Image courtesy:http://cas.umkc.edu/socialwork
A recent article in
Business Line stated that if the Companies Bill is to be passed in
the winter session of Parliament, nearly 8500 Companies in India will
come under the compulsory CSR spend category. This translates into
roughly 60,000 jobs for CSR Professionals. It is also anticipated
that this will be a bonanza for Social Work professionals and
professionals from the NGO sector.
The article also
speculated that Companies in their eagerness to comply with the many
CSR related provisions, may poach jobs from leading NGOs. While
rejoicing at the prospect of new opportunities for many of my Social
Work colleagues, I also wonder what challenges that this opportunity
may throw up. The first thing that comes to my mind is the perceived
clash of cultures and the transition that the Professional Social
Workers have to make to the so called Corporate Culture.
Till recently and even
now in some Companies, CSR functions are handled by Corporate
Communications team. Therefore these “CSR professionals”
mostly have a Communications, Marketing, PR background - and not Social Work background. Recently, some MNCs started recruiting “Specialists” or
“Subject Matter Experts” - in the field of education, environment
and community development. Indian companies too followed suit and
this created a trend and a wave of migration already started from
many large NGOs to the Corporate Sector. Going by the Business Line
report, this “migration” will increase or even be forced when
Corporates and Head Hunting firms spread their nets to NGO
/non-profit sector.
Interestingly, during
the late '90s, few young professionals from corporate world made a
dramatic shift to the NGO sector. It was indeed dramatic because:
those days you either worked with a NGO or with a Corporate. Nobody
will even think of crossing each other's domains. It was also logical
as you could very well argue: Corporates Make Profits and
Non-profits -do not make any..(silly)– so it's a no brainer
actually – the twain shall never meet ..scenario. Many hailed this
move from the Corproate to the Non-Profit sector, rightly so. However
some went overboard and also said that with this shift, NGOs will
function “more professional” and actually prescribed this as a
panacea to all ailing NGOs!
So, when professionals
from Corporate world made a successful transition into the NGO sector
– why can't the Social Work Professionals do the same? Will eye
brows be raised when a qualified Social Worker walks in with
confidence in the hallow corridors of Corporate power? I think, the
answer lies in the initial perception of Corporates being more
professional and NGOs as not being professional and lacking in
management systems etc.
I am sure the debates
will continue on this perceived shift /transition and resultant clash
of cultures.
Eventually, clarity
will emerge. The nay sayers or those who decried NGOs for their lack
of professionalism and systems, will have nowhere to hide when you
point out to them that the Companies Act itself came about because of
some rather shocking or shall we say “unprofessional behaviour”
of some highly acclaimed Corporates.
The irony is now NGOs
pilloried for not having any Governance are going to contribute in a
large scale to the growth and development of Governance and
Professionalism in Corporates!
