A recent study conducted by Vikas Mittal of Rice University [PDF] found that Americans now more than ever, expect corporations to not only be profitable, but sustainable and socially responsible. But even with high expectations, CSR can get caught in the PR net, becoming labeled as nothing more than a stunt. The British research firm Business Planning & Research International recently found that 44 percent of the British public and 67 percent of members of Parliament find CSR to be more about creating a good image than corporate responsibility. This is still a troubling pattern for CSR.

A recent example of what some are calling a CSR publicity stunt comes from the restaurant chain Hooters, who announced last month that they are collecting torn Hooters girl’s pantyhose from all over the country and donating them to be used in boons in an effort to help absorb the oil spilt in the Gulf of Mexico. The effort, called Project Pantyhose, could ultimately absorb 1 million gallons of oil.

This and other such corporate endeavors have made the CSR effort even more confusing. In a 2007 article in the Journal of Communication Management, it was found that CSR initiatives are not really taken seriously by a lot of the media. That CSR is criticized as being a PR stunt is unsurprising, bearing in mind that many CSR workers in companies sit in the communications and PR departments.

But even if CSR is seen as simply an attempt to gain favorable press their outcomes are unchanged. CSR still helps companies, employees, communities, and the environment. Only the tactics in which companies approach their corporate responsibility measures differ. Some like Hooters, use media grabbing tactics, while others such as Starbucks have simply incorporated it into every aspect of their company’s operations. According to a British marketing firm, “Publicity stunts can help, but they need to be planned and have the desired outcome, so as not to take away from the overall message and negate the meaning.”

According to Chris Jarvis, the Senior Consultant for Realized Worth, there are certain things companies can do to restore trust in their CSR strategy. Companies should create their CSR programs with their employees in mind, because they are the ones “that make CSR work inside and outside the company.” It is hard to contradict employees who believe in their company. Those companies that restrict CSR initiatives to purely cause-marketing hurt the legitimacy of the companies who have more earnest efforts towards corporate responsibility. In order for CSR efforts to thrive, they must be trustworthy. Because it’s not always what companies do that is the most important, but how they do it. Jarvis emphasizes that “Everything your company does, including everyone the company does business with is CSR. The process is the product.”

For CSR to be seen across the board as a respected way to give back to the community and environment, there has to be an overarching change in the way that companies promote their initiatives. And in this age of media access, the temptation to use stunts to attract attention is greater than ever.

Even Greenpeace, an organization focused on conservation and the environment, isn’t afraid of using stunts to bring companies to action. Their most recent campaign rallied against Nestle for using palm oil in their products, which kills trees that orangutans live in in Indonesia, by creating a video on YouTube.

It was labeled as a publicity stunt. It was also a success. Nestle soon announced that it would no longer use products that cause tropical rainforest destruction.

The question remains, do stunts hurt or help?

The thing to remember is that in the end, CSR works. Corporate Watch writes that “by appealing to customers’ consciences and desires, CSR helps companies to build brand loyalty and develop a personal connection with their customers. In our media saturated culture, companies are looking for ever more innovative ways to get across their message, and CSR offers up many potential avenues, such as word of mouth or guerilla marketing, for subtly reaching consumers.”

In the end, even though Hooters can be criticized for their tactics, they have the potential to do some good in the gulf.

“Who would have thought our Hooters Girls’ pantyhose would have a use other than making the girls’ legs look great,” stated Mike McNeil, Vice President of Marketing, Hooters of America. “The Hooters Girls friendly service has just become environmentally friendly as well.”

Have you heard about the behavioral economic idea of the “nudge”?

Popularized by economists Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein, a nudge is basically an arrangement that points people in a certain direction when they are given a choice. For example, in Thaler and Sunstein’s book Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness, the two authors explain how putting fresh fruit, rather than desserts, closer to eye level in a cafeteria serving line influences students to make healthier lunch choices. The placement of the fruit doesn’t take the choice of dessert away – it just “nudges” students toward the healthier decision.

