G4S PLC's Position in Carroll's CSR Model: A Detailed Examination

This report examines the corporate social responsibility (CSR) standing of G4S PLC, a UK-based security company, using Archie Carroll's CSR model. The analysis compares Carroll's model, which includes economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic responsibilities, to Maslow's hierarchy of needs to simplify the dynamics of CSR activities. The report assesses G4S PLC's current position, highlighting its focus on legal responsibilities, as evidenced by its adherence to the UN Global Compact, commitment to employee welfare, and procurement of ideal working conditions. It also discusses the company's challenges, such as issues in Pakistan and past controversies, like the Orlando Pulse shooter, and its overall standing in various countries. The report concludes that while G4S PLC is progressing, it still needs to improve its ethical and philanthropic responsibilities to fully embody Carroll's CSR model and align its actions with its profit-making goals.

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The standing of G4S PLC in the corporate social responsibility model defined by Archie
Carroll
The corporate social responsibility model defined by Archie Carroll can be compared with
Maslow's need pyramid. This comparison is necessary to simplify the dynamism of CSR
activities for a given organization like G4S PLC. Maslow's need pyramid defines four stages,
gratification of the psychological needs, financial stability, social acceptance, and self-
actualization. In the similar fashion Carroll's CSR model identifies four stages of economic
responsibilities, legal responsibilities, ethical responsibilities, and philanthropic
responsibilities. Just like humans, organizations also follow an order of progression. With an
increase in the status of the organization, they jump onto the next ladder of the responsibility
automatically. The mode is given by Archie Carroll also implies that an organization should
perform its CSR related duties in accordance with the achievement of the organizational
goals. We can elaborate it further with the help of the case of G4S PLC (Carroll et.al.2015).
The standing of G4S PLC in the CSR model
G4S PLC is a UK based organization with an employee fleet of half million employees
working in various parts of the world. As an organization, we can check its operations and
status at various different levels as well (Carroll et.al, 2012). The centralized body of this
organization can be considered as an esteemed and profit making organization. Right now
this organization is standing on the stage of "legal responsibilities" in the CSR pyramid. In
order to show their CSR commitment, in the year 2013 this company has signed the "UN
Global Compact." This compact binds any organization under certain rules to take care of the
human rights of their employees, anti-corruption practices, responsible behavior as a
corporate player and implementation of the labor laws.
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When we check some of the activities of the organization in the recent past then we find that
they are concerned about the issue like the Gender pay gap, employee welfare, and
procurement of ideal working conditions which is a subject of human rights. Activities of the
organization in this direction clearly give us an idea that this organization is standing on the
second ladder of the CSR Pyramid.
We cannot promote it to the third level right now because of certain deficit areas (Carroll,
et.al,2010). For instance, in Pakistan, they are still struggling to find an independent foothold.
It means that they need to stick to the economic ladder of the pyramid as far as the Pakistan
operations are concerned. CSR pyramid is not a standalone entity it is dependent on many
other factors, its failure in maintaining the proper track record of the employees brought a bad
name for the company when an employee Omer Mateen entangled himself in a mass killing
(Creamier, 2016). It shows a legal failure for the company because federal laws are very strict
about the details of a hired employee. Unlike Pakistan, this company is standing on the
second ladder of CSR in the USA.
We can breakdown its operations and figure out it's standing in other countries as well.
However, on the note of conclusion, we would like to supply another fact associated with its
selection under the nominees of the worst organization of the world in the year 2013. It won
this nomination because of poor working conditions; however, they consolidated their
position by signing “UN global compact.”
Conclusion
The CSR Pyramid developed by Carroll clearly tells us that CSR should be an activity to
support the goals of profit; otherwise, the biggest acts of the philanthropy will end up as the
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one-time act of charity. The case G4S PLC gives us an idea that since they are making money
and thinking about the welfare of the employees, they are doing a sustainable act that has the
potential to translate into profit in the coming future.
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References
Carroll, A. B. (2015). Corporate social responsibility: The centerpiece of competing and
complementary frameworks. Organizational Dynamics, 44, 87–96. (Online) Available At:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0090261615000170?via%3Dihub,
Retrieved 01-05-2019.
Carroll, A. B., & Shabana, K. M. (2010). The business cases for corporate social
responsibility: a review of concepts, research, and practice. International Journal of
Management Reviews, 12, 85–105.
Carroll, A. B., Lipartito, K. J., Post, J. E., Werhane, P. H., & Goodpaster, K. E. (Eds.).
(2012). corporate responsibility: American Experience. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press.
Cormier, Anthony (9 September 2016). "State slaps $150,000 fine on security firm that
employed Orlando Pulse shooter Omar Mateen". The Tampa Bay Times. (online ) Available
at: http://www.tampabay.com/news/nation/state-slaps-150000-fine-on-security-firm-that-
employed-orlando-shooter/2292978, Retrieved 30-04- 2019.
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