GAO Rong-Education and CSR

SocialBusiness/Enterprise&PovertyCertificateProject
EducationandCorporateSocialResponsibility
HECParis2010SocialBusiness/Enterprise&PovertyCertificateProject
Education
and
Corporate Social Responsibility
RongGAO
Wecannotaffordtocreatealostgenerationofchildrendeprivedoftheirchanceforan
educationthatmightliftthemoutofpoverty.IrinaBokova,UNESCODirectorGeneral
Contents
Introduction.....................................................................................................................................3
Chapter1KeyRoleofEducationinSociety.....................................................................................4
1.
AGlobalRecognition...........................................................................................................4
2.
EducationandSocialAdvancement....................................................................................4
3.
Education,InstitutionsandBusinessActivities...................................................................4
Chapter2CSRandEducation:CurrentSituation.............................................................................6
1.
NatureofEducation............................................................................................................6
2.
DominatedbyGovernmentsandNGOs..............................................................................6
4.
DirectCSRinvolvementatlowlevel....................................................................................9
5.
NeedforChange..................................................................................................................9
6.
Whatbusinesscanoffer....................................................................................................10
Chapter3ChallengesforEducationtoBeAchievedthroughSocialBusiness...............................11
Chapter4InformationTechnologyandEducation:LinkingEducationwithCorporateResource 13
1.
PowerofInformationTechnology.....................................................................................13
2.
ChangingNatureofLearning.............................................................................................13
3.
Challenges.........................................................................................................................14
Chapter5ConclusionsandRecommendations..............................................................................16
Bibliography...................................................................................................................................18
Introduction
Oneofthemostsignificantindicatorsofsocialprogressiseducation,whichalsoplaysadecisive
roleforasocietytoachieveselfsustainableandequaldevelopment.Withanincreasingglobal
realizationofhowbusinesscommunitycan(andshould)contributetosocialobjectives,
educationdeservesahigherlevelofcorporateinvolvementthanstatusquo.
Thispaperexplainsreasonsforwhichturningcorporatesocialresponsibilityintotangible
supportsineducationiscomplexandchallenging,fromboththesocialperspectiveanda
corporatemanagerialperspective.Whilethedefinitionofeducationisbroad,involvingmultiple
levelsandlargelydiffersamongcountriesofdifferentdevelopmentlevels,thisprojectchooses
tofocusontheprimaryeducationissuesmainlyinunderdevelopedcountries,whichhastight
linkswithentiresocialprogressandpovertyreduction.Inthisfield,socialbusinessmodelsare
extremelydifficulttobebuiltup.However,businesscandomorethanphilanthropyforcreating
educatedgenerationswhochangetheworld.Asaprovedfact,informationtechnologyprovides
tremendousopportunitiesforliteracyandknowledgetobeaccessibleandaffordable.
Anticipatingamajortransferinhowteachingandlearningareimplemented,information
technologycompaniesaremakingeffortstobringthechangesthathelppoorcountriesfight
againstilliteracyandpoverty.
Solutionsareexploreduponmultinationalcompanies,NGOsaswellaspolicymakerstoaddress
educationproblemsindevelopingcountriesthroughthemeansofcorporatesocial
responsibility,aimingtomaximizeitscontributionstoeducation.
Chapter1KeyRoleofEducationinSociety
1. AGlobalRecognition
In2001,theUnitedNationsenvisionedthefutureworldbyarticulatingtheUN
MillenniumDevelopmentGoals,includingeightmostimportantaspectsthatconcern
humandevelopment.
Goal1:Eradicateextremepovertyandhunger
Goal2:Achieveuniversalprimaryeducation
Goal3:Promotegenderequalityandempowerwomen
Goal4:ReduceChildMortalityRate
Goal5:Improvematernalhealth
Goal6:CombatHIV/AIDS,malaria,andotherdiseases
Goal7:Ensureenvironmentalsustainability
Goal8:Developaglobalpartnershipfordevelopment
Ascanbeseenfromthelistabove,education,especiallyprimaryeducation,is
recognizedasoneofthetopprioritiesbytheUnitedNationsasasignificantdimension
ofthegoaltowardwhichhumanbeingsshouldhead,onlysecondtoeradicating
extremepoverty.Asaspecificationofthisobjective,theMillenniumDevelopmentGoals
setthefollowingstandardstodefinetheimprovementsinprimaryeducation:
Target2A:By2015,allchildrencancompleteafullcourseofprimaryschooling,girlsand
boys
Enrollmentinprimaryeducation
Completionofprimaryeducation
Literacyof1524yearolds,femaleandmale
Thisexplicitstandardofeducationalgoalssymbolizesaglobalrecognitionofeducation
asabasicpartofhumanrightsandinternationaldevelopment.
