Social Responsibility and Quality

In Paul Borowski's February 15 View from the Q blog, he discussed the connection between social responsibility and quality. Paul suggests that our long history of developing and applying quality tools can benefit the whole planet, reaching beyond the boundaries of product and service. Very true words.

I would suggest the same case can be made for environmental, safety, and security management practices. Our tools are universal. They can, and should, be applied everywhere.

The jury is still out on social responsibility. As we all know, the USA delegation voted “no” to the final draft of the (now-approved) ISO 26000 standard on social responsibility. Around the world, there is confusion between social responsibility (SR) and corporate social responsibility (CSR). The paper recently developed by ASQ and Manpower Professional does a reasonable job of clarifying many of the concepts behind social responsibility. I recommend you download it from the ASQ site. Then set aside some quiet time to read it.

The ASQ/Manpower survey and recent pronouncements from ASQ leaders, both staff as well as members, all cite the need to convince corporate leaders that SR is a good thing. It saves money and helps the planet and brings in more business.

Sure.

But we can't convince others to apply something we ourselves don't understand. Only within the last two years has the quality professional really had access to information about SR. The free public release of the draft standard a couple years ago was a great start. But even now, with the approved standard selling for $140, it is difficult to get the word out.

So of course the ASQ/Manpower survey showed a lack of knowledge. We need blogs and conference papers and training seminars and books, available at a reasonable price, for the quality community to become involved in social responsibility.

We must continually stress that SR is much more than charity and community picnics and going green. It is a culture for running an organization. Be it for-profit, non-profit, NGO, or government. It is simple, but very profound:

• Know the consequences of your decisions, and
• Take responsibility for those consequences.

Paul suggested the key question was, “How do we measure return on investment in SR to assess business value?” I would suggest the more urgent question to be, “How do we get people and organizations to understand SR, so they can develop a case for using it?”

“I’m part of the ASQ Influential Voices program. While I receive a variety of quality resources as honorarium from ASQ in exchange for my commitment, the thoughts and opinions expressed on my blog are my own.”

After the Prophet: A Book Review

After the Prophet: The Epic Story of the Shia-Sunni Split in Islam

By Lesley Hazleton

I will forever look at the feuding between Shia and Sunni in a different light. I used to think of it as conservatives vs. liberals or democrats vs. republicans. I see now that this feud has its roots in power, wealth, and politics.

Ms. Hazleton is a good storyteller. She writes narrative history from the personal perspective of the major players. Aisha, Muhammad’s “favorite” wife, was a spoiled teenager who did stupid teenager things. The old rift between Mecca and Medina cracked wide open after the Prophet’s death. Son-in-law Ali was too proud to assert himself until it was too late. It took fifty years of excess and corruption until he stepped in and got himself killed. (They did a lot of killing to “solve” disputes back then!) Ali’s son Hussein, grandson of the Prophet, walked into a trap in Karbala (now Iraq) and became a symbol of all the injustices experienced over the years.

Ms. Hazleton definitely shows the Shia as the offended ones. Many Sunni will find this offensive.

I especially enjoyed the way she equated the sacrifices of Hussein at Karbala to the Passion of Jesus on Jerusalem. The similarities are remarkable.

The book publishers stated it well: Hazleton’s vivid, gripping prose provides extraordinary insight into the origins of the world’s most volatile blend of politics and religion. Balancing past and present, she shows how these seventh-century events are as alive in Middle Eastern hearts and minds today as though they had just happened, shaping modern headlines from Iran’s Islamic Revolution to the civil war in Iraq.

This book’s a keeper.