while Denmark rates investors, customers, and potential customers
as the most important stakeholders. When surveying the ability to
track the environmental impact on business 71% of
Scandinaviancompaniessaiditwascriticalorverycritical,while61%of
companies said they were confident in the ability to track
environmental impact.
60%ofthesurveyedcompanieshadtriedtoquantifythefinancialcontribution
from CSR. Of those 60% felt confident or very confident in their
ability to quantify
thecontribution.Amongthosethatdidnotquantifythecontributionthemajority
said it was a low-priority
area.31%ofcompaniesdonothavethefunctionalityembeddedintheirenterprise
softwaretotrackormeasuretheimpactoftheirbusinessontheenvironment,
while 61% said they would be interested in functionality that would
enable them to track this impact. F r a n c
e70%ofthesurveyedcompaniespublishaCSRreport/CSRappendixtotheir
annualreports.Environmentalcompliance,cuttingcost,andaddressinglabor
relationsarethekeyCSRdrivers,whilethefinancialcrisis,noclearimageof
businessadvantage,andlackofbest-practicecompetenceremainthethree
most important inhibitors.
Frenchcompaniesratedauthorities,employees,andcustomersasthemost
important stakeholders with regards to CSR
activities.16#IDCWP33UIDCWP33U2012 IDC
Intermsofhowcriticaltheabilityistotracktheenvironmentalimpacton
business, 58% of French companies said it was critical or very
critical; 58% also said they were confident in the ability to track
environmental
impact.53%ofthesurveyedcompanieshadtriedtoquantifythefinancialcontribution
from CSR. Of those 43% felt confident in their ability to quantify
the contribution. Among those that did not quantify the
contribution the majoritysaid it was a low-priority area. 61% of
companies do not have the functionality in their enterprise
application to
trackormeasuretheimpactoftheirbusinessontheenvironment,while47%
said they would be interested in functionality that would enable
them to track this impact. P o l a n
d50%ofthesurveyedcompaniespublishaCSRreport/CSRappendixtotheir
annualreports.Environmentalcompliance,managingboard-levelrisk,and
documenting "green" efforts are the key CSR drivers, while the
financial crisis, no clear image of business advantage, and no
demand from customers remain the three most important inhibitors.
WhensurveyingstakeholderimpactoncompanyCSRactivities,investors,
employees, and customers were
highlighted.Intermsofhowcriticaltheabilityistotracktheenvironmentalimpacton
business, 84% of Polish companies said it was critical or very
critical, while 84% also said they were confident in the ability to
track the environmental impact.
62%ofthesurveyedcompanieshadtriedtoquantifythefinancialcontribution
from CSR. 81% of those felt confident in their ability to quantify
the contribution. Among those that did not quantify the
contribution the majoritysaid it was a low-priority area.47% of
companies do not have the functionality in their enterprise
application to
trackormeasuretheimpactoftheirbusinessontheenvironment,while51%
said they would be interested in functionality that would enable
them to track this impact. G e r ma n
y72%ofthesurveyedcompaniespublishaCSRreport/CSRappendixtotheir
annual reports. Environmental compliance, cutting costs, and
customer pressure
arethekeyCSRdrivers,whilethefinancialcrisis,nodemandfromcustomers,
andnoclearimageofbusinessadvantageremainthethreemostimportant
inhibitors.
WithregardstostakeholderimportancetocompanyCSRactivities,Germany
ranked customers, potential customers, and authorities as key
influencers.Intermsofhowcriticaltheabilityistotracktheenvironmentalimpacton
business,78%ofGermancompaniessaiditwascriticalorverycritical,while
87% ofcompaniessaidthey were confident in the ability to track
environmental impact.2012 IDC#IDCWP33UIDCWP33U17
71%ofthesurveyedcompanieshadtriedtoquantifythefinancialcontribution
from CSR. Of those, 85% felt confident or very confident in their
ability to quantify
thecontribution.Amongthosethatdidnotquantifythecontributionthemajority
said it was a low-priority area or that it was difficult to
quantify.45% of companies do not have the functionality in their
enterprise application to
trackormeasuretheimpactoftheirbusinessontheenvironment,while63%
said they would be interested in functionality that would enable
them to track this impact. T h e U . K
.66%ofthesurveyedcompaniespublishaCSRreport/CSRappendixtotheir
annual reports. Cutting costs, environmental compliance, and
customer pressure are the key CSRdrivers, while the lack of best
practices and the financial crisis remain the most important
inhibitors.
U.K.companiesratedcustomers,investors,andpotentialcustomersaskey
stakeholders with regards to CSR
activities.Intermsofhowcriticaltheabilityistotracktheenvironmentalimpacton
business, 76% of U.K. companies said it was critical or very
critical, while 78% of
companiessaidtheywereconfidentintheabilitytotracktheenvironmental
impact.
51%ofthesurveyedcompanieshadtriedtoquantifythefinancialcontribution
fromCSR.88%feltconfidentintheirabilitytoquantifythecontribution.Among
those that did not quantify the contribution the majoritysaidit was
a low-priority area or difficult to quantify. 52% of companies do
not have the functionality in their enterprise application to
trackormeasuretheimpactoftheirbusinessontheenvironment,while64%
said they would be interested in functionality that would enable
them to track this impact. T h e U . S
.83%ofthesurveyedcompaniespublishaCSRreport/CSRappendixtotheir
annual reports. Cutting costs, environmental compliance, and
documenting green
effortsarethekeyCSRdrivers,whilehavingnoclearimageofthebenefitsof
CSR, a lack of best practices, and the financial crisis remain the
most important inhibitors.
WhensurveyingstakeholderimportancetocompanyCSRactivities,investors,
customers, and potential customers were ranked as key
influencers.Intermsofhowcriticaltheabilityistotracktheenvironmentalimpacton
business, 67% of U.S. companies said it was critical or very
critical, while 70% of companies said they were confident in the
ability to track environmental impact. 75%ofsurveyedcompanies
hadtriedtoquantifythefinancialcontributionfrom
CSR,butonly58%feltconfidentintheirabilitytoquantifythecontribution.
Amongthosethatdidnotquantifythecontribution,themajoritysaiditwas
assumed that the benefits were positive and that it remained a low
priority. 18#IDCWP33UIDCWP33U2012 IDC
Only14%ofcompaniesdonothavethefunctionalityintheirenterprise
application to track or measurethe impact of their business on the
environment.
Asignificantnumber(84%)saidtheywouldbeinterestedinfunctionalitythat
would enable them to track this impact. C o p y r i g h t N o t i c
eExternal Publication of IDC Information and Data Any IDC
information that is to be
usedinadvertising,pressreleases,orpromotionalmaterialsrequirespriorwritten
approval from the appropriate IDC Vice President or Country
Manager. A draft of the
proposeddocumentshouldaccompanyanysuchrequest.IDCreservestherightto
deny approval of external usage for any reason. Copyright 2012 IDC.
Reproduction without written permission is completely
forbidden.
