Research On Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility Practices:a Case Study Of Schindler Company

Recent years, rapid economic development and globalization brings a number ofsignificant social problems: food safety, production safety, environmental pollution andemployees’ rights and interests. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has gained thepublic attention, both in theoretical and practical fields. Compared with foreigncompanies in advanced countries, the practice of CSR in China is lagging behind. Somecompanies still see CSR as economic burden, or as crisis management and publicrelations tool. So how to encourage and guide domestic enterprises to fulfill CSR bystrategically analyzing CSR opportunities, implementing effective and strategic CSRprograms so as to realize shared value with society, and form sustainable competitiveadvantage, is the basic content of the case study.Based on the research of the latest CSR theory and practices, as well as SchindlerCompany four typical CSR programs: Charitable contributions, Social welfare events,Green products innovation, and Vocational education, this study case found thatSchindler company invested their expertise skills, technology innovation, managementstrengths to address the elevator safety issues and energy saving issues, by strategicallyexecuting Green products innovation, and Vocational education CSR programs. On theother hand, through strategic CSR practices, Schindler achieved differentiated customerservices, enhanced corporate reputation, reduces costs, and formed sustainablecompetitiveness, in the end kept a leading position in the fierce competition.This study comes to a conclusion: First,"good" social responsibility programs(Strategic CSR programs which fully enhance the competitiveness of enterprises) shouldfollow four principles: strategic, effective, public and sustainable. Second, excellentstrategic CSR programs often link closely with the company’s strategy, leveragecompany advantaged resources, and with big social influence and good sustainability,and finally greatly improve corporate reputation and competitiveness in the aspects ofstrengthening company strategy, improving core competencies, creating new businessopportunities and declining company risks. Third, this study established a CSRassessment system from strategic, effective, public and sustainable index, which is effective and feasible to evaluate CSR program quality and could be a good reference fordomestic enterprises. In addition, the Strategic CSR theoretical models in this study usedfor Schindler case study are also useful for domestic enterprises to learn and use whenanalyzing Strategic CSR opportunities.Today, CSR is a must for a company. Strategic CSR thinking will be a decidingfactor in future competition. This paper wants to help domestic companies correctunderstanding, analysis, and evaluation of CSR, and guide them to transform andinnovate from way of thinking, behavior patterns to business model, so as to achievesustainable development. The conclusion of the Schindler Strategic CSR practices studycould be a reference for domestic enterprises to push forward their CSR execution.