Research
Business in the Community is an evidence-driven organisation.
Throughout our history, Business in the Community has conducted research across a range of corporate responsibility issues, with a particular focus on both the challenges for and the impact on business and the community and environment in which we operate.
Our most recent studies include:
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The aim of this report is to articulate succinctly the business case for being a responsible business – a headline synthesis of the arguments being used and the most frequently stated business benefits.
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We consulted our membership on what they see as the opportunities and barriers to increasing engagement in local communities; and businesses’ response to the Government’s ‘Big Society’ vision.
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Companies which consistently manage & measure their corporate responsibility outperform their FTSE 350 peers on total shareholder return (TSR) in seven out of the last eight years. Further, the TSR of these companies recovered more quickly in 2009 compared with that of their FTSE350 and FTSE All-Share peers.
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Two thirds (67%) of business leaders believe that a more responsible economy is likely to emerge from the recession, and nearly all (97%), believe that individual business leaders must be seen to act to restore confidence which has been lost due to the financial crisis, according to a poll by Business in the Community (BITC). Responsible Leadership Research Feb 2010 (298 kb) ![[pdf]](http://www.bitc.org.uk/display_images/document_icons/pdf.gif)
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BITC Marketplace, in collaboration with Insight Exchange and RKCR/Y&R, are delighted to launch Influencing Consumer Behaviour – A Guide for Sustainable Marketing. The guide brings together consumer insight and marketing experience from six major UK and global companies – B&Q, Kraft Foods, EDF Energy, Marks and Spencer, Unilever and Waitrose – as well as conversations with 50 marketers, and an extensive review of existing work in this area.
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This research project, begun in 2010, is developing a methodology for companies to understand and manage the difference they make to the people, economies and places they work in. Based on one to one company research and a comprehensive literature review the tools and guidance are being refined through pilot testing.
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Nine out of 10 agree that businesses need to do more to prepare their people for the transition to a sustainable economy but only 15% think developing the skills needed is well or partly established.
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Independent analysis of participants in Business in the Community’s CR Index and their financial performance highlights the ‘Positive Return of Responsible Business’. In fact, demonstrating an outperformance of their FTSE 350 peers by between 3.3% and 7.7% each of six years.
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Based on detailed analysis of the Office of National Statistics’ Labour Force Surveys between 2000 and 2007, this is the UK’s most comprehensive investigation into the place of ethnic minority groups in the workplace and, most notably, within management.
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Business in the Community has produced a broad range of research over the past 27 years, view our archive of key research to find out more, or visit our case studies, publications, CR Index or CommunityMark pages.
