A different view on shared values

In my over ten years as a social worker I understood shared values as a buy-in to the objectives of a program. Where the stakeholders believed in what they were doing, shared in the cause and committed to pursue the end of their plans.

In the corporate version, shared values has taken in a new dimension in the practice of Corporate Social Responsibility recognising the “enlightened altruism” as a mutually beneficial business strategy as it benefits both the community and the enterprise.

We notice this in the form of marketing approaches we now experience. In market penetration, business taps local peddlers to do the selling, dressing them up a bit to carry their products or to altogether carry their brands . The effect of providing livelihood to local folks reaps in profit and patronage in inner communities not normally reached by regular salesmen.

Mixing business with outreach programs and community service has provided a new angle to CSR and to shared values. With mutual gain, both business and the community strive to bring in economic returns that are more sustainable as business partners with local talents.

The value of the business is better appreciated by both stakeholders as they partner with each other to reach more uncharted areas and gather information on how the prospective markets behave in order to plan for what products best suit the requirements of a new community.

Employing local communities through cooperative stores or individual selling champions is a good way to make one’s products known and tried. It is also a method to keep people loyal to the goods there is a social angle to it. A locally promoted product that provides a living to people one knows has a particular close-to-home ring that makes others who want to be part of the community building; and want to share through patronage.

There is nothing wrong with this business approach. As one pursues trade he also gives others a source to afford what is sold.

This is the true cycle of business. If people cannot afford what is being placed in the market, there is no value to production at all.