Codes of ethics within Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

According to (Goujon and Dubreuil, 2001) within the present configuration of the world, where globalization seems to be a multifaceted phenomenon, a call for ethical reflection is required in order to be conscious of our choices as well as their conse-quences because “An action performed in one part of the world will have consequences far away in another part”. Thus engineers have to face this phenomenon when carrying out their personal commitment materialized through the new codes of ethics and these, at the same time, should be an important part of the CSR.

In this way, engineers who have special possibilities to influence the direction of technological development and, simultaneously, on social and environmental issues are in the position to confront the risk society.

First of all, to talk about CSR should not be to talk about behavioral corporate indicators published in a business maga-zine in order to present an irreproachable corporative image in a cosmetic way, but from (Cortina, 2009) the point of view that it should be to talk about the responsibility as part of the profes-sionals’ character, the profesprofes-sionals’ habits. In others words, a set of predispositions that the professional builds, day in day out, through choices, in order to shape a good professional character.

Indeed, keeping in mind the question under study, developing the character is an important enough investment that organiza-tions and instituorganiza-tions should carry it out independently on their professionals. As regards the professionals’ activity as engineers, they find themselves involved not only in a set of concrete values, but in the ethos of the organization in its entirety, because their activity is developed, principally, within the framework of insti-tutions of managerial nature. For this reason professional ethics should deal with CSR as unavoidable context.

CSR generally refers to three fields of organizational respon-sibility which are based on ethical values, respect for the society

and protection for the environment. Thus, beyond making prof-its, companies are responsible for the totality of their impact on people and the planet. However, the ethical dimension and the moral values associated with CSR have still not been completely developed within the present business world. In accordance with (Arrieta and de la Cruz, 2005) this is an essential and necessary ele-ment for CSR to analyze and to explore because the existence of an intrinsic association between ethics and responsibility is clear.

This means the social and collective dimension of responsibility has an inevitable moral constituent. There is no voluntary choice without responsibility (Aristotle) and attention to the consequenc-es that emanate from the action and critical reflection on its causconsequenc-es and reasons are the pillars of this responsibility. From our view point, the application of this responsibility to the corporate world has its roots in the decision-making undergone when exercising, in our case, the engineering profession. CSR is a tool that com-plements the decision-making process of the professional sector.

With the intention of improving our understanding of the meaning of CSR it is necessary to determine the three features that configure its conceptualization (Arrieta and de la Cruz, 2005). These features are as follows:

• The global nature of CSR

Its application affects all the elements that constitute the managerial policy such as: life-long learning; equal oppor-tunities; sustainable development; protection of human rights and so on. All of these have to be managed by an organization that wants to be socially responsible. CSR has a transverse nature that pervades all managerial labor. Its practice involves a set of organized, reflected and proactive actions. Additionally, CSR is a social and political question, meaning that CSR is a demand that society makes of the corporation, so it is a demand that not only concerns the organization, but also an ever-changing society.

• Social demand

Managerial actions bring about consequences within the social environment and these go beyond the internal limits of the corporation. For this reason a socially responsible organization should adopt the measures and mechanisms necessary to assume responsibility for its social impact and in the same way contribute to the social development of the communities in which the corporation operates. In other words, this responsibility entails the great opportu-nity for innovation, differentiation and legitimation that the corporations have.

• The stakeholders model

Certainly, CSR appears as an important part of the ICT society where new needs and complex networks of rela-tionships and mutual interdependencies between people, professionals, and institutions are made. Today in our interrelated world CSR lies not only in economic benefit, but also in the social impact of professional activity and in its contribution to and collaboration with social, cultural and environmental development. For this reason CSR requires a pluralistic approach, providing benefits to all the stakeholders. According to (Arrieta and de la Cruz, 2005) from this organizational framework of the stakeholders, the corporation has to include within a unitarian politics of management the demands and contributions from the different parties that interact with it. Additionally, the creation of value for all the interested parties is required to fulfill the social commitment of the company. Thus, if all the interested parties are a part of the corporation, the obtained profits will benefit all of them because the stake-holders, as an integral part of the corporation, are seen not only as means in the service of it, but also as participants in: innovation processes, new investment opportunities, confidence creation, managerial culture based on shared

values, decisions making, etc. Finally, the fact that the cor-poration and stakeholders have a common project means that the corporate government shares its goals and con-sults with the concerned parties and carries out its actions with independence, honesty and transparency.

As a final remark, when engaged with CSR, a minimum regula-tion of professional activity is necessary through an inter-subjec-tive frame to configure a moral patrimony integrated within the culture of the corporation (Bilbao, Fuertes and Guibert, 2006).

Moral regulation will be expressed by means of the deontological or ethical codes typical of the professional collectives that belong to a corporation; the organizational council, the ethics commit-tee, the ethical awareness of the employees through courses, etc.

In short, any corporate responsibility (financial, political, legal, ethical, technological, cultural and environmental) is a social one and, consequently, the organization has to take into account all its main figures, in this case, the stakeholders. Accordingly (Kaptein and Schwartz, 2008): “A business code is a distinct and formal document containing a set of prescriptions developed by and for a company to guide present and future behavior on multiple issues of at least its managers and employees toward one another, the company, external stakeholders and/or society in general”.

This means, codes of ethics should have a considerable impact within the organization if they are sufficiently familiar to the whole of their members (internal and external) and the way to strengthen their role it is through CSR.