A new report by Ecoalign, an energy and environment marketing agency, details how businesses can employ nudges to help consumers improve energy conservation. The report, prepared by Dean Karlan, Professor of Economics at Yale University, explains that nudges do not change behavior. They serve as helpful reminders for an individual, of what he or she, in theory, wants to do – making it easier to overcome a short-term moment of weakness or laziness in the face of a long-term decision, for example, to eat better or recycle more.

Here are four ways that you can use nudges to help make your office more environmentally sustainable.

1. Make it Easy
A simple way to keep your staff recycling is simply placing recycling bins close to the trash cans. Most employees want to do the right thing and reduce waste – but if it’s more difficult to recycle, individuals are less likely to do it. It seems obvious, and it is. That’s all nudges are – ways to make a good choice easier to do.

2. Keep Them Informed
The report explains how informing consumers about how much energy they are actually using can help decrease energy use.

For example, the report discusses a study in which individuals were asked to set goals for natural gas use, and then given different levels of feedback on their performance. The ones given the most feedback were the most successful at meeting their goals. The frequent reminder that they were working to decrease energy use nudged them toward more energy-efficient practices.

Set a goal for energy reduction with your team, and keep them informed about progress – the more feedback the better. Keep your team updated on their energy usage once a day or once a week and let them know how they’re making progress.

3. Use Default Settings
In their book, Thaler and Sunstein talk about how default settings can be used to influence behavior – most people simply go along with defaults rather than make other choices. You can take advantage of this kind of behavior to green your office.

For example, set printer defaults to eco-friendly options (like front and back printing to decrease paper use) or computer power options to the energy-saver default. Individuals still have the choice to change these options to suit their needs – like changing printer settings to one side only for presentations or client deliverables – but on the whole, using default settings is an easy way to be more green.

4. Point Out Compliance Levels
Thaler and Sunstein point out how positive social influence can nudge people in the right direction. For example, they discuss a real-world experiment in which groups of Minnesota taxpayers were given reasons for fulfilling tax obligations – that the money went to public works, the penalties for non-compliance, and that 90% of Minnesotans followed the tax law.

The last reason – that most people followed tax laws – was the only one that had a significant effect. Thaler and Sunstein write:

“Apparently some taxpayers are more likely to violate the law because of a misperception – plausibly based on the availability of media or other accounts of cheaters – that the level of compliance is pretty low. When informed that the actual compliance level is pretty high, they become less likely to cheat.”

You can take advantage of this principle in your office – if you already have a pretty high percentage of employees taking part in sustainability initiative, communicate that to your entire staff and the laggards will be more inclined to join. For example – keep track of employees using reusable water bottles instead of disposable ones.

Most of these seem easy and obvious – that’s because they are. Nudges are the little things we can do to help make the right decision easier. Most employees are willing to help the planet or help the company save on energy costs. But a busy, hectic workday can keep them from taking the extra steps to do so. Making it easy for your staff to make sustainable choices can improve participation in green initiatives and yield better results than a top down directive to “be more green.” Nominate an enthusiastic team or office champion to implement the nudges and see what happens. They’re not labor intensive and generally cost-free – what do you have to lose?

In a time when companies are rebuilding their business models to include a more diverse workforce, financial corporations are paying attention. Black Enterprise magazine recently released its list of the best companies for diversity, a list which consists of companies that the magazine believes have achieved a high level of inclusion of minority individuals – including race, gender, sexual orientation, etc. The Best Companies for Diversity list was made through surveys of the top 1,000 publicly traded companies, focusing on technology, sales, marketing, and human resources. Below is a roundup of BE’s five top financial companies in diversity.

Northern Trust

Named one of the 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers and one of the top 50 Companies for Executive Women, the Chicago based financial company boasts not only an annual Chairman’s Diversity Advocate Award Program which recognizes employees who make contributions to diversity efforts, but Diversity of Work training to encourage work groups to value their people and their contributions.

