A Model of Personal Responsibility

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A Model of Personal Responsibility?
Matt Evans
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Or Unmitigated Social and Environmental Disaster?
Matt Evans
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Constructing a Social Impact Indicator

• To answer this question, well need an indicator
  of my social impact
• It is very difficult to quantify my personal
  social impact in each year since I was born
• Creation of a holistic social impact indicator
  necessary
• Indicator will be on a 4 point scale

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The Search for a Social Impact Indicator

• Possibilities
• The Wal-Mart
• Good behavior includes supply-chain greening,
  store energy conservation
• Problems

• Sued by states for paying wages so low, states
  must cover health care
• Closes stores that unionize in quasi-legal move
  that depresses wages so Sam Waltons
  granddaughter has more to pay people to write
  her papers for her at USC

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Social Impact A Comprehensive Look

• Possibilities
• The McElhaney
• Pushes forward CSR nationwide, Cajoles companies
  to behave, Cares about students and teaching
• Problems
• Rumored to have encouraged MBA drinking at a
  Night out with Kellie and Priya event sold for
  charity at C4C
• Rumored to have compensated TA Colleen Kearns
  solely with Center for Responsible Business pens
  and access to her rolodex for future job searches

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Social Impact A Comprehensive Look

• Possibilities
• The Marty McFly
• Protagonist who always sticks up for the little
  guy
• Modified DeLorean burns alternative fuel (Banana
  Peels)
• Now fights for a cure for Parkinsons, one of
  Times 100 most influential people, morally
  unassailable (as Rush Limbaugh learned)
• Problems
• Spin City

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Matt Evans McFly Social Impact
IndicatorProfessional Analysis

• Professional Social Responsibility
• Focus on International Development
• Focus on Improving Nonprofit Sector
• Serve on Nonprofit Board
• - Haasweek glorifies alcoholism

Rating 4/4 McFlys Very responsible
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Matt Evans McFly Social Impact
IndicatorPersonal Analysis

• Personal Social Responsibility
• No Major Convictions, only a speeding ticket
• - OK, 8 speeding tickets
• Give to charity
• Only major stealing Jolly Ranchers in 1988,
  free skiing as a ski bum
• Generally try not to be a jerk

Rating 3/4 McFlys Responsible
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Environmental Impact A Comprehensive Look

• McFly Outlook is good
• Use CarbonFund.org to offset carbon emissions
• Give to environmental charities
• Sierra Club branded credit card
• Lots of photo evidence of me enjoying the
  outdoors

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But, More Comprehensive Measures Exist

• A real environmental indicator reveals I am an
  ecological disaster
• www.myfootprint.org (Redefining Progress)
• My personal consumption requires 15 acres of land
  (each year)
• If everyone lived like I do, we would need 3.4
  earths

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What Will Make Me Change?

• If I am constantly congratulated for being
  socially responsible, and my environmental sins
  arent called out, Im likely to become
  complacent
• I can be socially responsible in some ways and
  reap the benefits, but be irresponsible in others
  and the halo causes the irresponsibility to be
  ignored

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My editorial How Does This Relate to Corporate
Social Responsibility?

• CSR is commendable and crucial, all companies
  should have a program
• But, if companies are constantly congratulated
  for responsibility in some areas, but have other
  notable sins that arent called out, they likely
  to become complacent
• Strong and vocal watchdog groups, an
  investigative media, and a government with the
  power to protect its people are also crucial

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The Final Equation

US Dept. of Labor