2. EducationandSocialAdvancement
Theconceptofdevelopment,onsocietallevel,involvesmultipledimensions.While
mostattentionandeffortsprovidedbydevelopedcountriesarefocusedonimproving
theeconomicdevelopmentoflocalsociety,otherlongtermimpactsarepossibleonly
whentheessentialdrivingforceofsocialadvancementsispresent:aneducated
generationoflocalpeople.Suchadvancementsincludedemocracy,humanity,equality,
andotheraspectsthatdemonstratethematurityofacountry,typicallyfollowing
economicgrowth.Suchchangescanbemadeonlywhenacertainlevelofawarenessis
builtamongthepeople.Failingtochangepeoplesthinkingisfataltotheultimate
fortuneofacountrywhichachievesemptyeconomicbooming.Therefore,merely
economicaidsarenotsufficientforunderdevelopedcountriestoaccomplishanall
roundpatternofsocialprogress.
3. Education,InstitutionsandBusinessActivities
4
Asthemarketeconomydominatestheworldseconomicmap,itisclearthatone
conditionforbusinesstothriveisastable,faireandsupportivesocialenvironment.Such
conditionistightlylinkedwithinstitutions.Forhistoricreasons,mostAsianandAfrican
countrieslagbehindtheircounterpartsinEuropeandNorthAmericaincreatingan
openandwelcomingbusinessenvironment.Democracy,legality,andeffectivecivil
governancearegenerallyunderdevelopedinsuchcountrieswithrelativelyless
economicpower.Thefollowinggraphsummarizedthemutuallyreliantrelationsamong
educational,institutionalandeconomicstakeholders.
(1) Educatedcitizensas
creatorsofinstitutions
(3) Economicplayersareresponsible
forpromotingeducation
Institutions
Business
(2) Trustfulinstitutionsas
prerequisiteforbusiness
Inconclusion,educationalissuesareessentialforhumanprogress,societal
development,andthecreationofahealthyeconomicenvironment.Thiskeystatushas
earnededucationaninternationalrecognitionasadriveroflongtermwellbeingof
developingcountries.Therefore,itisnaturalthatthebusinesscommunity,especially
multinationalcompanies,shouldplayapartinoptimizingtheeducationconditionsand
liftingpoorcountriesoutofilliteracyandanundereducatedpopulation.
Chapter2CSRandEducation:CurrentSituation
1. NatureofEducation
Educationisbroadlydefined,bythedictionary,astheactorprocessofimpartingor
acquiringgeneralknowledge,developingthepowersofreasoningandjudgment,and
generallyofpreparingoneselforothersintellectuallyformaturelife.Etymologically,the
wordeducationisderivedfromeducare(Latin)"bringup",whichisrelatedtoeducere
"bringout","bringforthwhatiswithin","bringoutpotential"andducere,"tolead".On
socialdimension,thecauseofeducationisusuallyconnectedwiththeintellectual
cultivationoftheyoung,especiallythroughtheschoolsystems.Formalschoolingis
usuallythefirst,andprobablymostbasic,stepforapersontoobtainknowledgeand
becomealiterateperson.
Onenoticeablenatureofeducationisitshumanorientation,becausetheoutputofall
educationalactivitiesishumanknowledgeandcreativity,whichinnatureisintangible
andunmeasurable.Unlikeothereconomicactivities,educationdoesnotproduce
tangiblewealthorproductthatcanbedirectlyconsumedormeasured.This,toan
extent,rendersitarguablewhethereducationcanbeconsideredasakindofeconomic
activity.
Thenaturesofprimaryeducationandhighereducationaresystematicallydifferent.
Whileprimaryisaimedtoprovidebasicknowledgeforpeopletoread,writeandother
mostfundamentalsofintelligence,highereducationfocusesoncultivatinghigherlevels
ofskillssuchascriticalthinking,andspecializedknowledgeinspecificareasofacademic
studies.Theimplicationisthatwhenlookingateducationissuesasasocialeffort,itis
necessarytoseparateprimaryeducationapartfromhighereducation.Withthegoalof
discussingsolutionsforimpoverishedcountriestoseeksustainabledevelopment,this
projectwillchoosethespecificscopewhichfocusesonprimaryeducation,whichisa
basicconditionforasocietytomoveforward,aswellasafruitofsocialdevelopment.