Director of Global Diversity and Inclusion Mark David Welch promises progressiveness and training with the support of diversity councils. “Northern Trust has long recognized the invaluable role of diversity, and this recognition is a testament to our belief that fostering a globally diverse and inclusive workforce is fundamental to our success as a business enterprise and community advocate.”

The company also gives priority to programs in diverse neighborhoods while offering a broad variety of business groups including Women in Leadership, the TNTPride (LGBT) Community, and the Black Business Resource Council. All combined, this makes Northern Trust an inclusive culture that enables the company to hire and retain a diverse workforce – which Welch says leads to better ideas and innovations and brings out the best in our employees.

Comerica Inc.

Leslie Sabbath, Senior Vice President for Employee Relations of Comerica emphasizes that “diversity is a core value and a key business driver. [It] serves to remind employees, customers and others with an interest in your company that diversity is a priority.”

Besides working under a diversity commitment, Comerica strives to embrace all people throughout its workforce, its community, and its nearby schools by actively recruiting in diverse networks. The company earned a spot on the 2010 DiversityInc “Top 50 Companies for Diversity” list, ranking 45th overall.  In addition, Hispanic Business magazine ranked Comerica No. 1 for Supplier Diversity.  

The company also offers the Comerica Supplier Diversity Program which fosters the growth of small and minority-owned companies across the United States. By assisting these small companies, Comerica not only helps the communities they are in but builds minority suppliers in business.

American Express

Thirty-five percent of this company’s workforce is black, Latino, and Asian while providing 13 employee networks including the Black and Asian Network, the Jewish Employee Network, the Disabilities Awareness network, the GLBT Employee Network, and the Muslim Employee Network. The company also offers benefits for same-sex partners for it employees.

American Express is among the top 50 companies on DiversityInc and has remained on Working Mother’s list of leading companies for women since 2004. The company’s Blue Box Diversity Councils, which are made up of employees at all levels and positions, continuously change and update the company’s overall diversity vision and policy. In addition, they monitor American Express’ progress against other leading companies while managing the best practices. Primary areas of focus include development and environment, supplier diversity and selection and hiring.

Bank of America

DiversityInc’s ninth highest company for overall diversity is also the second highest company for GLBT employees on the list. This company offers a Diversity & Inclusion Learning Curriculum, as well as a variety of groups that plan and implement diversity approaches. The Diversity Advisory Council (DAC) develops and executes company-wide initiatives while the Diversity Business Councils (DBCs) which are made up of 29 separate groups, tackle diversity issues and come up with strategies to fix problems and create a work place that is comfortable to all employees. The company’s volunteer network, Team Bank America, is made up of 50 diversity networks that help organize diversity and cultural awareness activities in the community. These networks are designed to help communicate the importance of diversity within the company from presentations about sexual orientation to exercises in teamwork.

“I can’t emphasize enough just how important—and real—diversity is at Bank of America. For us, diversity is all about inclusion. It’s not just about gender. It’s not just about ethnicity,” says Geri Thomas, the Global Diversity and Inclusion Executive. “Diversity and inclusion means respecting and valuing all nationalities, cultures, religions, sexual orientation, economic and social backgrounds and disabilities. By working with our differences, we can develop innovative products for our customers and a unique environment for our associates.”

Fannie Mae

Fannie Mae has historically been one of the most diverse companies in the financial world. Even as the mortgage bubble burst, they continued to be among the best companies hiring minorities and creating an inclusive work environment. In 2007, the company was in DiversityBusiness.com’s top 50 corporations for multicultural business opportunities and last year they were named a notable company for diversity by DiversityInc. Fannie Mae was recognized as one of the 50 Best Companies for Latinas to work in the United States by LATINA Style for 2009 – the eighth year in a row.

