Letter to the Editor of the Financial Times

BUSINESS RESPONSIBILITY

Martin Wolf's column "Sleep-walking with the enemy" (May 16) assumed a very arrogant view of the way businesses operate in modern society.

Whilst the fundamental objectives of any business are profits and sustainability, surely in any just society there should be some means of helping the worse off. This is not communism or woolly liberalism but the simple point that we should help others less fortunate than ourselves.

Governments have a role to play in helping the disadvantaged but are often found wanting in both their ability and execution. Businesses can make significant contributions to communities and voluntary organisations, on a local scale, through simple methods such as facilitating employee volunteering, particularly when that volunteering involves professional skills such as law, finance and IT.

Not everyone involved in corporate social responsibility or community work is an activist or anti-capitalist. We are a small e-business consultancy (capitalist by nature) providing pro bono professional skills support, because it is the most effective way we can support the community. This improves the environment we operate in, improves awareness of the company and makes limited contribution to costs. The situation where a multi-national is at the mercy of Greenpeace has little to do with CSR and everything to do with its failures to satisfy its stakeholders.

We do not work to satisfy a market agenda, we assume power comes only though partnerships and as for political judgements - we choose projects we feel we believe in, for sustainability reasons as much as anything.

Companies must make profits to survive. Neglecting people (either employees or communities) will soon eradicate those profits as both the employee and customer base move elsewhere.

Dr Simon N. Davey, Managing Director, Omega Alpha Limited. www.omega-alpha.com

16 Percival Street, Accrington, Lancashire, BB5 0BE.

Email: [email protected] Tel: 0705 018 8707