M078LON: Corporate Social Responsibility Audit of SPH Strategies

This report presents a comprehensive Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) audit of Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), a leading media enterprise. It analyzes SPH's CSR activities within the context of various frameworks and theories, including Stakeholder Theory, Carroll's Pyramid, and the CSR Three-Domain Model. The report delves into SPH's existing CSR strategies, evaluating them against these theoretical models to identify strengths and areas for improvement. It also references SPH's FY2020 CSR initiatives and goals. The audit examines the company's key CSR characteristics, such as voluntary actions, stakeholder management, and philanthropy. Furthermore, the report provides specific recommendations to enhance SPH's CSR approach, ensuring alignment with regulatory requirements and global standards. The report aims to provide a critical analysis of SPH's CSR performance and suggests actionable steps for future development.

Running Head: M078LON 0
MAINTAINING CORPORATE
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

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Contents
Summary....................................................................................................................................2
Overview....................................................................................................................................2
Key CSR Characteristics............................................................................................................3
Stakeholder Theory....................................................................................................................5
Carroll’s Pyramid.......................................................................................................................6
CSR Three-Domain Model........................................................................................................7
CSR Strategies...........................................................................................................................8
Recommendations....................................................................................................................10
Conclusion................................................................................................................................11
References................................................................................................................................12

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Summary
This report outlines auditing of Singapore Press Holding Ltd (SPH) CSR activities so as to
provide necessary recommendations for the improvement of its corporate social responsibility
in association with various contextual frameworks and theories like Stakeholder theory,
Carroll’s Pyramid and CSR three domain model. To understand these models more explicitly,
these theories are applied to the SPH so as to identify their respective CSR strategies in a
more holistic way.
In relation with FY2020 targets, Singapore Press Holding plans to arrange nearly100
programmes below their five corporate social responsibility pillars i.e. Community and
charity, Nature and conservation, Arts, Learning and sports and culture.
Overview
Singapore Press Holding (SPH) Ltd is Asia leading media enterprise incorporated in 1984.
The core business of SPH is newspaper publishing, books and magazines in both digital and
print editions. The value system of the company lies on Ex-cite i.e. Excellence, customer
focus, integrity, teamwork and embracing change. In relation with the vision, the company
goal is to become a multi-media enterprise with significance presence not only in Singapore
however, but also in the region and beyond. Currently, SPH has a strong regional presence
and has its footprints across many nations – such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. The
revenue as reported by SPH increase with 0.6 per cent to $121.3 million in relation with end
of first half (1H FY19) (sph.com.sg, 2019b).
In relation with SPH corporate social responsibilities, the company strives to be a good
corporate citizen with different programmes in art, charity, education, community, sports or
conversation grounds. Different programmes of SPHs have extended to many groups of the
community and has created big difference in the lives of many individuals.

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Key CSR Characteristics
From past few years, there are a significant transformation in Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR) practices from philanthropy to regulated practices and on to strategic CSR. The new
millennium business is progressively getting higher pressure on compliance with regulations
on environment protection, societal development and transparency to be more efficient
(Jamali and Karam, 2018). CSR is a concept that brings together various aspects of an
organisation strategy that can be used as direction for a better society. In relation to its key
characteristics, some of the significant features of the concept that be likely to be noticeable
in CSR undertakings include – Voluntary, internalizing, manifold stakeholder orientation,
synchronisation of economic and social responsibilities, values and practice and beyond
philanthropy.
In relation with voluntary characteristics of CSR, it goes beyond the corporate obligations
outlined in regulation and legislation and show organisation willingness for recognising
perspective of government and stakeholders. In relation to this characteristic, Singapore Press
Holdings can be associated with their supported and sponsored in 2005 to learner volunteer
programme introduced by the Singapore Zoo and under this agenda, learners from partaking
Core Characteristics of CSR
Voluntary
Values and Practice
Beyond Philanthropy
Management of Stakeholder
Placement of responsibilities
Managing externalities
Philanthropy
Regulated CSR
Strategic/
Instrumental CSR

