Freeland's Washington Post Op-Ed Is Wrong: CSR Does Maximize Corporate Profitability

"The cult of corporate social responsibility" is one of the culprits in the BP oil spill, claims Chrsytia Freeland, global editor at large for Thomson Reuters, in her opinion piece in yesterday's Washington Post. How is that? Because, claims Freeland, "The problem with CSR is that it muddies the waters. Goldman's purpose isn't to educate women; BP's isn't to lead the green revolution. The job of business is to make money."

That's where Freeland gets it wrong. CSR isn't about puppy dogs and ice cream. CSR is about conducting business with integrity and attention to the community in a way that benefits shareholders.

I vigorously disagree with Freeland on a number of issues:

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Korngold Consulting LLC assists corporations in building fully integrated, high-impact CSR strategies, including leadership development through nonprofit board service.  Korngold Consulting trains and places business executives on nonprofit boards, and consults to nonprofit boards and leaders to strengthen governance for financial and strategic success.

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