A Model of Personal Responsibility?

Matt Evans

Or Unmitigated Social and Environmental Disaster?

Matt Evans

Constructing a Social Impact Indicator

• To answer this question, we’ll need an indicator of my social impact

• It is very difficult to quantify my personal social impact in each year since I was born

• Creation of a holistic social impact indicator necessary

• Indicator will be on a 4 point scale

The Search for a Social Impact Indicator

Possibilities:• The Wal-Mart

Good behavior includes supply-chain greening, store energy conservation

Problems: •Sued by states for paying wages so low, states must cover health care•Closes stores that unionize in quasi-legal move that depresses wages so Sam Walton’s granddaughter has more $ to pay people to write her papers for her at USC

Social Impact: A Comprehensive Look

Possibilities:• The McElhaney

Pushes forward CSR nationwide, Cajoles companies to behave, Cares about students and teaching

Problems:Rumored to have encouraged MBA drinking at a “Night

out with Kellie and Priya” event sold for charity at C4C

Rumored to have compensated TA Colleen Kearns solely with Center for Responsible Business pens and access to her rolodex for future job searches

Social Impact: A Comprehensive Look

Possibilities:• The Marty McFly

Protagonist who always sticks up for the little guy

Modified DeLorean burns alternative fuel (Banana Peels)

Now fights for a cure for Parkinson’s, one of Time’s 100 most influential people, morally unassailable (as Rush Limbaugh learned)

Problems:

Spin City

Matt Evans’ McFly Social Impact Indicator:Professional Analysis

Professional Social Responsibility:

+ Focus on International Development

+ Focus on Improving Nonprofit Sector

+ Serve on Nonprofit Board

- Haasweek glorifies alcoholism

Rating:

4/4 McFlys

Very responsible

Matt Evans’ McFly Social Impact Indicator:Personal Analysis

Personal Social Responsibility:

+ No Major Convictions, only a speeding ticket

- OK, 8 speeding tickets

+ Give to charity

+ Only major stealing: Jolly Ranchers in 1988, free skiing as a ski bum

+Generally try not to be a jerk

Rating:

3/4 McFlys

Responsible

Environmental Impact: A Comprehensive Look

McFly Outlook is good:• Use CarbonFund.org to offset carbon emissions• Give to environmental charities• Sierra Club branded credit card• Lots of photo evidence of me enjoying the

outdoors:

But, More Comprehensive Measures Exist

A real environmental indicator reveals I am an ecological disaster:

• www.myfootprint.org (Redefining Progress)• My personal consumption requires 15 acres of

land (each year) • If everyone lived like I do, we would need 3.4

earths

What Will Make Me Change?

• If I am constantly congratulated for being socially responsible, and my environmental sins aren’t called out, I’m likely to become complacent

• I can be socially responsible in some ways and reap the benefits, but be irresponsible in others and the “halo” causes the irresponsibility to be ignored

My editorial: How Does This Relate to Corporate Social Responsibility?

• CSR is commendable and crucial, all companies should have a program

• But, if companies are constantly congratulated for responsibility in some areas, but have other notable sins that aren’t called out, they likely to become complacent

• Strong and vocal watchdog groups, an investigative media, and a government with the power to protect its people are also crucial

The Final Equation

+ +

US Dept. of

Labor=