Recent estimates indicate that minorities, including immigrants, will account for 68 percent of household growth over the period 2005-2015. Fannie May says it is working not only to save families from foreclosure, but preparing for future homeowners by understanding everyone’s own specific needs. To meet these needs, Fannie Mae’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion develops initiatives to support increased diversity in the financial industry through internships, scholarships, and other programs. The company is also dedicated to finding opportunities that align with corporate efforts aimed at foreclosure prevention and lending in communities of color.

A report recently released [PDF] by Best Buy’s explains how the company approaches sustainability – from three standpoints: people, technology, and power. The company combines employee engagement and sound environmental practices under the sustainability umbrella – explaining that they are what make the company grow sustainably.

In a bnet article, Carol Tice explains, When Best Buy talks sustainability, it’s not just talking environmental impact — it’s talking about designing the culture of Best Buy so that the company thrives, from worker treatment to supplier and factory relationships.

Of course, Best Buy recognizes that there are challenges ahead – there are always improvements to make. In fact, in many ways, the numbers listed in the report are not stellar – for example only a 75% retention rate or an 82.8 customer satisfaction score (although both of these numbers have risen over the past year). Brian Dunn, Chief Executive Officer, writes, in the report:

“For me, unleashing the power of our people captures the core idea that has always driven Best Buy, and, in my opinion, every great human organization: that a group of ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary things when they work together. In fact, it’s the only way anything extraordinary ever happens.”

At the same time the company is working to energize its employees and improve working conditions across the chain, Dunn says that the company is also cognizant that technology and energy use go hand in hand. Best buy is working hard to increase recycling efforts and build more energy efficient stores.

It’s a looming task, but, Dunn says:

“optimism isn’t just my genetic set-point; it comes from my objective observation that once people understand a set of challenges, they are capable of creating solutions that eventually surpass anything we can imagine.”

Setting Goals: One Billion Pounds

One of the notable things about the report is the transparency with which the company states its sustainability goals. Best Buy is setting aggressive goals for itself in recycling and energy-effiency. For example, the report says:

“We operate the most comprehensive recycling program in retail. In fiscal 2010, we helped to prevent
more than 140 million pounds of appliances and electronics from ending up in landfills around the world. We have set a goal to collect 1 billion pounds.”

Noting that the company has met its carbon footprint reduction goal three years ahead of time – “an 8 percent reduction per U.S. retail square foot.” Best Buy plans to set even more aggressive goals. Not just carbon reduction, but looking for ways to improve energy efficiency across its stores and green its product offerings. The company is working with BSR to set firmer goals.

People: Part of Sustainability

When the company says “sustainability,” it’s not only talking about the environmental impact of its stores and products. To Best Buy, sustainability describes how the company grows and operates year over year – and the environmental component (including technology and power) is only one part of that. The other part is its people – how the company keeps employees coming back to work, and ready to serve the customers in the communities in which it has stores.

According to the report, the company’s retention rate is rising: “Percent of employees who maintain employment with Best Buy for at least one year: 75% — a 6% percentage point improvement over fiscal 2009.”

Employee engagement was challenging in FY2009, the company explains, because of the economic turbulence which saw consumer spending drop and fewer customers in the store. The company worked to keep employee energy up by performing employee surveys, paying bonuses mid-year, helping employees save for retirement, building affinity groups, and focusing on diversity.

Recognizing that people are part of the sustainability equation too is one way the company is continuing to grow during hard times – a year that also saw volunteer activity and philanthropic donations drop.

But as Tice writes:

“Best Buy’s open attitude and philosophy of thinking about all these operating metrics as aspects of sustainability is refreshing. It also provides a guide for any company looking for the best way to thrive in the current tough economy. It’d be great to see more big companies thinking about sustainability in this type of comprehensive way.”

Hopefully we’ll see more companies talk transparently and holisticaly about sustainability moving forward.

What’s new in CSR? Here’s what we have been reading this weekend.

