Some people believe that corporations have a responsibility to promote the well being of the societies and environments in which they operate Others believe that the only responsibilities of corporations provided they operate within the law is to make as

Aside the financial gains of a business enterprise, there are somethings that are necessary but not compulsory such as investing in the development and well been of a corporation’s operation base. However, they do well in the long run, to complement the financial gains of a corporation.
The term “Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)” is quiet common among corporations – a means of giving back to the community where they operate. One of the importance of CSR is that it helps to increase brand awareness and attract more customers. For example, MTN, a South African telecommunication company, with an operational base in Nigeria – is well known for her generous support of the education of young and promising Nigerian undergraduate students. Every year, the company selects about 200 students from Nigerian university, after a thorough and a detached rigorous selection process. The selected students are supported with a cash prize of two hundred thousand naira throughout their undergraduate studies. Through this, the brand has gained popularity; it is virtually impossible for at least someone in a household not to use the MTN network.
Also, apart from increasing the brand awareness, it is an opportunity for corporations to support youth development so as to equip Youths with skills necessary to survive in the future; reducing indulgent in social vices to the minimum. Nigerian Bottling Company, a well-recognized and popular soft drink brand is known for supporting youth development through her yearly Youth Entrepreneurship Program. The program is targeted at equipping Nigerian Youths with necessary skills require to secure a job, to perform excellently well on the job, and to start or develop a business enterprise. The program as well support youths with funding to run the enterprise birthed by teams during the three days long development program.
Further, the operations of a cooperation can obscure other industrial or vocational activities of people in their operational base. The implication of this is that, people in such society, are limited to what they can do to survive – and if care is not taken, youths in such society will be prone to all sort of social vices. News on the incessant vandalization of pipelines in South Eastern part of Nigeria is as a result of the unavailability of lands for farming and other activities due to abundant crude oil which takes up the larger part of lands in the country’s region. This will indirectly accrue to the cost of operation of a corporation. In order to curb this menace, it is not enough that those involve in such act are arrested. It is important that the root cause be addresses, else, the damage caused by this group will still remain on the increase. A kind gesture of investing in the education of the youth and empowerment of youths could go a long way, which will in turn safe the companies cost of operation by minimizing the cost spent on maintaining damaged pipeline.
In conclusion, corporations can decide to support the well-being and the development of the environment where they operate or focus on the financial gains, depending on the kind of environment of operations and the year of operations. Certainly, a new corporation will be interested in breaking even in the first few years of operation and may not consider the development of the society as a necessity.