A Case Study on Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives with Special Reference to Hindustan Unilever Limited

Abstract

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a concept with many definitions and practices. The way it is understood and implemented differs greatly for each company and country. Moreover, CSR is a very broad concept that addresses many and various topics such as human rights, corporate governance, health and safety, environmental effects, working conditions and contribution to economic development. Whatever the definition is, the purpose of CSR is to drive change towards sustainability. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is now seen as an integral part of corporate strategy. The main purpose of the study is to analyze the corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities carried out by Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL). An empirical and analytical study has been undertaken whereby the corporate official websites of the companies were analyzed. The most preferred CSR activities were observed to be women empowerment, self-employment, health hygiene and environment. The challenge for the companies is to determine a strong and innovative CSR strategy which should deliver high performance in ethical, environmental and social areas and meet all the stakeholders' objectives.