What does Malta and theology have in common?
Justmeans examines the new program being offered in Malta that offers a master’s in CSR. The brainchild of the Reverend Professor Emmanuel Agius, dean of the Faculty of Theology, and Saviour Gauci, dean of the Faculty of Economics, Management and Accountancy, at the University of Malta, the Master’s degree in Business Ethics will offer CSR executives and other professionals the opportunity to debate the responsibility of business on society.

Smithfield Foods releases its ninth annual CSR Report and commits to reducing energy, and water use, and solid waste 10 percent by 2016
Environmental Leader discusses Smithfield Foods, http://www.smithfieldfoods.com/ who has committed to meet several new environmental goals. In 2009, Smithfield Foods has reduced greenhouse gas emissions at its plants by four percent since 2007. The company also cut its processing emissions per 100 pounds of production by 62 percent compared to 2007 and its first-processing emissions per animal by 41 percent. These improvements have helped decrease company costs by an estimated $100 million over that time period. This is just another example of the win-win outcomes CSR creates for companies.

A Louis Vuitton Bag With A Side Of CSR
Hana Alberts of Forbes.com looks at a new study, which finds that corporate social responsibility matters – especially if you want to sell luxury brands in China. The most surprising result? There is a strong correlation between a company’s social responsibility policy and the consumer’s desire to buy their products. When asked “Does the social responsibility of a luxury brand affect your purchasing decision of its products,” 68% of respondents said it did, while only 10% said it didn’t. The authors were caught off guard by the strength of the result, according to Ruder Finn Asia Chairman Jean-Michel Dumont, who has helped develop communication strategy for brands such as Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Hermes and Cartier.

SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Grant More Than $1 Million to Help Protect Animals in Need
Animals and endangered species around the world will benefit from the new initiatives by SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund. This includes preserving the Florida Keys, safe guarding sea turtle nesting sites, sand tiger shark conservation, and conserving the West African Manatee.

Currently women make up about half the U.S. workforce, so more than ever before, retaining women in the workplace is an important issue. Many businesses offer work/life balance, flex time, and other family-friendly incentives to attract, inspire and keep female employees, but a recent survey shows another surprising way to make women happy: do good, and tell the world about it.

A survey conducted by the Simmons School of Management and Hewlett-Packard during the 2009 Simmons School of Leadership Conference reported that female employees who thought their employers were ethical and supported socially responsible initiatives were happier with their jobs, thought less about quitting, and were more likely to champion their company in social settings. However, the findings also showed that since many women were unaware of their company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities, employers were missing out on this unexpected benefit.

The results showed:

• More than 75% of respondents indicated that “making a positive impact on society” and “expressing and acting in line with my values” are important to them
• Respondents also said that “when CSR is an important part of an organization’s business strategy, it contributes to the fulfillment of ‘individualistic’ career needs, such as ‘opportunities to develop one’s professional skills/expertise’”
• 45% reported awareness of their companies’ CSR efforts
• 35% reported that they have participated in their companies’ CSR activities

As more and more businesses are realizing the importance of socially responsible initiatives as a sound business strategy, reaching and influencing women is critical in more ways than just retaining female employees. Social responsibility also makes a big difference to consumers, and women make 85% of consumer purchasing decisions. In March 2010, Penn Schoen Berland, Landor & Associates, and Burson-Marsteller released the results of their second annual Corporate Social Responsibility Perceptions Survey that gauged consumer opinions of companies in 14 industries, from apparel to telecommunications.

Although the respondents were both men and women, knowing that women make the vast majority of purchasing decisions casts these results in a new light.