2. DominatedbyGovernmentsandNGOs
Theawarenessoftheimportanceofeducationandliteracyiscommonlyseenamong
governmentsandinternationalorganizations,whoareprimaryholdersofthis
responsibility.Almostallnationalgovernmentshavetheministryofeducationwhichis
responsibleforintegratingnationalresourcestopromoteeducationforthegoodofthe
public.
Besides,governmentaldepartments,multipleNGOs(nongovernmentorganizations)
arededicatedtotheimprovementofeducation,particularlyacrosscountriesboarders.
Onesuchexample,perhapsoneofthemostgloballyinfluentialones,istheUNESCO
(UnitedNationsEducational,ScientificandCulturalOrganization),whichaimsto
empowerthefuturegenerationbyimprovingthepresenceandqualityofeducation.
TheUNECOtakesaclearpositiontogaptheimbalancebetweendevelopedcountries
anddevelopingcountries,aswellasbetweengenders.
TheUNESCOsetsixgoalsfortheEducationforAllcampaign,aslistedbelow,which
canbeconsideredastheuniversalobjectiveforallsimilarprojects.
Goal1
Expandingandimprovingcomprehensiveearlychildhoodcareandeducation,
especiallyforthemostvulnerableanddisadvantagedchildren
Goal2
Ensuringthatby2015allchildren,particularlygirls,childrenindifficult
circumstancesandthosebelongingtoethnicminorities,haveaccessto,and
complete,freeandcompulsoryprimaryeducationofgoodquality.
Goal3
Ensuringthatthelearningneedsofallyoungpeopleandadultsaremetthrough
equitableaccesstoappropriatelearningandlifeskillsprogrammes
Goal4
Achievinga50percentimprovementinlevelsofadultliteracyby2015,
especiallyforwomen,andequitableaccesstobasicandcontinuingeducationfor
alladults.
Goal5
Eliminatinggenderdisparitiesinprimaryandsecondaryeducationby2005,and
achievinggenderequalityineducationby2015,withafocusonensuringgirls
fullandequalaccesstoandachievementinbasiceducationofgoodquality.
Goal6
Improvingallaspectsofthequalityofeducationandensuringexcellenceofallso
thatrecognizedandmeasurablelearningoutcomesareachievedbyall,
especiallyinliteracy,numeracyandessentiallifeskills.
ThecriticalroleofNGOssuchastheUNESCOinhelpingunderdevelopedcountries
achieveeducationprogressiswidelyrecognizedandacceptedbecauseNGOs,unlike
governments,aremoreflexibleinabsorbingandutilizingresourcesinternationally.Such
organizationsprocessmoreuptodateknowledge,credibilityandhumanresourcesthat
areimportantfortheoperationofeducationrelatedprojects.
3. NeedforBusinesstoPlayaRole
Globalizationdrivesbusinessworldtowardmoreresponsibilityforthesustainable
developmentofsocietyaswellasotherfunctionswhichhavebeentraditionallyheldby
governmentsandpoliticalinstitutions.Thedominantpositionofopenmarket,free
tradeandthepresenceofmultinationalcompaniesintodaysworldcanbereflectedby
theenormouswealthandinfluenceofbusinessgiantswhoserevenuesoutstripthatof
manycountries.
Ifcorporateareincreasinglyresponsibleforotherdimensionsofsocialprogress,
educationshouldbenoexception.AccordingtoasurveyconductedintheUnitedStates,
77%parentsthinkbusinessshouldplayarole,particularlybyprovidingadditional
resourcestotheexistingcurriculum.
Forbusinessplayersintodaysworld,involvinginsocialactivitiesrelatedtoeducation
canfulfillsomecorporatestrategicobjectives.
(1) Buildingpositivereputation
Criticalviewpointsoncorporatesocialresponsibilitiesconsidercompanieseffortsin
suchareasasnothingmorethanbrandbuildingandpublicrelationmanagement.
Undeniably,however,CSRactivitiesserveasaneffectivewayforthecompanyto
seekbetterreputationwhilecontributingtothesociety.Participationineducational
endeavorsgivescompaniesapositiveimageasbeingconcernedaboutyoung
generationsandahopefulfuture.Themosttypicalbusinesspowers,suchasCoca
cola,NikeandGoogle,arefrequentsponsorsofschoolprojects,orevenestablish
independentfunctionalorganizationsdevotedtoeducatingtheyounggeneration.
Thoughcriticizedoftenenough(forexample,criticalmarketingtheoristsdefinesuch
practiceascausemarketing),companiescanusuallyreapconsiderablebenefits
outofCSRactivities.
