ISM - Social Responsibility - ISM Principles of Sustainability and Social Responsibility

Home > Ethics and Social Responsibility > Principles of Sustainability and Social Responsibility

ISM Principles of Sustainability and Social Responsibility

Preamble

ISM believes the supply management profession is a strategic contributor in the development and implementation of sustainability and social responsibility programs and behavior. Supply professionals are in a unique, critical position to impact the global supply chain. Supply management professionals are encouraged to promote sustainability and social responsibility through participation on appropriate committees, boards and panels of governmental and nongovernmental organizations.

Creating principles across social, industry, public and private, profit and nonprofit, political and country boundaries is daunting. Additionally, laws, regulations, trade agreements, customs and practices pertinent to sustainability and social responsibility must be considered in the development and implementation of business strategies, policies and procedures.

These principles have been updated to reinforce the critical importance of sustainability and social responsibility in its many forms and applications. They may complement existing principles or they may be used as a starting point from which to develop a set of principles to meet the needs of the organization.

Principles:

Community. Community initiatives provide resources to support the community in which the company or organization operates.
Diversity and Inclusiveness — Supply Base. Supply base diversity and inclusiveness refers to efforts to engage different categories of suppliers in sourcing processes and decisions.
Diversity and Inclusiveness — Workforce. Workforce diversity and inclusiveness refers to efforts to attract and retain a workforce that represents the varied backgrounds of the customer and community in which the organization operates.
Environment. Supply management actions and decisions that promote protection and preservation of the health and vitality of the environment within which the organization operates.
Ethics and Business Conduct. Ethical behavior and business conduct is a critical element impacting personal, business (public and private), supplier and governmental relationships and governance.
Financial Responsibility. Financial responsibility refers to understanding and applying financial concepts to supply management decisions to address allocation of funds, accurate reporting and management of risk.
Human Rights. Human rights refer to the concept of human beings having universal natural rights, or status, regardless of legal jurisdiction or other localizing factors.
Health and Safety. Health and safety refer to the condition of being protected or free from the occurrence of risk of injury, danger, failure, error, accident, harm or loss.
Sustainability. Sustainability refers to the ability to meet current needs without hindering the ability to meet the needs of future generations in terms of economic, environmental and social challenges.