Last few weeks, we heard a lot of stories about helping others. Today, I would like to talk about how business helps the needy. You may ask, “The objective of running a business is making money, why do they care about the weak?” In business, we have a concept called Corporate Social Responsibility (企業社會責任). It refers to the moral and ethical efforts made by a company for the betterment of society in some way.
For example, companies donate their time, money, or resources to charities. Every year, there are some students in our school receiving scholarships from large companies like CLP, MTR and LINK. By making these efforts, the company can build a reputation as a socially responsible business. And this will heavily influence how customers are going to judge them. At present, customers prefer to associate with responsible companies and insist businesses get involved in social responsibility.
Other than corporate social responsibility, there is a form of business called social enterprise (社企). Maximizing profit is not their primary goal. Instead, they are trying to maximize the benefits to society and environment. Unlike a charity, social enterprises obtain funds by selling goods or providing services. Regarding employment, preference is given to job-seekers from the at-risk communities.
Therefore, nowadays, running a business is not just about making money. Caring for the weak is also a concern.
Saturday, 31 May 2025