(2) Accessinghighqualityhumanresource
Anotherimplicitmotivationforcompanies,especiallymultinationalcompanies,to
sponsorvariouseducationaleventsistogaintheopportunitytohirestudents
showinghighpotentials.Incollegesandotherhighereducationinstitutions,the
competitionamongfirmstogainapositivebrandname,advertiseitsorganization
tostudents,andconductcampusrecruitmentactivities,isbecomingfierce.Such
activitiesrangefromlongtermendorsementsandworkshopstoshorttermjoint
programsandoncampuscampaigns.Whilethespecificactionsvaryamong
differentlevelsofinvolvements,thepurposesaregenerallyrelatedtomaximizing
influenceonprospectiveemployees.
(3) Fulfillingcompanymission
Insomecases,thecompanyitselfrepresentsthesocialcauseofeducation,included
initsmission.Forexample,Kaplan,Inc.isawhollyownedsubsidiaryofThe
WashingtonPostCompany,oneofthepremierprovidersofeducationalandcareer
servicesforindividuals,schoolsandbusinessesinUSA.Thecompanyarticulatesits
missionsasfollowing:
Leadachangeintheopportunitiesofeducationbypromotingandcatalyzing
people'sinitiativeofaccomplishingstudiesinthebesteducationalcentersaround
theworld,creatingacultureofeducationwithoutfrontiers.
Ourgoalistobringdevelopmenttothecountry,alwayslookingtosatisfythe
population'sneedstomasterthestandardsofinternationalevaluationthrough
proactivestudymethodsandtestdrivecurriculums,supportingthenewgenerations
expectanciestoimprovetheirqualityoflife.
Whilethecommercializationofeducationevolves,particularlycomplementary
educationserviceasidefromformalschoolsystem,thenumberofeducation
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dedicatedcompanywillfurtherincreaseandplayalargerpartinthewhole
educationecology.CompanieslikeKaplan,whichpromoteseducationasits
fundamentalreasonofexistence,willbecomeanintegralpartofeducation.
4. DirectCSRinvolvementatlowlevel
Whilemillionsofdollarsarespent,bybusinessgiants,onenvironmentprotection,
sportsandarts,humanrightsandvariousothercharityissues,educationisgenerally
receivinginsufficientmoneyfromtheirsocialactivities.Thelowlevelofcompany
involvementisalsoreflectedbythefactthatcontributionsoftentaketheformofpure
donations,withouttrackingandsupportingtheimplementationofeducationalprojects.
Thistypeofsignandsendthechecksystemledmanycompaniestospreadthewealth
toamyriadofunrelatedandunfocusedprograms.Asaresult,companiesreceivelow
visibility,madelittledirectimpact,andmissedtheopportunitytoreallyleveragetheir
resources.
5. NeedforChange
Forthemassivefuturepopulationtobeliftedoutofilliteracy,especiallyin
underdevelopedcountries,merelycontributionsbygovernmentsandNGOsareclearly
notenough.Evenwithinputsfrombusinesses,thestatusquoisfarfromsatisfactory.
Thereareseveralreasonswhybusinesscommunityisexpectedtoplaya(larger)rolein
thiscause:
(1) Complicatedadministrationandimplementation
Themanagerialprocessoflargesizeprojectsindevelopingcountriesusuallyrequire
highexpertise,whichisoftenbeyondthecapacityofNGOsandgovernments.
Corporateplayersarebelievedtobegenerallybetteratadministratingsuchtasks,
andshouldbeagoodmatchwiththespecificneeds.
(2) Financiallydemanding
Anotherchallengethateducationprojectsfacetodayisstrainedbudgets,whichdo
notmeetrealdemandsontheground.Whilefundraisingformostprojectsare
basedonpersonalandorganizationaldonations,themoneycollectedisfarnot
enough.This,asaconsequence,bringsalongthediscussionofwhetherbusinesses
shouldcommithigherinvolvementfromafinancialperspectivetostrengthenthe
educationsysteminunderdevelopedregions.
(3) Difficultforstaffing
Whilealargenumberofprogramsarevolunteerbased,thishumanresources
approachisnotenoughtoincentivizehighlyqualifiedstafftojoin.Workinginthe
educationsectorrequiresspecificskillsandknowledge,butofferslowpay;itis,
therefore,hardforeducationindustrytoattracthighqualityhumanresourcesin
theglobalworkforcecompetition.Deeperparticipationofbusinessesareexpected
sothatcompaniescanshareitsmostvaluableresourcesbyinvolvingemployeesto
suchprojects.
