ABSTRACT
Protecting the environment, and helping to build healthy societies, is in the shared interests of shareholders and wider society. This chapter argues that the best way for businesses to serve these interests is by leveraging their core competences. It presents a case study of Anglo American and its ‘Zimele’ — or Independence through Enterprise — programme in South Africa. By contributing business acumen, helping to leverage finance and technical advice, Anglo American is able to contribute to the development of healthy and prosperous communities in the mining regions in which it works. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is about harnessing the core competences in a way that benefits the company and the community by creating shared value. The chapter discusses the possible approaches to CSR considering two variables: profit and public good and provides different outcomes on these two variables such as bankruptcy, borrowed virtue, bad business and bold business.