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schools go through training progressions on conservation effort made by Singapore Zoo
(sphfoundation.org.sg, 2017). Furthermore, SPH has been associated with other 250 media
organisations so as to encourage sustainability and boost coverage of the climate story
(sph.com.sg, 2019).
The next core characteristic of CSR is managing externalities where it refers to different
factors that have influence in various stakeholders’ rights not directly taken care of in the
process of decision planning of a corporate enterprise (Soderstrom, Soderstrom and Stewart,
2017). In relation with this, the company is directly working to contribute in international
sustainability programme by distributing the information refer to environment via its media
business. It also comprises of public responsiveness linked to underlining the main challenges
and caring the planet article. Due to various corporate associations and business partners,
SPH has to confront with many externalities. Multiple stakeholder orientation is the next CSR
characteristics identifying stakeholders’ orientations relying on three key attributes i.e.
urgency, control and legality (Arif, 2017). In relation with SPH CSR strategies, the company
required to focus on different stakeholders’ perspectives while committing to offer a secure
and healthy environment while retaining greatest standards of business ethics and integrity.
There are several stakeholders in SPH whose interest is connected with organisational
strategies and activities concerning to CSR.
Synchronisation of social and economic responsibility is another key characteristic of CSR
activities related to balancing of various stakeholder benefits (Matten and Moon, 2020) and
with analysing sustainability report of SPH, the company GRI standard have a specific
disclosure with name GRI 419: Socioeconomic Compliance 2016 signifying sustainability
aspects and regulatory compliance (sph.com.sg, 2019a). In relation with values and practices,
CSR also represents about a definite set of business strategies and actions that confront with
social concerns, however, for various individuals, it is also something more than that –
specifically a viewpoint or combination of values that reinforce such practices. SPH as a part
of their sustainability initiatives, elevate responsiveness in environmental challenges in the
Muslim community. The last core characteristics of CSR is beyond philanthropy signifying
corporate discretionary responsibility or voluntarism towards the general public. Taking
consideration of SPH, the company is honoured to receive the Corporate Platinum Award by
the Community Chest last year (sph.com.sg, 2019).

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Stakeholder Theory
Source:
(Freeman and Dmytriyev, 2017)
The stakeholder theory was developed by Edward Freeman theorises that the core of business
primarily associate to developing connections and building value for all its stakeholders.
Stakeholder theory and CSR often looks at similar issues in management however, from
different perspectives (Carroll, 2016). The individuals and groups can effectively be
identified with this theory who will be impacted by the actions taken by SPH. In relation to
stakeholder theory, building value for different stakeholders includes customers, employers,
financiers, communities and suppliers offsets a pull to use CSR for hiding misconduct with
some other stakeholders. Apparently, these are false contradictions and helping communities
can make shareholders better off in several ways; equally, fulfilling needs of employees and
suppliers is also beneficial for consumers (Freeman and Dmytriyev, 2017). As per the
company sustainability report, SPH believes that development of employees will
automatically lead to superior customer service and in relation to this positive influence, 333
programmes executed to promote personnel abilities (sph.com.sg, 2019).

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Carroll’s Pyramid
According to Spence (2016), Carroll CSR Pyramid is a simple framework helps in defining
how and why businesses should fulfil their social responsibilities and it is also based on the
foundation of belief – profit must come first. This pyramid is also built upon four
responsibilities as drawn below –
In relation to economic responsibility, business needs to be profitable as it is necessary for the
survival of the business and benefiting society in the long term. If seeking profitable in this
complex and dynamic business environment, businesses need to invest more in technological
and research capabilities to gain innovative ideas outcompeting the rivals. Singapore Press
Holdings (SPH) is doing well in this arena such as taking the recent example of 2019, the
company is setting up its first overseas technology office in Chongqing to extend its
technology capabilities and become a more digital focused enterprise (Liang, 2019).
Considering legal responsibilities, SPH requires to obey significant laws and regulations in
relation with employment, competition and health and safety to remain in operations. As per
the company annual report, the company is seamlessly undertakings its legal responsibilities
and in FY 2019, there is not major fines and non-monetary consents for nonfulfillment with
regulations and laws (sph.com.sg, 2019).
In relation with ethical responsibilities, it concerns with the act of morality and ethical
behaviour which requires business to go beyond narrow requirement of the law such as
Philanthropic
Ethical
Legal
Economic

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treatment of employees and suppliers. SPH found to follow ethical media and journalism
policy where they are dedicated to the greatest standards of corporate integrity and ethics in
dealing with various suppliers and stakeholders (Duffy, Ling and Tandoc, 2018). The top
displayed responsibility in Pyramid reflects philanthropic commitments of the organisation
which is not bounded, however, important to gain competitive edge. SPH has introduced
various campaigns for charity and community to help children with special needs like with
celebration of SPH 35th anniversary, there was donation around $426,000 to community chest
(Cai, 2019).
CSR Three-Domain Model
Source: (Schwartz and Robinson, 2018)
According to this model, it is to be likely that the most of the business actions and practices
will be economic in environment. The business practices and actions will fall external of the
economic domain when they are not planned to capitalize on revenue or diminishing of loss
and they are involved in without any actual contemplation of the likely economic concerns to
the organisation. In relation with legal domain, it can include the activities related to the SPH
compliance, evasion of civil actions and projections of the law. Ginney Lim heads the legal
division and international corporate communication in the SPH Group steering various
committees. She knows the necessary legal motives as well as their possible responses. On
the side of ethical sphere, it states about ethical accountabilities of business as predicted by

