This post is in response to Tamar’s request for blog posts on marketing ethics (more specifically on the ethics of public relations).

As someone who transferred from Sociology to Commerce with the intention of using business skills to find more opportunities to make a positive social change, it’s a bit disheartening when I find indications that private business often simply view corporate social responsibility as a function of improving public relations.  Articles like this one that talk about how CSR is stalling discuss it largely in terms of how to make it a better investment for companies, while maneuvering around the idea of improving social outcomes because they’re not as quantifiable. It’s also mentioned that businesses view CSR as a risk because while it ‘s good for PR, it’s likely to be met with scrutiny from stakeholders. But if a company is going to market itself on the basis it engages in CSR to accomplish some socially responsible mission, then shouldn’t that be their goal instead of making sure everyone know about their deeds? Isn’t that a lie otherwise, and therefore unethical?

I understand the businesses have a responsibility to more stakeholders than just society as a whole – their employees, their shareholders, their clients – which means that it is important to maintain a healthy bottom line. But I struggle with the idea that it’s necessary for every one of a company’s actions to be calculated with the sole purpose of improving long-run profits. Can’t a business implement a CSR initiative that has nothing to do with PR, has no positive impact on profits, but still benefits all of their stakeholders? As someone who works for and is a member of a non-profit organization, I know firsthand that there is a huge benefit to knowing you’re a part of something that is about more than profit, even if it comes at the expense of some of your potential income. If there is a middle-ground between private organizations that care only about maximizing profit and nonprofits that just want to benefit society, it doesn’t seem to be very visible.

I hope this doesn’t come off as naive, but this is my big question: Generally speaking, do businesses only do good for the sake of PR?