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6. Whatbusinesscanoffer
(1) Financialcapacity
Themostobviousinputfrombusinessesforeducationismoney.Theeducation
situationinmanyAfricancountriesareunderdevelopedmainlybecauseneither
nationalgovernmentsnorinternationalNGOsguaranteeadequatespendingon
buildingschools,trainingteachersandensuringfamiliesareabletoaffordsending
theirchildrentoschool.Theshortageoffinancialsupport,therefore,seemstobea
bottleneckforprimaryeducationtobepopularized.Ifthebusinesscommunityis
seenasresponsibleforchangingthecircumstance,providingextrafinancialsupport
isnecessary.
(2) Operationalknowhow
Students,schools,andthegeneralpubliccanbenefitfromtheexperienceand
expertisethatcorporationsbringtothetable,particularlyifthegroupswork
togethertomakesuretherightneedsarebeingmetonbothends.Companies
lookingtocontributetopublicschooleducation,forinstance,mustconsiderthe
manydemandsthatschoolsandeducatorsfacedailytimeconstraints,tight
budgets,technologyaccess,standardizedtesting,andexplicitcurriculumstandards
aswellastheuniqueplaceswhereoutsidehelpisneeded.Aslongastheyaddress
therightneeds,businesseshavetheabilitytomakeatremendousimpact.By
providinghighlyengagingresources,bybuildinginstrongconnectionswith
instructionalneeds,andbyeffectivelymarketingtheresources,moreandmore
companiesaresimultaneouslymeetingeducationalgoalsandtheirownbusiness
goals.
(3) Influenceotherstakeholders
Theincrediblepowerofbusinesstodayisalsoseenwiththemultidimensional
influenceithasonitsstakeholders:investors,consumers,employees,institutions,
andotheroutreachesofthecircle.Wholeheartedcommitmenttoeducation,
especiallybasiceducation,willdrawattentionamongotherplayerssothewhole
societyraisesitsawarenesstomakethechange,ultimatelypushingforwardwhat
societybenefitsfrom.
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Chapter3ChallengesforEducationtoBeAchievedthroughSocial
Business
Whiletraditionalbusinessphilanthropyisfrequentlyquestionedforitsbeingvulnerableto
donationshortageandcannoteffectivelyliftthepooroutofpoverty,socialbusinessisseenasa
bettersolutionformanyfieldstoreplacepurecharitywork.Variouscasesdiscussedduringthe
coursesofHECSocialBusinessCertificatehavedemonstratedtheflexibilityandfeasibilityof
socialbusinesstohelpsolvemanyissuessuchashousing,watersupply,microfinance,and
otherneedsexistingatthebottomofpyramids.Withaclearsocialobjectiveandbeingself
sustainable,socialbusinesspracticehasproventobeanidealtooltolinkbusinesswithsocial
wellbeing.
However,veryfewsocialbusinesseshavepracticallybeenseeninthefieldofeducation,which
istheintellectualdimensionofpoverty.Severalcharacteristicsofeducationasasocialcause
makeitchallengingtobeaddressedthroughsocialbusinessinstruments.
1. Extremelyhardtocommercialize
Turningschoolstoamarketplacesoundsunrealisticeventoday(wheneverythingseemsto
bedrivenbyaprofit).Theuniquenatureofeducationasatypeofpublicgoods,asdiscussed
inChapter1,meansitrequireshighjustice,administrativetransparency,andcareful
planningonabroadscale.Inordertoensurewideavailabilityandjusticeofthisservice,its
providersarenotsupposedtochargetheconsumerandbeneficiaryinatypicaleconomic
means.Asaconsequence,educationalorganizationsarenowhereclosetomaturebusiness
modelsthatcanbepopularized.Additionally,itisevenethicallyquestionablewhether
educationcouldbeanywhereclosetotheoperationofbusiness.
Whileeducationservice,ingeneral,isextremelyhardtocommercialize,differencesexist
betweendifferentstagesofeducation.Thechartbelowdemonstratesthedifferent
economicfeasibilityofthreedifferentstages.
Potentiallyprofitable
Freeservice
primaryeducation
Highereducation
Professionaltraining
Primaryisusuallysupposedtobeofsignificantpublicinterestandfree;highereducationis
somewhatopentomarketmechanismbutisstillprovidedwithhighamountofpublic
11
supportinmostcountries;professionalandvocationaltrainingtogetherwithotherservices
thatmeetcustomersextraneedsotherthanformalschooling,canpotentiallymakeaprofit,
andisalreadydoingso.