• Despite the recession, more than 75% of consumers responded that social responsibility is important no matter the industry
• When choosing between similar products, 55% are more likely to choose a product that supports a certain cause
• 38% plan to spend the same or more on products or services from socially responsible companies compared to 2009
• Only 45% of respondents say they know the meaning of the term “corporate social responsibility”
• Only 11% say they have heard communications about CSR from any company in the past year
• 59% plan to spend the same or more (45% and 14% respectively) on products from socially responsible companies in the coming year
• 70% are willing to pay a premium on products from a socially responsible company
• 22% are aware that their companies have CSR practices, 25% say no and 53% say they don’t know if their companies have CSR initiatives
• 34% of respondents would take a pay cut to work at a socially responsible organization (majority being younger workers 18-24)
• Only 13% of respondents have read about a company’s CSR agenda on the corporate website
• Of those who have read about a company’s CSR efforts on their website, 26% are much more likely and 49% are somewhat more likely to purchase a product from that company

These surveys show that (female) employees and both male and female consumers are paying attention to social responsibility. The key? Communication. The authors of both reports advocate better communication of social initiatives both internally and externally. Spreading the word inside your company is a great way to build goodwill, loyalty, and job satisfaction. Additionally, female employees have indicated that they would be proud to spread the word of their company’s social efforts, and this type of communication can be worth ten times any media campaign.

Who best to get your message out? Yep. Women again. In June 2010, the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship released a report detailing the profile of today’s corporate citizenship leaders. In its key findings, it shows that (among respondents) women outnumber men 3-to-1, although the percentage of men who hold a senior or executive level position (49.7 percent) is far above the number of women (26.9 percent). Although respondents indicated that creating partnerships inside the company (86.3 percent) and relationships outside the company (84.2 percent) were a part of their responsibilities, evidently even more attention needs to be paid to these activities. Employee involvement can be crucial to the success of a CSR program. In 2010, The National Environmental Education Foundation released a study showing that “environmental and sustainability (E&S) employee education and engagement initiatives help companies achieve a range of business objectives from attracting and retaining employees to boosting the bottom line.”

So shout your CSR efforts to the rooftops – or at least to all the corners of your company. Employees and consumers alike are watching, and women in the role of employee, consumer, CSR representative, and community member can be powerful allies.

We’ve all heard about the wave of more environmentally friendly automobiles that have been built in the past few years. Hybrids, electric cars, cars that run on bio diesel and ethanol, cars that run on hydrogen, the list goes on. Auto manufacturers across the globe have begun designing these in response to the exploding worldwide concern for the environment. But beyond creating products that are green, car companies are manufacturing them in green ways too, even in this tough economic time.

According to a study conducted by Gartner Research [PDF] in 2009, “sustainability will be a strategic theme beyond the recession.” Automobile companies are proof of this. Even as the recession crippled markets and companies alike, consumers began to demand better and more eco friendly cars. So the automobile companies stepped up to the plate and started investing even more money into making them. This means that they will “increasingly be justified to meet stakeholder expectations, to build trust and compliance, and to manage risk related to the business’s reputation” when it comes to sustainable cars.

Federal Influence Bolsters Green Auto Production

Two years ago, when the automobile industry was being bailed out by the US government, a portion of what Detroit was asking for was money to help make their companies more green to meet the new environmental standards. So when the Department of Energy loaned $25 billion to the auto manufacturers, it did it with the stipulation that the companies would use it to create factories that would produce vehicles that would meet the new emissions and fuel economy standards.

Luckily for us and the planet, this has translated into not only eco-friendly cars, but the creation of eco-friendly factories and plants to build them in. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, automobile technology is changing rapidly – and more rapidly than it has in a long time – due to environmental concerns and regulations.

And all the major car companies are on board. Both BMW and Lexus have recently received LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certifications from the U.S. Green Building Council. This means that the buildings that housed or produced their cars were built in an environmental and sustainable way, from reduced water usage to using recycled and locally sourced materials. One BMW distribution center successfully used methane gas from a coal landfill to serve 60 percent of the plant’s energy needs. One Lexus dealership on the other hand created a preferred parking program that rewarded employees who car pool or use alternative fuel or hybrid cars to work.

And why is this important? Because ten percent of a car’s lifetime environmental impact comes from its building. And consumers are taking notice.

