Social conscience or social consciousness is a new word that many brands and companies are trying to figure exactly what it means for them and their brands.
Social consciousness is about being aware of the problems and injustices of society and then trying to do something about it. It is about leading with moral and ethical leadership and looking to do good. A company with a social conscience believes in human dignity while also considering the health of the planet.
What Is Social Consciousness?
Social consciousness is about being aware of problems that affect other people and then striving to do something about those problems. Businesses with a social conscience will look at social consciousness issues throughout their entire supply chain; they look at ways to help others, especially those who are poor.
Collins dictionary said it very well with their definition of social consciousness as:
Here are our top 7 reasons why having social consciousness is important for every organization, business, brand, and individual:
1 – Social Consciousness is About Morals and Ethics
Social consciousness is about morals and ethics; you cannot separate morals, ethics, and social conscience. If a company, person, or brand has a social conscience, they also have morals and ethics at the forefront of their thoughts.
This may seem like a simple thing, but morals and ethics are also missing today for many businesses and brands. Moral and ethics should be part of a company’s core values; morals and ethics start with leaders who believe and live by moral and ethical leadership.
In today’s world, morals and ethics are something that is sorely needed. Companies, corporations, and brands knowingly cheat on their taxes because they feel they can. Companies work to inflate their stock prices to get as much money as possible—corporate leaders pay themselves an exorbitant amount of money but barely give their workers a living wage.
All of these examples are all too common for many companies, organizations, or brands who have lost their social consciousness along with all their morals and ethics.
Peter Drucker, one of the most widely-known and influential thinkers on business management said:
2. Social Consciousness Brings About Social Change
Social consciousness is about helping to bring about social change; if you do not see what needs to be socially changed, change will never happen. This is why social consciousness is so important; it is one vehicle that can help bring about social change.
A great example of someone who has social consciousness is Ann Cotton. Ann Cotton is a Welsh entrepreneur and philanthropist and the founder of Camfed; she has done a lot to help increase the education of young women in rural Africa. Speaking of social change, Ann Cotton said:
3. Social Consciousness Is About Being Good
Social consciousness is about being good because you are good to the very core. Goodness goes hand-in-hand with moral and ethical leadership – you do good because you know it is the right thing to do.
One of my favorite books is Clayton Christensen’s business book on How Will You Measure Your Life? As a professor at Harvard Business School, Clayton Christensen wrote this book to challenge everyone to think about their life and what really matters in life.
Clayton Christensen, in speaking about a proposed interview with God, said this:
Clayton Christensen pointed out that social conscience is doing good because you want to do good; doing good is a part of who you are, and what matters.
4. – Social Consciousness Is Social Responsibility
People who have social consciousness feel a social responsibility. A social conscience business realizes that it can make a profit while at the same time doing something that will benefit society.
It is not about the amount of money a business gives but what they are trying to do to change the world. In other words, to help make the world a better place through social responsibility.
The American musician Carrie Underwood said:
5. – Social Consciousness is Looking At Injustices
Social consciousness is about looking at the injustices in society and then making a difference. It could be something as simple as being kind to a refugee family or hiring someone who is a refugee because you believe in helping your fellow man.
Desmond Tutu, a South African Anglican cleric and theologian known for his work as an anti-apartheid and human rights activist, pointed out that a person can not stand idly by and watch injustices. Desmond Tutu pointed out:
6. – Social Consciousness is About Human Dignity
Social conscience is about being concerned with human dignity. Human dignity is looked at throughout the entire supply chain, you ensure that everyone can earn a living wage.
A social conscience business would be concerned that a supplier will not hire children or slave labor. You would treat and pay women the same as a man. You ensure that the women who work for you were able to go on maternity leave. In other words, you treat everyone in your company, supply chain, and around you with human dignity.
As the spiritual leader, philanthropist, and businessman Aga Khan IV said:
7. – Social Consciousness Cares About The Health of the Planet
A social conscience company is concerned about the health of our planet. A social conscience company would not put profits over the environment.
Deforestation, pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, draining of wetlands, climate change, globalization, and all the other factors of modern life are beginning to change and wipe out species and damage ecosystems at a rate that the world has never seen before.
I have spent my life in Asia; many of the places where I have lived are extremely polluted. There can be days when you do not see the sun because there is such a cloud of pollution. Pollution like this can damage your health and damage the entire ecosystem.
I have seen firsthand how deforestation on a mountainside can cause massive mudslides and devastation to the farmers in the land below. We often do not think that small decisions like cutting down a tree could have a huge long-term impact.
I appreciate restaurants that will not use plastic but instead will use recyclable containers. It may seem like a tiny thing to use recyclable containers, but it can greatly impact the environment if everyone did.
Companies and brands with a social conscience look at the health of the planet’; they are responsible stewards to take care of the environment.
As the South Korean leaders Ban Ki-moon said:
Social conscience is about trying to make a difference in the world we live in. It is about a company or brand realizing that it can make a profit while at the same time working to do good.
At Mondoro, we believe having a social conscience is an essential part of any business; having a social conscience is part of our core values. We believe you can do business while still doing good.
If you are interested in finding out more about how Mondoro can help you create, develop, and manufacture great home decor and home furniture products – with a social conscience, please contact me, Anita. at my email by clicking here or become a part of our community and join our newsletter by clicking here.
What Is Having a Social Conscience?
Having a social conscience is about being concerned about the problems or injustices of society or simply just caring about those who are less fortunate. There are many in the world who suffer under extreme poverty by living on less than 1.9 USD per day.
This is why it is important that we all seek to find ways to have a social conscience and help those who are less fortunate. The one gender who suffers the most in the world is women and girls. This is why at Mondoro we seek to find ways to work with small women-based enterprises for our manufacturing needs.
You can discover more by reading Having a Social Conscience, What Everyone Should Know by clicking here.
How Does Poverty Affect Children’s Education?
Children who are struggling with poverty usually have a harder time with education. This lack of education can lead to lifelong struggles and poverty, so education for children is essential.
There are many ways that education can help a child, such as with their nutritional needs, health, disease control, gender equality, and helping the children eventually break out of the poverty cycle.
You can learn more by reading How Does Poverty Affect Children’s Education? Helping Students in Vietnam by clicking here.