2. Socialimpactdifficulttoassess
Theimplementationofsocialbusinessrequiresadecentsocialimpactwhichcanbeproven
toitsinvestors,whosacrificethechanceofreceivingdividendsorseekingbetterreturnfor
thesocialcausesthatappealtothem.Therefore,theassessmentandvisibilityofsocial
impactiscrucialforabusinessplantobefinanced.
Itisobviousthatthetimeneededforeducationprojectstocomeupwithvisibleand
significantoutcomeisextremelylong.Evenifmeasurable,thecosttopreciselymonetize
suchimpactbeforelaunchingaprojectishigh.Thisexplainswhytraditionalphilanthropists
aresomewhatreluctanttosponsoreducationprojects,whichareusuallycostly.Forthe
samereason,CSRcontributionsarestillonthestageofcausemarketingandPRefforts.
3. Neutralityandaccountability
Thefactthateducation,primaryeducationinparticular,iscrucialtopublicinteresthinders
theparticipationoforganizationswhicharenotpubliclycredited.Onlyveryfewcountries
legallyallownonpublicschoolstobeapartofprimaryeducation.Evenincountriesthatdo
so,mainlythosecountrieswithstrongeconomicpowerandwellestablishededucation
systemssuchastheUnitedStatesandUnitedKingdom,thenumberofprivateschoolsisa
portionofpubicones.Thoughadmittingthebetterflexibilitygivenbyprivateoperationof
education,nocountrywouldtaketheriskofprivatizingitsmainstreampublicprimary
education.
Thereasonbehindthisseeminglyconservativepolicyisthatacountryseducationsystem
requiresextremelyhighaccountabilityinordertobepubliclytrustful.This,asa
consequence,increasesthedifficultyforeducationtobecommercializedorsocialized.
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Chapter4InformationTechnologyandEducation:Linking
EducationwithCorporateResource
Thelowdegreeofcommercializationmeansveryfewcompaniesthatarefullyrootedin
educationindustry(ifitcanbeconsideredanindustry)possessprevailingresourceandsocial
influence.Theimprovementofeducation,therefore,entailstheparticipationofnoneducation
industryplayerstofindthelinkbetweensupportingeducationandtheirownstrategic
objectives,whileprovidingsynergeticcorporateresources.Withtheremarkabledevelopment
ofinformationtechnologyduringthepastdecades,whichhasalsolargelychangedthelifestyle
ofpeople,ahandfulofITbasedcompanieshavequicklyemergedaspowerfulgiantsinglobal
business.Thesecompaniesarethebestmatchforliftingpoorcountriesoutofeducation
povertythroughCSRactivities.
1. PowerofInformationTechnology
Learningislinkedwiththecreation,processionandflowofinformationinessence.All
contentofeducation,frombasicliteracytosophisticatedphilosophyarguments,areall
reliedonthespreadofinformation.Todaywithenormousinformationavailable
throughmoderninstruments,eachpersonisexposedtomassiveinformation.The
unfortunatefactisthatinunderdevelopedregions,duetothepoorinfrastructureand
highilliteracyrates,massivepopulationisdeprivedofthisexposure.Theshortageof
informationbetweenrichandpoorcountriesandbetweenruralandurbanareas
renderstheeconomicallyunderdevelopedpeopleintellectuallyimpoverished.Thus,itis
crucialtoprovideschoolsintheseregionswithaccesstoequalinformationaskidsin
urbanareasorrichcountries.
Amongthecompanieswiththehighestglobalincome,itisencouragingtoseeITgiants
suchasGoogle,MicrosoftandIntelareactivelytakingapartinthecause.Forexample,
Intel,atophardwareprovider,donatescomputerstoequipclassroomsinAfricawith
moderntechnology.Theoutcomeofgivingschoolsaccesstotheinternetandother
informationresourceisincredible.Thankstotheinformationtechnology,particularly
theinternet,informationisinstantaneouslysharedamonganyonewhowantstoaccess
it.Thishasnarrowedthegapofintellectualinjusticeandopenedunlimited
opportunitiesforotherinnovativetoolstobeapplied.AnotherexampleisIndia,where
ahugenumberofchildrenarenotabletolearnEnglishfromteachersatschoolbecause
itistooexpensivetosendteacherstotheruralareas.Tosolvetheproblemandprovide
qualityEnglishteachingtothesekids,aspecialtypeofteachingsoftwarewasdeveloped
tobeinstalledonmobilephoneswithEnglishcourses.Becausealmosteachchildownsa
personalmobilephone,theycanthenlearnEnglishfromtheportabledeviceatspare
time.Technologicalinnovationsmakeitincreasinglyeasytodistributeeducation
contentstoremotepopulation,empoweringthemwithknowledgethatmightchange
theirlife.