Cutting Costs through More Sustainable Manufacturing

In Ford’s 2010 Blueprint to Sustainability, the company has reduced their total facilities-related carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 50 percent and well as reduced facilities-related carbon dioxide emissions per vehicle by 27 percent. Determined to perform better, Ford saved $15 million by improving energy efficiency in their 2009 operations. Their target is to improve their facility energy efficiency by 3 percent in North America this year. The car company has also created a system that shuts off all desktop and notebook computers at night, with an expected savings of $1.2 million in annual energy costs.

Wind turbines, low mercury lighting, drought tolerant landscaping, reusing packaging, even recycling flawed parts all are part of what different automobile manufacturers have been creating in the past few years to decrease overall cost and increase sales. Never before has there been such an influx of environmentally conscious construction.

A brand new Volkswagen plant that is currently under construction in Chattanooga, Tennessee is one of the best examples of this. For every tree displaced by construction they are replanting a sapling. Things like automated machinery, smart ventilation systems, and improved air circulators will save the plant an annual energy use of 1,880 households. Storm water will be collected to be used in restrooms, saving 359,999 gallons of fresh water. The plant’s insulation in the walls is 100 percent recyclable. All in all, it’s what companies are striving to become.

About 27 million cars are disposed of every year. And according to the US Environmental Protection Agency, more than 95 percent of all those vehicles are processed for recycling and then about 80 percent of that is recycled. Auto recyclers supply about one third of scrap metal to manufacturers, which when used instead of ore, can reduce air and water pollution by more than 50 percent. In 2007, Ford became one of the first automakers to be recognized for car recycling requirements. And it’s only time before other car companies follow suit.

It’s unfortunate that it took the near collapse of the economy and the US auto industry for car manufacturers to really get on the band wagon when it comes to creating a product that is more eco friendly, and producing it in a way that is eco friendly. They are finally realizing that going green means saving money. Which means it’s around to stay.

“It’s very easy to be patronizing about emerging market women because we tend to see them as victims. It’s shifting one’s view,” said Sylvia Ann Hewlett, professor at Columbia University and founding President of the Center for Work-Life Policy, on Forbes Women.

CWLP has recently published its report on professional women in emerging markets – entitled The Battle for Female Talent in Emerging Markets – exploring how multinational companies can better cater to “highly ambitious women” in Brazil, Russia, India, China, and the United Arab Emirates.

Presenting the data at a recent event at the Asia Society in New York City, Hewlett explained, first of all, that we shouldn’t consider “women in emerging markets” as a homogeneous social group. The women in each of the countries studied were part of distinct cultures, and as a result, had different pulls and pushes, different desires, and lived in different contexts.

Even still, the study revealed some constants – and provides some good advice for how global companies can attract and retain professional women in emerging markets.

1. Recruit at Top Universities

According to the study, the number of women in emerging markets enrolled and graduating college is often equal to, and sometimes outpacing, the number of men. As Hewlett and Ripa Rashid, Senior Vice President at the Center for Work-Life Policy and co-author of the study, write in the Harvard Business Review:

[Women] represent 65% of college graduates in the UAE, 60% in Brazil, and 47% in China. In Russia, where communism promoted universal access to education, 86% of women aged 18 to 23 are enrolled in tertiary education. More than a third in that age group are enrolled in tertiary education in Brazil and the UAE, and 50% of the Indian women (versus 40% of the Indian men) in our sample hold graduate degrees.

Companies should train recruiters to seek out women as well as men when looking for top job candidates at universities.

2. Make Sure They are Receiving Challenging and Engaging Assignments

According to the study, women in emerging markets are full of ambition. The percentage of women surveyed who said they would describe themselves as “very ambitious” topped the US percentage (36%) in every country:

• Brazil: 59%
• Russia: 63%
• India: 85%
• China: 65%
• UAE: 92%

As more multinational companies move into emerging markets, they should be aware that the women in these areas want to achieve. They’ll be looking for interesting assignments with the ability to take them to the next level. And as more companies move into the space and the labor market becomes more competitive, these companies would be wise to retain their top talent by offering challenging roles with the potential to advance.

