BIZCHINA / Top Biz News

Special Olympics offer corporate social opportunity
By Selina Lo (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-04-20 11:51


"Based on my experience, there is a misunderstanding of the model we need. Instead of businesses doing something good, we have to think of engagement of entities like SO and businesses as 'good business'  which means businesses will see partnership with the government and NGOs not as a responsibility, but as an opportunity. Our hope with these games is to begin to shift that model in favour of the partnership model  not what you ought to do, but what you want to do." Says Shriver.

This is echoed by Steen Kroyer, Chairman of AstraZenica Pharmaceutical Co. "We see it more in terms of long-term investment and a sustainable continued collaboration with a movement. We are trying to find ways to develop a relationship."

To convince delegates that corporate social opportunity should be a more sustainable and, hence, a more prominent model, Shriver outlined three constituencies that provoked thought-stimulating discussion at the roundtable.

Employee engagement

Employee engagement can bring many benefits to the company. "SO has valuable opportunity for employee engagement: we've seen surveys of volunteerism, team-building, brand-building across countries show increases in morale, retention rates and productivity," Shriver explains.

Zhang Wei, COO of STAR (China) Ltd, a subsidiary of the news corporation in China, said how participation in the movement is "a tremendous spirit lifter."Their employees climbed the Great Wall with Arnold Schwartzenegger in a sponsorship programme for the SO cause - and ended up enjoying the company of the SO children and athletes.

"It's a great opportunity for any company to be part of this movement and getting your employees involved," says Zhang."It's the best way to build family feeling among your employees."

As Deputy CEO of HSBC China, Bryan Stiles faces the same problem of how to convey corporate values to a growing number of staff and customers in a growing company. Stiles believes that the movement can help bring corporate values home to employees  seeing it now as an opportunity rather than a responsibility.
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