2. ChangingNatureofLearning
13
Thenextgenerationisaboutlearningtolearn.
Thisisaglobalagreementofthechangingnatureoflearning.Criticaleducatorsargue
thatdespitetheextraordinarytechnologicaladvancements,studentsarenotbetteroff
whentheyareimmersedintheoceanofmassiveinformation.Backinancienttimes
educatorsalreadyincludedinthedefinitionofsuccessfullearningtheacquisitionof
variousattributessuchascriticalthinking,humanityspiritand,perhapsmost
importantly,theabilitytolearn.
Intodaysextremelyconnectedworld,cultivatingtheabilitytocriticallyprocessand
distinguishinformationoutoftheexcessivelyrichpoolofinformationisbecomingan
essentialpartofeducation,withwhichstudentscancopewithchallengestheyfacein
thefuture.Thus,whilesupplyingequipmentsandlearningmaterials,asetofrelevant
skillsshouldalsobetaughttostudents,suchasITskills(howtoproperlyusetechnology)
andamorecriticalmindsetinfrontofinformation(howtomakethebestuseof
informationavailable).
3. Challenges
ThereareafewchallengesforITrelatedMNCstoachieveexpectedCSRoutcomeinthe
fieldofeducation.
(1) EconomicScale
ThoughCSRdoesnotexpectaprofit,reachinganeconomicscaleisstillimportant
becauseitwouldallowcompaniestoreducetheoverallcostassociatedwithsuch
involvement.AccordingtoEricLeMarios,FranceEducationDirectorofMicrosoft,
theoperationofeducationalCSRprojectspreferconditionsinvolvingseveralplayers
inaspecificmarket,insteadofonlyoneorasmallnumberofcompanies.To
establishtheidealcondition,cooperationbetweendifferentsociallyresponsible
companiesisneeded.
(2) ChoosingtheRightFrontier
Findingtherightedgetospendmoneyonisalsoachallenge.Educationissucha
broadterritorythatcompaniesmightfacecountlessprojectsfromwhichtheydo
notknowwhichonestosponsor.Involvinginimproperfrontierscouldcausefailure
toachievesocialobjectiveorfailuretofulfillthecompanysexpectedCSRoutcome,
ifnotboth.Ingeneral,theprojectsthatdeserveCSRengagementsdealwithurgent
issues,forwhichnoothersolution(NGOactivityorgovernmentcontrol)isproven
effective.
(3) SupplementarySupport
Withthecomplexnatureofteachingandlearning,merelydonatinglaptopsisfar
fromempoweringtheundereducatedpopulation.Twomainaspectsthatrevolve
aroundbuildinglearningfacilitiesareteachersandteachingcontents.
First,teachingwillbewellreceivedonlywhenitisdeliveredinaninteractiveand
stimulatingway.Capableteachersarealwaysatthecentreofsuccessfulteaching,
whichisasignificantdifferencebetweeneducationandotherbusinessor
14
philanthropywork.Althougheducationconditionscanbeimprovedsignificantly
whenschoolsareequippedwithmoderntechnologies,theabsenceofequally
capableteachersandteachingmethodsstilljeopardizestheoutcomeofeducation.
Anotherchallengeistodevelopsuitablecontentsforremoteeducationprograms.
Accordingtothecontextsandobjectivesofspecificprograms,contentsshouldbe
tailoredtosuitlocalneeds.Whiledistancelearninghasbeenmatureinurbanareas
andincommercializedtrainingsector,thecontentssuitedforunderdeveloped
groupsissomethingnew.Thisrequiresinformationrelatedcompaniesofallphases
totakeapart.Asthechartbelowshows,theinformationtechnologyindustryis
dividedtothreestages,accordingtotheproductsorservicescompaniesare
specializedin.Inordertoreachanoverallcoverageofphysicalequipment,
operationaltoolsandteachingmaterials,MNCsofallthreestagesneedtobeapart.
Contentdevelopment,inparticular,iscurrentlylaggingbehind.Developspecific
electronictextbooks,onlineresourcesandotherteachingmaterialsthatsuitthe
changingnatureoffuturelearningisapriorityforITcompanieswhowanttobea
partinbridgingtheeducationgapbetweentherichandthepoor.
ITIndustry
Hardware
Providers
Software
Providers
Content
Providers
(eg.Intel)
(eg.Microsoft)
(eg.Google)
(4) Measurement
Similartothemeasurementbarrierinfrontofdevelopingsocialbusinessmodelsfor
education,theCSRactivitiesarealsobotheredbythequestionofhowtoassess
whathavebeendonewiththemoneyandresourcescompaniesputin.Whilemost
companiesliketoclaimtobesociallyresponsibleandwillingtomakeacertain
contribution,noonewouldacceptinvisibleoutcomes.