3. Understand Family Pulls and Pushes

In most Western markets, more women drop off the career track because they have children to take care of. But in emerging markets, the study revealed, child-care wasn’t as significant a pull as it is in the West.

As Hewlett and Rashid write in the HBR:

“Professional women in BRIC and the UAE are less encumbered than women elsewhere by childcare issues, because many grandparents are active caregivers (cultural visions of age-old pursuits center more on family than on individual leisure), and working mothers have access to affordable domestic help and a growing infrastructure of day-care and early-childhood centers.”

On the other hand, eldercare is a significant concern for professional women in these areas. By being flexible and understanding of the need to take care of parents and in-laws, companies can help women stay on the career track.

4. Provide Safe and Interesting Travel Opportunities

Hewlett and Rashid recommend providing international assignments to women in emerging markets – to keep them engaged and “provide development opportunities.” At the same time, many of the women surveyed said that safety is a big concern for them during travel – whether abroad or in their home country.

Kidnapping, rape, assault, or harassment is a major concern of women traveling in emerging markets, and by providing escorts, companies can help assuage these fears – and protect their workforce. On top of these concerns, in many of the countries studied, women traveling alone, without family members, is socially discouraged. By making arrangements for family members to travel with female workers, companies can provide an attractive and sometimes necessary perk for these women.

5. Help Women Network

Hewlett and Rashid recommend helping female employees build networks – both internally in the company, and outside the company, within their communities. Because women business leaders are not the norm in most of the countries studied, these women can feel isolated – cut off from company headquarters overseas, or cut off from their home communities. By helping female employees reach out to other women, companies can help women work through feelings of isolation or confusion, share tips and stories, and strengthen workplace connections.

By showing their interest in attracting and retaining women in emerging markets, companies can build employee engagement – and stay competitive – as more multinational companies compete for this important workforce segment.

What’s new in CSR? Here’s what we have been reading this weekend.

BP’s still not on the ball…

Chrystia Freeland from the Washington Post speculates who’s to blame for the oil spill. She says it has taught us that the heart of the relationship between business and society doesn’t lie with the charitable deeds that companies do in their off-hours, but whether they are doing their day jobs in ways that help — or hurt — the rest of us. While BP was winning plaudits for being the first oil company to accept global warming as a scientific fact, the old-school Texas oilmen at ExxonMobil were unfashionably unapologetic about their core mission: to produce oil. Chastened by the Exxon Valdez disaster, however, they also became religious about safety standards. With hindsight, that attention to safety turns out to have had much greater social value than any number of creative CSR drives.

India creates voluntary CSR guidelines

JustMeans writes how for the first time in its history, the government of India, through its Ministry of Corporate Affairs, issued a set of voluntary CSR guidelines. Their intent is to add company value, focus on long-term sustainability contributions and provide benefit to stakeholders and society.

Will colleges soon start teaching CSR in school?

Aman Singh of Forbes.com questions how job seekers and business school graduates view the rising awareness of concepts like triple bottom line, corporate responsibility, and ethical management. Turning to four MBA candidates for some answers whether recent Wall Street shortcomings were redefining MBA curriculum at their schools. Each of the candidates agreed that a complete embedding of corporate responsibility within company cultures across America would require a coordinated push from employees and job seekers as well as students.

The truth about CSR compensation

Leon Kaye writes that more professionals have become interested and passionate about sustainability, judging by the growth in related academic programs and, anecdotally, the surge in networking and other professional events that have a corporate social responsibility theme.  Idealism and the genuine desire to accomplish good, however, may conflict with the reality of paying the mortgage or rent check.

Walmart’s green strategy raises some questions

Bob Lurie explores Wal-Mart’s vow made earlier this year to eliminate 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gases from its supply chain over the next five years. he says it turns out the promise may be more of a form regulatory vigilantism.