Corporate social responsibility endeavors only recently became a priority for multinationals in China, but they have showed rapid development in this area in the past few years.

In the very beginning, most multinationals simply donated money or materials to regions affected by disasters or the charity projects in the areas where they operated. And usually, their CSR program would end with these one-time donations without follow-up involvement.

However, recently corporations have been rethinking their CSR practices in the world's second-largest economy. The social undertakings of more and more international enterprises are combining corporate business strategies with the demands of the local market and communities.

Also, in the process, they are mobilizing their own employees and trying to integrate social resources with the help of the local government and non-profit organizations to create a better outcome for society.

Among these multinational enterprises, Japan's Toshiba stands out as an example.

Sichuan province in Southwest China has been struck by deadly earthquakes several times over the past few years, and Toshiba has responded quickly each time. In the wake of the latest 7.0-magnitute earthquake that hit Ya'an, Sichuan province, in April, Toshiba donated 1 million yuan for post-quake reconstruction in the area

Teruo Kiriyama, the corporate representative for China, attended the donation ceremony in Sichuan on May 22, and said that the company would continue to pay attention to the recovery from the disaster and spare no effort in providing support to the reconstruction.

Toshiba also contributed to the post-quake reconstructions in Wenchuan, Sichuan province, in 2008 and Yushu, Qinghai province, in 2010.

In addition to donating money, Toshiba ensures the personal safety of its employees in the disaster-hit areas and keeps track of damage to the Hope Project primary schools it has funded.

Drawing on its corporate advantages in terms of technology, it donated much-needed materials, such as lighting facilities and digital information equipment, to the quake-hit areas to repair the severe damage to local infrastructure.

Toshiba (China) Co Ltd also stores emergency supplies of medicines, drinking water, biscuits and other first-aid materials for its employees, in case a disaster takes place.

Promoting CSR management is one of Toshiba's three management policies, and it has unified strategic requirements concerning the implementation of CSR programs across the globe. By including social responsibility in the company's business strategy, Toshiba is able to approach the subject with a global long-term vision.

As a Fortune 500 enterprise engaged in producing everything from refrigerators to nuclear power stations, Toshiba has made developing environmentally friendly businesses a priority in China, which means creating a better ecosystem through its operations in the market.

Across the nation, there is no shortage of reports about businesses profiting at the expense of the environment. Surveys have shown Chinese people are increasingly concerned and feel that these enterprises should be held responsible for public health.

To this end, Toshiba applies green technology to production processes. It has spent several years encouraging its suppliers to adopt more eco-friendly modes of operating.

Encouraging more employees to take part in its CSR campaign is also one of the key factors in its strategy. In April, 180 employees from nine Toshiba subsidiaries in Beijing, along with their family members, visited Fangshan district for a tree-planting campaign launched by the company as part of its initiative to plant 1.5 million trees across the globe.

Over the years, all of Toshiba's subsidiaries in China have participated in this green program, and the number of trees planted across the nation has so far reached 100,000.

The point of the program is not simply about planting trees or protecting the environment. It is more about encouraging environment awareness among employees, their family members and friends, and even clients.

The active participation of employees demonstrates their recognition and support of Toshiba's CSR philosophy. Leading by example, the company's employees create a positive effect that ripples throughout society.

The Hope Project is one of the best-known charity programs in China, and Toshiba was also one of its first multinational sponsors. To date, the company has funded the establishment of 22 Hope schools. However, completing construction at the schools is not the end but just the beginning.

Senior executives and volunteers pay regular visits to the schools to keep informed about their needs. In this way, Toshiba can continue to equip a school with additional sports facilities, computer classrooms and libraries.

The constant improvement of its Hope Project primary schools also involves Toshiba's business partners and distributors and has been under way since 2002.

Since these CSR programs were launched, the follow-up input in various forms has continued over the years, and the participation of authorities as well as local governments and charity organizations has created greater benefits for society and the communities.

Toshiba is also involved in other sectors besides charity. In 2011, the company became the exclusive sponsor of the Chinese Football Association Cup. It has promoted the sport to people in different ways including the introduction of league matches to amateurs and students.

This year the company plans to invite 10,000 primary school students to watch Chinese Football Association Cup matches, in hopes of giving the joy of sports to the younger generation.

In cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Toshiba initiated a teaching skills contest in 2008 for Chinese normal university students, aiming to encourage future teachers to seek creative ways to help the primary middle school students realize the charm and importance of science.

The annual nationwide campaign has attracted more than 40,000 competitors from around 40 universities.

Toshiba is just one of the multinational companies that have matured in their CSR practices in China driven by their own exploration efforts and the feedback from local residents.

Their experiences also provide Chinese counterparts much to learn from in carrying out better CSR initiatives in the market.

huangying@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily USA 06/17/2013 page5)