Corporate Social Investment and Corporate Social Responsibility: Are They Mutually Exclusive?

CSI and CSR: no we’re not talking about an action-driven and investigation TV series, we’re talking about Corporate Social Investment and Corporate Social Responsibility, who’ve been growing strong association over the years.

There’s an important distinction to be identified between Corporate Social Investment and Corporate Social Responsibility. But before comparing them to one another, we must admit to the need of having both since businesses are not only responsible for their own profit but also for the communities in which they operate.

An In-depth Look at Corporate Social Investment

It represents direct monetary investments that a company makes to improve the districts they operate in. This can be as straightforward as donating to a local charity or being a main sponsor of a local event. This type of investment can take different forms: building a school, a clinic, even uplifting and renovating a zoo. There are many other examples: Investing in a reading program or cleaning the local rivers or reforestation projects. And what might begin as a small step in the community can develop into a worldwide project with social, environmental, and financial impact in no time.

But What About CSR?

Corporate Social Responsibility gets beyond the business’ spend and closer to the true spirit of the initiative. It includes the motivation to see that the communities are left better off by the business.

CSR would be the motivation to leave the world a better place, not only enriching executives and shareholders.

Arguably CSI falls within CSR: while Corporate Social Investment fulfils a company’s obligations to be compliant to laws and legislation, Corporate Social Responsibility is a display of a company’s values.

Corporate Social Investment for the Support of the Other?

Choosing the right CSR programme requires a prior study into how much money a business can invest towards it. And when we say that both CSR and CSI are mutually exclusive, it means that they complete each other by taking an investment towards a cause into the next level.

Besides the study and risk assessment, it takes to decide whether a project is worth investing in or not, it takes a professional and well-equipped eye for the global market to make such a decision. After all, one of the biggest benefits of social investment is sustainability, corporations are looking beyond the nearby impact and more towards global development.

When you invest in the society, it will help your organisation to grow in a long run because you are investing in their well-being, their education, etc…

This means that for any corporate investment to be successful, the involved stakeholders should grasp all the aspects related to the investment: from its internal influence to its external implications; and this can’t be done without properly being ready to manage the different facets of today’s international finance.

MSc International Finance at EMLV Business School

Without a global understanding of international financial principles and complex financial instruments, managers, marketers, investors, or any business stakeholders are bound to fail.

Luckily, the new MSc programme welcomes students from all backgrounds and covers practical and theoretical aspects of international finance that will allow graduates to fully be in control of financial and investment decisions related to their business investment.

This new programme is a clear sign of academic growth Paris la Défense has been witnessing as it becomes the ultimate hub for international business.

Whether it be a corporate investment or a social investment, they’ll be ready to assess, analyze, decide, and follow through and be in full control of their finances no matter where they choose to invest in the world.

Students will master courses in Corporate Investments, Corporate Finance, International Financing Accounting, and Financial Reporting, along with a good dose of Financial Engineering and Business Plan to get the full 360-degree vision of the financial market worldwide.

The programme is run by Yves Alain Ach who earned a degree from HEC and a PhD in Management Sciences that enable him to use his academic excellence and high-level expertise in Finance for the service of the international students enrolled. 

Learn more about the new MSc International Finance at EMLV business school in Paris.