Por que as empresas investem em responsabilidade social?

Abstract

A partir dos anos 90, as empresas no Brasil aumentaram os investimentos em projetos sociais, passaram a defender padrões mais éticos de relação com seus públicos de interesse (fornecedores, funcionários, clientes, governo e acionistas) e praticas ambientais sustentáveis. Sob o rotulo de “responsabilidade social”, foi incluído um conjunto de normas e praticas que se tomou condição para garantir lucratividade e sustentabilidade aos negócios. A hipótese que norteou essa pesquisa e de que tais mudanças não decorrem de condicionamentos infligidos pelo consumidor ou pelo mercado, mas da interpretação que os gestores fazem do cenário e do que entendem ser a melhor conduta para empresa. Por isso, a pesquisa procurou descrever o processo social e histórico que levou a construção de tal associação, os principais atores que a tomaram hegemônica, o perfil dos gestores e os fatores estruturais que facilitaram a difusão das normas de responsabilidade social no ambiente corporativo. Procurou-se identificar os atores que fizeram com que normas presentes no ambiente institucional penetrassem as empresas e influíssem na estrutura organizacional e na maneira como se relacionam com seus públicos de interesse. Para tanto, tomou-se como marco teórico o Novo Institucionalismo na Sociologia e Economia. A pesquisa empírica dividiu-se em três blocos. Inicialmente, foi feita analise dos documentos das principais Organizações Não Governamentais (ONGs) que atuam na área de responsabilidade social, a fim de conhecer as contribuições que trouxeram e as ações de mobilização que empreenderam. Depois, foram realizadas entrevistas abertas com os gestores das áreas de responsabilidade social de empresas do comercio e setor bancário e aplicado questionário a uma amostra selecionada a partir do ranking da Revista Exame (2005). Constatou-se a partir da historia profissional e de participação política dos gestores que eles são tendentes a se identificar com o conteúdo de responsabilidades social, ou seja, são comprometidos com a causa. Na analise dos questionários, observou-se que empresas aumentam investimentos em valores brutos na área social quanto mais crescem receita liquida, resultado operacional, numero de empregados e participação em ONGs, e quanto menor a exposição ao consumidor. Também as empresas tendem a publicar balanço social quanto mais participam de ONG. Não se constatou relações de formalização de áreas de RSE com as variáveis antes citadas, com exceção de numero de empregados. No entanto, verificou-se, nas entrevistas abertas, que são áreas ainda muito recentes, que ainda estão sendo estruturadas. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT

Since the 90’s, companies in Brazil increased investments in social projects, started to defend more ethic models related to its specific public (suppliers, employees, customers, government and shareholders) and maintainable environmental practices. Under the label of "social responsibility", it was included a group of norms and practices that gave conditions to guarantee profitability and sustainability to its businesses. The hypothesis that orientated this research is that such changes didn't elapse of conditionings inflicted by the consumer or for the market, but by the interpretation that the managers do of the scenery and from what they understand to be the best conduct for the company. Therefore, the research tried to describe the social and historical process that took the construction of such association, the main actors that turned it hegemonic, the managers' profile and the structural factors that facilitated the diffusion of the norms of social responsibility in the corporate atmosphere. It tried to identify the actors that made the present norms in the institutional atmosphere penetrated the companies and influenced on the organizational structure and in the way as they link with its publics of interest. So, it was taken as theoretical mark The New Institutionalism in the Sociology and Economy. The empiric research became divided in three blocks. Initially, it was made analysis of the documents of the main Non Governmental Organizations (ONG’s) that act in the area of social responsibility, in order to know the contributions that were brought and the mobilization actions that were undertook. Then, were accomplished open interviews with the managers of the areas of social responsibility of commerce companies and bank section and applied questionnaire to a selected sample starting from the ranking of Exame Magazine (2005). It was verified starting from the professional history and of the managers' political participation that they tend to identify with the social content of responsibilities, in other words, they are committed with the cause. In the analysis of the questionnaires, it was observed that companies increase investments in gross values in the social area the more it increases the liquid income, operational result, number of employees, participation in ONG’s and as smaller the exhibition to the consumer. Also the companies tend to publish social balances the more they participate in ONG. It was not verified relationships of formalization to RSE’s areas before with the variables mentioned it, except for the number of employees. However, it was verified, in the open interviews, that are areas very recent yet, and that they are still being structured. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ RÉSUMÉ

À partir des annees 90, les societes au Bresil ont augmente les investissements dans des projets sociaux et ont commence a defendre des normes plus morales de relation avec leurs publics d'interet (fournisseurs, employes, clients, gouvernement et actionnaires) et des pratiques environnementales durables. Sous l'etiquette de la "responsabilite sociale", un ensemble de normes et de pratiques qui sont devenues une condition de garantir rentabilite et developpement durable aux affaires a ete inclus. L'hypothese qui a guide cette recherche est que tels changements ne se sont pas ecoules de conditionnements infliges par le consommateur ou par le marche, mais de l'interpretation que les directeurs font du scenario et de ce qu'ils considerent comme etant la meilleure conduite pour societe. Ainsi, la recherche a cherche a decrire l’evolution sociale et historique qui a conduit a la construction de telle association, les principaux acteurs qui l'ont rendue hegemonique, le profil des directeurs et les facteurs structurels qui ont facilite la diffusion des normes de responsabilite sociale dans l'environnement corporatif. On a donc cherche a identifier les acteurs qui ont fait que des normes presentes dans le milieu institutionnel ont penetre les societes et eu une influence sur la structure organisationnelle et sur le type de rapports qu’ils ont avec leurs publics d'interet. Ainsi, la Nouvelle Institutionalisaton (Novo Institucionalismo) dans la Sociologie et l'Economie a ete pris comme reference theorique. La recherche empirique a ete divisee en trois blocs. Initialement, une analyse des documents des principales Organisations Non gouvernementales (ONGs) qui sont intervenues dans le secteur de la responsabilite sociale a ete faite, afin de connaitre les contributions qu'ils ont apporte et les actions de mobilisation qu’ils ont entrepris. Ensuite, des entrevues ouvertes avec les directeurs des secteurs de responsabilite sociale de societes du commerce et secteur bancaire ont ete realisees et un questionnaire a un echantillon selectionne a partir du classement de la ≪ Revue Examen (2004)≫ a ete applique. On a constate a partir de l'histoire professionnelle et de la participation politique des directeurs qu’ils ont tendance a s'identifier avec le contenu de responsabilite sociale, c'est-a-dire, ils se sont engages pour la cause. Dans l'analyse des questionnaires, on a observe que des societes augmentent des investissements en valeurs brutes dans le secteur social avec une augmentation de la recette liquide, du resultat operationnel, du nombre d'employes, de la participation aux ONGs d’une part et une diminution de l’exposition au consommateur de l’autre. Les societes tendent aussi a publier un bilan social en participant d’avantage aux ONG. A l’exception du nombre d'employes, des relations de formalisation de secteurs de RSE avec les variables citees ci-dessus n’ont pas ete remarquees. Neanmoins, on a verifie, dans les entrevues ouvertes, que se sont des secteurs encore tres recents, qui sont en train d’etre structures.