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A Corporation's Social Responsibility - June 2007
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Being headquartered in California's Silicon Valley, surrounded by thousands of startups, I can attest to a company's ability to change the lives of its employees as well as the communities in which it operates. Companies create professional and financial opportunities, develop leaders, broaden horizons, and even fund family educations. A far smaller number of companies have the capacity to change the lives of their customers, through products or services that enable innovation, create opportunity, or connect people. A company that invests in and supports the customers, employees, and partners it serves doesn't just have customers, it has loyalists and evangelists. A tiny fraction of companies in the global economy have the ability to transform their employees and customers while also benefiting the environment in which they operate. Companies with products and technologies that change the course of education, healthcare, politics, commerce, or even global warming. These are the companies that have the greatest opportunity of all — and the greatest responsibility. I believe a company should drive progress through its innovation and creativity, leading not only with its minds, but also through its actions. As a technology pioneer and leader, as well as a public company, Sun drives value for all our constituents, whether it's shareholders, Ministries of Education, supply chain managers, developers, or CIOs. But we are not only responsible for delivering growth to our shareholders, we are also responsible for doing so in a way that is consistent with our values of integrity, transparency, and fairness. To me, that is the meaning of corporate social responsibility regardless of what business you're in — a responsibility not only to shareholders, but also a dedication to the health and well-being of employees, customers, communities, and the planet. Jonathan Schwartz |
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