The incorporation of corporate social responsibility guidelines in the organizational culture of Eletrosul

Abstract

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been increasingly discussed in the market as well as by academia. The subject first gained prominence in the 1960s due to pressures exerted by society that required more societal and environmental commitment from organizations. This attitude has made organizations re-adapt their management approaches and, consequently, re-think their beliefs and practices. Within this context, this research study analyzed the incorporation of corporate social responsibility guidelines in the organizational culture (OC) of Eletrosul, an electric utility located in Florianópolis, Brazil. Since 2004, Eletrosul has adopted corporate social responsibility as a primary business focus and develops more than 100 socially responsible initiatives per year.

 The research methodology utilized in this paper was qualitative, involving documentary analysis and interviews with representatives in different departments of the organization. The main results indicated that the insertion of corporate social responsibility guidelines occurs throughout some elements of organizational culture, especially within its communications. The researchers also determined that the largest number of projects developed by the company are targeted toward their employees and the community, although their employees do not often associate the company’s internal actions as being socially responsible.

Keywords: corporate social responsibility, organizational culture, Eletrosul, Brazil