Social responsibility is defined as a framework of measurable corporate policies and procedures and resulting behavior designed to benefit the workplace and, by extension, the individual, the organization, and the community in the following areas (in alphabetical order):

1. Community
   
   
   1. Provide support and add value to your communities and those of your supply chain.
   2. Encourage members of your supply chain to add value in their communities.
      
      
2. Diversity
   
   
   1. Proactively promote purchasing from, and the development of, socially diverse suppliers.
   2. Encourage diversity within your own organization.
   3. Proactively promote diverse employment practices throughout the supply chain.
      
      
3. Environment
   
   
   1. Encourage your own organization and others to be proactive in examining opportunities to be environmentally responsible within their supply chains either "upstream" or "downstream."
   2. Encourage the environmental responsibility of your suppliers.
   3. Encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly practices and products throughout your organization.
      
      
4. Ethics
   
   
   1. Be aware of ISM's Principles and Standards of Ethical Supply Management Conduct.
   2. Abide by your organization's code of conduct.
      
      
5. Financial Responsibility
   
   
   1. Become knowledgeable of, and follow, applicable financial standards and requirements.
   2. Apply sound financial practices and ensure transparency in financial dealings.
   3. Actively promote and practice responsible financial behavior throughout the supply chain.
      
      
6. Human Rights
   
   
   1. Treat people with dignity and respect.
   2. Support and respect the protection of international human rights within the organization's sphere of influence.
   3. Encourage your organization and its supply chains to avoid complicity in human or employment rights abuses.
      
      
7. Safety
   
   
   1. Promote a safe environment for each employee in your organization and supply chain. (Each organization is responsible for defining "safe" within its organization.)
   2. Support the continuous development and diffusion of safety practices throughout your organization and the supply chain.
      
      

Acknowledgments

The categories for these principles were adopted from the CAPS Research publication Purchasing's Contribution to the Socially Responsible Management of the Supply Chain, by Craig R. Carter, Ph.D., and Marianne M. Jennings, J.D. The commission was also guided by the United Nations' Nine Principles of the Global Compact.

The ISM Board of Directors gratefully acknowledges and thanks the following individuals for their work on the Commission:

• Barbara B. Lang, President and Chief Executive Officer, DC Chamber of Commerce, Chair
  
• Craig R. Carter, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Supply Chain Management, University of Nevada, Reno
  
• Lisa E. Earp, Director, Corporate Procurement, NIKE, Inc.
  
• Betsy L. Harrington, C.P.M., Director of Procurement Solutions, Alcoa Business Support Services
  
• William F. McGrath II, Manager, Global Optimized Process, Alcoa Global Business Services - Procurement
  
• Steven Sims, Vice President, Programs and Field Operations, National Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc.
  
• Gwendolyn Turner, Manager, PGS, Pfizer Inc.
  
• Holly LaCroix Johnson, Senior Vice President, ISM
  
• Paul Novak, C.P.M., A.P.P., CEO, ISM
  
• Scott R. Sturzl, C.P.M., Vice President, ISM

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