Since their creation in 1963 Nonprofit organizations have had social aims. Their objective has been to provide social services to workers, workers families and, in some cases, communities surrounding cement production facilities. These social services include: education, health, housing, and integral development (sports activities, music and arts). In this sense, nonprofit organizations have always been socially responsible. It is in their nature. As one of the project leaders explained:
“We are essentially social since our creation. My area exists since 1963. I arrived in 2004. But social activities have been performed since a long time ago. Since the organization was born. I think that the concept of Global Compact or Corporate Social Responsibility did not exist when our organization was already performing these activities. Because of its essence, because it focuses on the human, social and economic wellbeing of organizational members”
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Members from four nonprofit organizations were interviewed: sports club, foundation, health services and education center. Interviewees explained how in 2007 the conglomerate informed them about their adherence to the UNGC. People from the conglomerate visited to present the UNGC and to request information for the “Communication on Progress” report (COP). The first COP was submitted to the United Nations in 2008, through the conglomerate. Since then they have continued reporting each year, always through the conglomerate.
Interviewees also explained how the information for the COP is generated by each department. All the departments participate in the creation of the report. Then it is compiled by the Headquarters. Finally, the Headquarters submit it to the conglomerate. The information in the COP presents the activities each area performs every day. Becoming part of the UNGC has assisted them to align their activities. As one of the interviewees explained:
“All of this information, from the Global Compact, has helped us a lot in the sports club. Because we had much information about our work, but this new information (form the Global Compact) has helped us to align many activities”.
However, when they started reporting they were confronted by challenges; the lack of evidence and systematization proved difficult. They needed to develop clear objectives and indicators. Other thing which affected them was the lack of information from the Headquarters. They started to ask for information without
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explaining why. The UNGC information requirements have encouraged them to institutionalize their actions. According to interviewees, their participation in the UNGC has assisted them to “professionalize” their social activities. As two of the managers explained:
“What we are seeking with Corporate Social Responsibility and the Global Compact is to institutionalize our projects. We want programs to work on their own, independently of the person in charge”
The COP has been a tool to motivate employees and promote internal communication and transparency. It has also been a source of ideas for new activities and programs. Other external sources of ideas for new programs have been their contact with communities and governments. These relationships help new programs to succeed. Ideas for new activities and programs also come from inside the organization. Everyone participates, individuals, departments, and Headquarters. When deciding which new program to focus on, the organizations’ objectives are a priority. The needs and expectations of communities and external organizations are also important. They rarely use external consultants in the generation and implementation of new programs; they prefer to develop them internally.
When a new program is going to be implemented it is presented to people involved mainly through meetings and training. Interviewees explained how, through training and meetings, information flows down in a “waterfall way”. The
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benefits, the new program brings to employees, are stressed during training. It is also important to give practical examples. This helps to raise awareness and “to awake individuals’ consciousness”. Through training they increase the sense of belonging and maintain the programs once implemented.
For new programs to endure it is also important to have a person in charge of the new activity. This person is chosen according to his/her influence in the process. Also, for new programs to last it is important to involve everyone affected by the new activities. Another factor which helps new programs to succeed is the support from the conglomerate, Headquarters, directors and managers. They allocate the required resources, including the budget, for each new program.
Interviewees explained how resistance is always present when they work to implement new programs. According to interviewees this happens mainly because of people’s ignorance. Habits and ways of thinking are difficult to change. To encourage people to follow the new program, and to overcome resistance, constant monitoring is important (supervision, reports, evaluations, audits). Indicators and well-defined objectives need to be established. And results need to be published. Also the programs’ alignment to the organizations’ objectives is important. Support, recognition and open communication help to create compromise and encourage people to follow the new initiative. Interviewees explained how, to encourage people, it is necessary to highlight the importance of the new program for the organization, and the benefits for the employees. Communication is also central, talking to people “at their own level”, showing
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enthusiasm and team work. To overcome resistance, disciplinary measures can also be used. To remind people about the organization’s regulations, to talk to the head of the area about the problem, and to follow the disciplinary procedures designed within the program, are some of this measures. Without them it can be difficult to implement new programs.
Other difficulties when implementing new projects are the priorities of the organization, which sometimes are not in line with the new program, and the lack of budget. Also the fact that they depend on everyone in the organization makes it difficult to implement and maintain new programs.
Interviewees also perceived that, to have experience in the organization assists them to implement new programs. Knowing the “mystique of the organization” helps to convince the top management team about the benefits of novel practices. Also, to convince people at the top of the organization, it is important to highlight the cost benefit of the new initiative; and to show how this initiative will help the organization to accomplish its objectives. However, interviewees perceived that being an insider has its disadvantages. As one interviewee explained:
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Interviewees perceived that the work, which needs to be performed to implement and maintain new programs, is not easy. What motivates them to carry out the required activities are their personal conviction and their sense of belonging to the organization and the community. They share the values of the organizations and are grateful to it. Once implemented and running, programs still need to be monitored. This is an ongoing activity for implemented programs to endure. The exhibit below presents nonprofit organizations’ timeline for the UNGC adoption.
Exhibit 10: Nonprofit Organizations Timeline for UNGC Adoption