DUBAI, (Pakistan Point News - 26th Jul, 2020) Businesses in Dubai investing in corporate social responsibility, CSR, were able to respond more effectively to new challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new survey from Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Centre for Responsible Business.
The survey, conducted in May and June 2020, revealed that the Dubai businesses community quickly responded during the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak by safeguarding employee health, safety and wellbeing and putting processes in place to ensure business continuity.
Overall, the transition for businesses to remote working was smooth thanks to a number of factors such as digital preparedness, advanced IT infrastructure and digital-savvy employees.
Surveyed organisations highlighted the importance of top management in reassuring employee safety and job security while working from home, at the same time ensuring healthy interaction with peers and physical and emotional wellbeing.
In response to restrictions on face-to-face meetings and events, companies quickly adapted by shifting employee volunteering activities to digital platforms, leading organisations to explore new ways to give back to their communities and maximise social impact, according to the survey.
Organisations surveyed emphasised the importance of institutional guidelines introduced by authorities in advising the business community on measures that should be implemented to ensure employee safety.
The study analysing businesses’ responses to the pandemic is a follow up to an in-depth report recently published by Dubai Chamber entitled Corporate Social Responsibility in Dubai: Current Practices, Challenges and Future Opportunities, which revealed that more businesses are now consistent and systematic in their approach to CSR and engage in CSR initiatives aligned with business strategies.
More than half of the surveyed organisations had a formal CSR policy and 65.7 percent of organisations had a dedicated department or officer to manage CSR. Among the organisations that participated in the 2019 CSR survey, 62 percent of respondents reported a highly mature approach to employee involvement and this figure increased to 70 percent when in relation to health and safety.
More than 70 percent of organisations reported that the board of directors are involved with CSR issues, while 68 percent of respondents reported advanced CSR practice maturity levels with employee volunteering. Large organisations were the most mature when it came to community investment. Overall, 76 percent of responding companies engaged with their communities.
Findings in the comprehensive report show that "improving the community" was the top motivating factor behind CSR initiatives for 80 percent of companies, while "improve revenue" was the least motivational factor. In addition, 58 percent of responding organisations reported either a marginal or a significant increase in CSR expenditure over the last three years, and 42 percent noted that CSR spending either stayed the same or decreased over the same period.