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the related stakeholders and broad population. On this domain, activities would likely to fall
external when they are unprincipled in environment, however, SPH builds ethical and
transparent business with upholding high ethical values and advocate viable governance
actions. There are several overlapping domains too dispersed into purely legal, purely
economic, purely ethical and so forth. This three domain model based on several key
assumptions likes the three domains of CSR are fairly dissimilar, and that they are scenic.
There are several CSR categories in this model that SPH required to be encompassed in the
theoretical context, even still many of them will be not be important from a practical
application perspective.
CSR Strategies
Corporate social responsibility strategies of SPH are aligned with the regulatory requirement
in association with Singapore Exchange as well as to Global Reporting Initiative Standards.
SPH plays an important part in encouraging sustainability challenges and objectives while
engaging its audience to result change through its numerous media zones. The company
embraced upon an organisation culture stimulating its employees to introduce more green
initiatives and practices and be a part of company agendas for developing a sustainable
workplace at all. In relation with CSR strategies, stakeholder inclusiveness is also one of
company sustainability agenda, where SPH engages with all its stakeholders on a continuous
base to comprehend their interests and expectations together with their information wants.
Taking example of customer as the stakeholder, they expect from company to get quality
products, reliability of media content, enjoyable shopping experience and so forth. In
response to this, SPH ensures reliable media content, consistent carriage if newspaper
services and superior level of consumer services (sph.com.sg, 2019). Furthermore, company
can also engage with customers on multi-channels and platform while organising engagement
activities so as to promote customer loyalty and satisfaction. Investors as stakeholders seek
from the company punctuality and accuracy of financial and business reports and in response
with that, SPH practice good corporate governance with timely and accurate updates of SPH
business viewpoint to investing community.
Responsible supply chain is company another significant CSR activity where SPH is
dedicated to work together with ethical, clear and ecologically and communally accountable

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suppliers under supplier code of conduct. Likewise, supplier performance management
process is practiced in four phases i.e. – pre-qualification, tender, execution and review. SPH
has also planned CSR strategies based on five sustainability pillars of the company i.e.
Charity and community, Conservation and nature, Arts, Learning and Sports and culture.
Source: (sph.com.sg, 2019)
In relation with charity and community, SPH has introduced a campaigned named as “Double
the Love” and with the help of this programme, the company has donated $426,000 to the
community chest to assist children’s with special needs helpless seniors and deprived
families. With the help of this strategy, SPH employees were inspired to add to their agreed
events and charities while also offering a platform for charity clusters to save support and
awareness. In context with arts and culture, SPH showcases its strategy to develop a platform

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for Singaporean talents likewise bringing 13 free concerts of dissimilar genres to the
community in the parks, super stores and heartlands (sph.com.sg, 2019). This social
obligation helps the company to develop a positive image in the eye of Singapore regulatory
bodies and legislation. The next strategy of SPH is associated with company nature and
conservation pillar where they encourage the habit of recycling among employees and raise
awareness among new generation of eco warriors through education. Taking an example, The
SPH Green Fund was developed in 2016 to assist feasible green plans. SPH also has formed a
green task force in terms of voluntary group team up of employees from different dissections
of the company. In relation with education as the sustainability pillar, the company plans
strategies to encourage media literacy and analytical skills via different sessions. SPH
introduces various programmes to progress the strategies such as SOTA (School of the Arts)
and Chinese Language Journalism Fund with expectation to cultivate the talent and passion in
young individuals. It is vital for serving SDSC to develop a mere of ready athletes in terms of
different age groups with offering a stand for local para players to attain confidence and
dynamic familiarity.
Recommendations
SPH is achieving great in terms of sustainability and CSR areas, however, there are several
significant recommendations to the company such as alignment of CSR practices with the
overall corporate goals and vision as it will strengthen the business economic dimension that
further help the organisation in its expansion and undertaking of necessary CSR activities.
The five pillars of company CSR strategies include different areas of development including
education, sports, art, culture, however, not much focus towards health sector and therefore,
SPH can embrace over development of healthcare facilities and centres and supporting
different forms of NGO, as a part of corporate social responsibility. The CSR activities can
also be achieved holistically when it received full support from the employees (Edinger-
Schons et al, 2019) and this further requires necessary training and efforts by SPH on their
development together with improvement of work culture. To facilitate its brand goodwill
more positively in the public, SPH can encourage women empowerment so as to promote
quality in society. All these plans will help SPH to implement its CSR plans more effectively
and efficiently within its market reach.

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