Víctor Gúedez is a researcher, teacher, consultant, and lecturer on topics related to management ethics, corporate social responsibility, change, and cultural management. He is the author of more than 20 books related to his areas of expertise and has worked as an educator and consultant in various countries throughout Latin America.
His main books include: “Gerencia Social para Aprender a Vivir Juntos” (Alianza Social Venacham), “Liderar, emprender y gerenciar la crisis” (Abediciones), “Ética y práctica de la responsabilidad social empresarial” (Planeta), and “Ser confiable: responsabilidad social y reputación empresarial” (Planeta), among others.
He has also co-authored and compiled several publications from Alianza Social Empresarial en las Américas, including: “Responsabilidad social empresarial: visiones complementarias” and “Responsabilidad social empresarial en perspectiva: ideas para su diseño, implantación, desarrollo y evaluación”.
During this interview, Víctor Guédez, an expert on corporate social responsibility (CSR), described the fundamental concepts of CSR, including its main dimensions and the importance of shared responsibility among public and private organizations and NGOs. He also discussed the close link between CSR and business ethics.
1. How would you define corporate social responsibility?
“Corporate social responsibility refers to a company’s perspective on its social, environmental, and governance behavior and commitments, beyond formal legal requirements.”
He described four levels for understanding corporate social responsibility: the “why” (reasons and motives), the “what for” (purposes), the “why of the why” (foundation), and the “what for of the what for” (purpose). In response to the question of why companies should have social responsibility programs, Víctor Guédez explained that this arises from a perspective of shared responsibility and reciprocity, where companies must give back to society what it has provided them in order to function.
2. What is the difference between a company’s reputation and its positioning?
He clarified that reputation determines positioning, not the other way around. He described four levels of corporate social responsibility: the why: ethical foundation; the what for: sustainability and social cohesion; the purpose: image, reputation, and positioning; and the response: assuming reciprocity in the face of social conditions.
3. What does the concept of Sustainable Corporate Social Responsibility refer to?
Victor Guédez explained that corporate social responsibility must address three main dimensions: economic development, social equity, and environmental preservation, considering sustainability as the intersectoral harmony between these aspects. He mentioned that the purpose of corporate social responsibility is to give back to society, maintain reputation, and act ethically, in order to contribute to sustainability, quality of life, and social cohesion. He pointed out that companies that do not act in favor of social responsibility end up being punished by society and must spend on contingency plans, remaining on the sidelines of modern competitive dynamics.
He emphasized the importance of corporate social responsibility as a matter of shared responsibility among public and private organizations and NGOs, stressing that all must focus their efforts on sustainability. He specified that social responsibility programs must involve employees through volunteer work and must cover everything from inputs to consumption, evaluated through environmental, social, and governance criteria.
4. What is the link between CSR and ethics?
Business ethics establishes what is right or wrong in the context of business. It is the internal philosophy and set of values that define the company’s decisions.
It has an internal scope because it focuses on the integrity of decisions and organizational culture. It defines the moral duty of the company beyond the law.
Ethics consists of a number of key values: transparency in management based on the necessary accountability, honesty in actions, telling the truth, being sincere in communications, justice as an ethical value that seeks to guarantee respect for both individual and collective rights, respect, and fairness.
The views expressed by Víctor Gúedez are of his personal ownership and responsibility, and do not necessarily reflect the position of PDVSA Ad Hoc.