Thechallengeiscomposedoftwoorigins.First,inmanycases,nodataisavailable
tomeasuretheactualspendingassociatedwithcompanieseffortstoimplement
theirplans.Forexample,itusuallytakessometimeandeffortstocommunicate
withthelocalgovernmentinordertosmooththelaunchandfunctioningofthe
projectsontheground.However,thiscostisextremelyhardtoquantify.Second,
thereisnouniversalstandardasofwhatisthelevelofinvolvementforinternational
companiesthatsufficesocialneedsandthecompanysdueresponsibility.Asthe
expectationitselfisblurry,itishardforcompaniestodefineaninternalobjective.
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Chapter5ConclusionsandRecommendations
Aimingatfindingoutabettermechanismformultinationalcompaniestobeinvolvedin
promotingeducationnationallyandinternationally,theissuesdiscussedaboveleadtothe
understandingthatabroadersenseofcooperationisneededamongthecivilcommunity,
includingmultinationalcompanies,NGOsandpolicymakers.Towrapupwhathavebeen
discussed,weconcludewiththeroleseachofthethreepartiesshouldplay.
1.
Multinational
Companies
2.NGOs
3.Policy
Makers
1. MNCs
Thetraditionalsignandsendthecheckmindsetisinadequateandineffectiveincoping
withtodayseducationinequality.MNCs,inlinewiththeirenormouswealth,should
leverageorganizationresourcestoexplorepotentialbusinessmodelsthatcanserve
educationneeds,oratleastseeklargerscalesofparticipationtoguaranteeeconomic
scale.
Inparticular,informationtechnologycompanies,whileenjoyingafastbooming,should
betheprimarycontributorsinthefield.
2. NGOs
Besideswhattheyaredoingcurrently,internationalNGOsshouldbeplayingtworoles
foreducationrelatedCSRtoachievemore:first,theyshouldadvocatetheideathat
businesseshavetheabilityandresponsibilitytomakeeducationdifferent,andsetmore
tangibleandcomparablestandardsofresponsiblelevelofinvolvement,sothat
companieswhichdonotfulfillthedueresponsibilitieswouldbemorallypenalized.
Second,NGOsshouldhelplinkingcorporateresourceswithactualneedsthatexist
amongimpoverishedcommunities.NGOssuchastheUNESCOtypicallyhavemore
informationthancompanies,butlacktheoperationalcapacity,especiallyfinancial
resource.Ifcompaniescanbeadvisedofwhatareawouldcreatethebestsynergy
betweencompanyresourcesandneedsforeducation,theoverallCSRachievement
wouldbesignificantlyoptimized.
3. PolicyMakers
Policiesshouldbechangedonnationalandregionallevelstorewardandincentivize
corporateinvolvementineducation,especiallyfocusonsocialoutcomesaccordingtoan
16
institutionalperspective.Thus,nationalgovernmentscanprovideamainstream
evaluationmechanismtosetrulesforthesystem,bringingmoremotivationfor
companiestoswitchCSRstrengthfromotherfieldstoeducation.
17
Bibliography
Ananiadou,Katerin,IsabelleFlory,EricLeMarois,andCedricWachholz."HECSocial&
SustainableBusinessConferenceTheMakingofGenerationZ:ProfitableEducationinA
YoutubedWorld."
Brown,Ed.CorporateSocialResponsibilityinHigherEducation.Rep.LoughboroughUniversity.
Web.01June2010.<http://www.acmejournal.org/vol8/BrownCloke09.pdf>.
"EFAGoals|EDUCATION|UNESCO."Editorial.UnitedNationsEducational,Scientificand
CulturalOrganization.Web.13June2010.<http://www.unesco.org/en/efa/efagoals/>.
Kaplan,Inc.ABOUTUS.Web.11June2010.
<http://www.kaplan.com.co/new/colombia/mission.htm>
Murrell,Karen."Spotlight:CorporateSocialResponsibilityinEducation."Weblogpost.Three
Sticks.Web.04June2010.
<http://www.topicseducation.com/enews/archive/ThreeSticksMay07.pdf>.
UNESCO.ReachingtheMarginalized:EFAGlobalMonitoringReport,2010.Web.23May2010.
<http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001865/186525E.pdf>.
UnitedNationsMillenniumDevelopmentGoals.TheUnitedNations.Web.6June2010.
<http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/>.
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