dc.description.abstract | This thesis explores growing demands on commercial enterprises to conduct business in a
socially responsible manner, and how enterprises might best respond to this pressure by focusing
on their own workforce. More particularly, it examines principles behind making
workplace-focused social responsibility an integral aspect of every business organization’s
mission, purpose, and operations. It advocates for fostering personal development and prosocial
behavior among the workforce to lay a cornerstone for these obligations, while concurrently
enhancing employee development and engagement. Sources of contemporary demands to be
socially responsible are examined including deep roots in ethics and morality, constructs for
socially responsible business practices found in law, policy, and business norms, and current
research in human biology and organizations. Implementation of workplace-focused socially
responsible measures is also considered. Traditional approaches are outlined, and innovative
programs focused on workforce well-being are surveyed. A secular, science-backed program to
cultivate compassion, mindfulness, and resilience in the workforce is analyzed in detail. Lessons
from organizations that have adopted similar approaches to workforce culture and well-being are
shared. Laying a cornerstone for organizational social responsibility in the workplace is smart
and effective business practice, best accomplished by actively fostering personal development
and prosocial behavior among the workforce. Such an approach can improve profits, enhance
motivation, commitment, and engagement among jobholders, and promote significant societal
benefits inside and outside the organization. | en_US |