What fresh grads should be focusing on By Fung Lan Yong
Published in ‘Daily Express Sabah’on April 22, 2018, Page 16
Corporate social responsibility and business sustainability have become standard business practices and values of our time. Successful organizations are those that aim to achieve a positive impact on society, while maximising the shared value for business owners, employees, shareholders and stakeholders. At his recent commencement address to the 2018 EU Asia Commencement Ceremony held at Cordis Hotel, Hong Kong, Kota Kinabalu mayor Datuk Yeo Boon Hai urged fresh graduates to promote corporate social responsibility and business sustainability.
Stressing that one of most important roles for employees in the corporate world is to improve the public image of their organization, he said, “You want to work in an organization that is committed to various philanthropic causes. Its public image is enhanced by its social responsibility programs and consumers’ awareness of these programs. You can help your organization improve its public image by supporting non-profits through monetary donations, volunteerism, in-kind donations of products and services, and strong partnerships. Remember that consumers feel good about businesses that help and give back to the community. If you help your organization establish a favourable public image, you will experience greater job satisfaction.”
Capitalize on the media
Yeo elaborated that graduates should be aware of the impact of social media in the corporate world. “It does not matter how much your company is doing to promote environmental sustainability if only few people know about it. Make sure that you are establishing relationships with the local media so that they will cover the business news that you offer. The more good your company can do in the local community, the better the media coverage. Additionally, you can also use social media, such as Facebook and YouTube, to publicize your company’s production or activities that have positive community impacts. Remember that media visibility is useful in shedding a positive light on your organization. Your role is to formulate a strong corporate responsibility program that helps your company get news coverage,” he explained.
Increase engagement
Most people will be happy working for a company that has a good public image and is constantly in the media for positive reasons. “When you are happy, you will produce better output because you will be more engaged at your job. You are more willing to remain in a company that is dedicated to improving the community through corporate giving programs. It is more likely to attract and retain valuable, hardworking and engaged employees like you. Try to get a job at a company that is socially minded. Once hired, you tend to stay with the company longer, be more productive and be more creative,” Yeo added.
Help attract and retain investors
Job seekers should join a company that has sound business plans and budgets. “Investors who are pouring money into your company want to know that their funds are being used properly. Your social responsibility role here is to volunteer your time to show the investors that you care about profitability as well as social welfare and the natural environment. You must show investors that you have an interest in the local and global community. Investors are usually attracted to, and will continue to, support a company that is committed to its employees, customers and the public,” he stated.
Promote business sustainability
Besides corporate social responsibility, markets, regulators, customers, employees and partners now require sustainability from every organization. “You need to recognize that a business is connected to ecological, social and cultural systems. If these systems prosper, your business will also prosper. To ensure business sustainability, you must prioritize the long-term survival of your company and connect it to our ecological, social and cultural systems. To promote sustainability, you should work in a company that prioritizes environmental principles and socially responsible behaviour in its business model. You should help your company apply environmental principles to all its business decisions and treat the natural environment as the central theme of its business. When you emphasize sustainability, you greatly contribute to the survival of nations and the global financial system,” stressed Yeo.
Practise the triple bottom line
The final concept that Yeo highlighted at the commencement was the triple bottom line. “To succeed in the corporate world, you must know the three aspects of organizational success, including economic, ecological and social. In the corporate world, you must focus on three things first: people, planet and profit. You must do things that are beneficial to people. Additionally, the things that you do should help save our planet earth. When you do things that are both people-friendly and environmentally-sound, you will be able to enjoy greater profitability in the long run,” Yeo concluded.
EU School of Business is a partner university of Jessselton College Sabah. Based in Switzerland, it has campuses in Barcelona, Geneva, Montreux and Munich. The 2018 EU Asia Commencement Ceremony was attended by 78 graduates in Bachelor of Business Administration and in Leisure and Tourism Management. Another 22 received their Master of Business Administration, while four were awarded a Doctor of Business Administration.
Download Original ArticleAbout the writer
Fung Lan Yong holds a PhD in Special Education (Gifted and Talented Education) from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. She teaches Academic English and Mass Communication subjects at Jesselton College Sabah that has 5-star MyQuest ratings in various courses.