IN TRAY
Many of the world’s 100 most reputable companies have little to show for the millions of dollars they spend on corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, according to the Reputation Institute’s CSR RepTrak 100 Study. “For companies to win in the
reputation economy, they need customers and stake-holders to trust and support them,” says institute executive partner Kasper Nielsen. “CSR is a major driver of trust and reputation ... but with 50 to 60 per cent of consumers unsure if the largest companies in the world are good corporate citizens, open and transparent, and are good places to work at, it is clear that CSR investments are being mismanaged.” Sixty per cent of 47,000 respondents
across the 15 markets in the study are not sure if companies support causes and protect the environment, while 4 per cent believe companies cannot be trusted. Companies that do make reputation
management and CSR a driving force in their business strategy realise results, says the study. For example, a five-point
Keep up to date with the latest news and views of interest to busy PAs.
Millions ‘wasted’ on CSR initiatives
increase in a CSR rating can result in a 9.1 per cent rise in the number of people who will definitely recommend a company. “Companies are mismanaging their
CSR investments – it’s that simple,” says Nielsen. “They are not applying the same rigour
to these investments as they do to their other core business priorities. They are not linking CSR to their business strategy, but instead treating it as a separate initiative and investment. “You don’t do CSR for the sake of it. You
do it as part of your reputation management strategy to drive business growth, customer loyalty and employee alignment,” says Nielsen. According to the report, Microsoft has
the best reputation for CSR in the world, being seen as delivering best on citizen- ship, workplace and governance. Also in the report’s top 10 companies
are Apple, BMW, Colgate-Palmolive, Daimler, Google, Lego, Sony, The Walt Disney Company and VW. *See the Ethical Business feature on pg. 20.
Free internet reward for loyalty
InterContinental Hotels Group is providing free internet access to all its 71 million loyalty program members worldwide. This follows an online global survey
that shows 43 per cent of adults would choose not to stay in a hotel that charges for internet use. In the survey, 23 per cent of respon-
dents said free internet in guest rooms and throughout the hotel was the most important amenity when staying in a
Now, it’s the nap room...
An American company has introduced a nap room for its workers. When owner Brooks Bell moved her
namesake web development company to a new address, she decided to build her dream office. “I wanted a bar, I wanted a brainstorming room and I wanted to have a nap room,” she says.
A cool, dark and quiet place, the Brooks
Bell nap room allows employees to use a pull-out sofa for a half-hour of shut-eye. Each worker also has a locker to stash a
change of clothes or other personal items. Employees say the afternoon recharge
helps, while Bell says a nap improves everyone’s productivity and creativity.
hotel for business, compared to 7 per cent who opted for room service. Among the countries surveyed, online
connectivity throughout the hotel holds the highest significance for the Chinese when making hotel bookings for business (47 per cent), and 70 per cent agreed they would choose not to stay in a hotel if it did not offer free internet. It was also a prime consideration for guests from Russia (26 per cent), the US (23 per cent) and India (22 per cent).
WHAT IS ON YOUR DESK? My desk top is standard issue: I have my lovely MacBook Air plus stand, a large-screen monitor (I prefer working with two screens), an Evoluent ergonomic wireless mouse, purple gel wristpad, landline phone, iPhone 5, mini-fan, the usual mesh trays and magazine holders, hand cream, vitamins, piles of paper and a glass of water. My desk is also motorised. I stand for half of my day.
WHAT’S IN YOUR TOP DRAWER? The question is: what’s not in my top drawer? It reminds me of a mini-mart/stationery store. You’ll find pens, postage stamps, business cards, chocolate, perfume, moisturiser, staples, paperclips, coins (three different currencies), measuring tape, lipstick, Berocca...
WHAT IS ON THE WALL BY YOUR DESK? I have coloured photos of my Mum, Dad, grand- parents, family, best friends and my beautiful cats, Miss Meisha and Poppet – the important things.
DO YOU USE A MAC OR PC? Mac.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SOFTWARE FOR YOUR JOB? I’d be lost without
www.worldtimebuddy.com, a program that helps you plan meetings in different time zones. I also live in my Gmail inbox and calendars.
APRIL/MAY 2013 I
WWW.EXECUTIVEPA.COM.AU 09
VIEW FROM MY DESK
Ruth Kapea is EA to the two CEOs at IT company Atlassian in Sydney.
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