Since my initial studies in Copenhagen the topic of organisational justice has been one of my work topics. The recent months have again made me keen on reading some of the newer research on this topic, such as literature on the perception of organisational justice. One og my reading led me to professor Lily Zheng. According to Zheng and her recent article in Harvard Business Review, we are in the age of what she calls CSJ (Corporate Social Justice). She sees it as a new paradigm that imagines a healthier and mutually beneficial working relationship, but also between companies and the communities with which they interact. What interests me the most in her research work is the work relationship part. Something that I myself believe that the conventional CSR currently tends to overlook.
CSJ is different from the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) programs that most companies have relied upon for the past 50 years. Namely, including social marketing, philanthropic efforts, and diversity and inclusion work, to build brands and keep the customer happy. Thus, CSJ is driven by the growing desire of socially conscious consumers and employees. So for businesses, especially socially conscious businesses, to do better. Lily Zheng believes that companies have the opportunity to seize the opportunity and leverage their influence to build a better world for all, including themselves.
What is positive about Zheng’s article is that we have already moved from the earlier CSR focusing on the object into focusing on the subject. Yet, as I see it, the next focus needs to be around how does the subjects interact. We could call it the “Collaboration CSR” (a self-invented word ..). My belief is that “Collaboration CSR” is raising awareness and evolving positively on how we interact. This process needs to be worked upon with consistency and will at stages be uncomfortable, however it’s not window-dressing and in the end everyone involved will gain, including revenues, KPI’s, ESI’s… Aiming on collaborative sustainability is partly what can be done during a coaching process.
Below, via the link to the article, you will find out for yourself how Zheng understands Corporate Social Justice: https://hbr.org/2020/06/were-entering-the-age-of-corporate-social-justice
In the news I shared with you some months ago, “Goleman’s Resonant Leader,” I see a link to Lily Zheng’s article. Thus, the resonance in the working relations in the organization which emphasises the CSJ.