Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a term which has been steadily gaining popularity ever since the whole idea first started emerging. Contrary to what most may think, it is not a new notion, however, as its origins can be traced back to the Industrial Revolution… Yes… the Industrial Revolution which, inevitably, had to lead to the reorganisation of the daily lives of individuals, communities and societies around big companies or early corporations. This was the period of time with increased migration from the countryside to towns and cities where former farmers were seeking better paid jobs. 

Late 19th and early 20th century was the period of excessive workforce exploitation, hazardous working conditions and air pollution. Nonetheless, some of the early industrialists did not fail to see the need for socially responsible corporate conduct which later gained considerable momentum during World War II. In the post-war landscape, big business started to take on an active attitude in how they were defining their role and place in communities and societies. New pressures exerted on executives were not without merit here. Amongst them, factors such as trade unions, accelerating globalisation, public anxiety, or the lurking soviet threat can be enumerated. Deeper understanding of corporate responsibility followed.

What exactly is Corporate Social Responsibility today? Well, the concept has been defined in numerous ways. It is fair to say, though, that one of the most all-encompassing definitions was coined by the man named the father of Corporate Social Responsibility – Howard Bowen. In 1953, Bowen in his Social Responsibilities of the Businessman wrote that CSR can be defined as  “the obligations of businessmen to pursue those policies, to make those decisions, or to follow those lines of action which are desirable in terms of the objectives and values of our society.” This, most basically, means that CSR is a self-regulating business model which aids companies at becoming socially accountable in front of themselves, the companies’ stakeholders as well as in the public eye. Through practice of CSR or corporate citizenship, companies can more consciously influence various aspects of social life (e.g. local economies, social stratification or natural environment). Thus, actively engaging in CSR activities makes a company positively contribute to the above mentioned areas of life in any given location around the globe.

Why are we sharing this? Well… It’s no secret that CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY has been one of Code4Tag’s core values and has become one of the pivotal elements of how we view doing business and what we perceive to be ethical business. Our philosophy and aim is to equalise opportunities and equip people with the know-how and adequate tools which can potentially encourage them to take control of their professional lives which, in turn, may largely improve their socio-economic situations. Since our beginnings, Code4Tag have taken action where technical opportunities are low and human potential is high. Not only do we provide training but also give the less advantaged a chance to use their potential to start earning money. In order to be able to do so, we have been monitoring local organisations, and engaging with local communities as well as individuals in remote locations around the world. We have also been diagnosing their needs and capacity to engage in various activities and delegating tasks accordingly. All of it in the spirit of working for the greater good.

…and we have to say that 2022 was a particularly busy year for Code4Tag in terms of our engagement into CSR activities. Together with Arel, we had a chance to participate in quite an extensive project (action4refugee.org) in which we were providing trainings in: 

• basic internet marketing
• developing marketing campaign strategies 
• working with basic IT tools (e.g. email campaigns, profiling and collecting email campaign targets).

We also managed to provide the people we were working with, with an opportunity to work remotely and, most importantly, earn a living in a dignified manner.

This, however, is just a drop in the ocean of needs… So, we have no intention of stopping there and it is our great hope that 2023 will prove to be even more fruitful in our Corporate Social Responsibility mission.