Implementing CSR requires a thorough strategy that should incorporate the following. Every department in a business may immensely benefit from public relations by understanding how to develop, strengthen the relationship with stakeholders, and convey improvements (University of The People, n.d.). A record of success of dedication and persistence to develop credibility will come after robust interaction and openness among different stakeholders and the companies (University of The People, n.d.). This article will elaborate on my encounter as a former employee of Qatar Airways to illustrate how well it practices corporate social responsibility. Accordingly, it will discuss how the CSR initiatives influenced everyone and the neighborhood around the company.
Here was my experience as a cabin crew of Qatar Airways. The first one I would like to share was their initiative to arrange the Kafou program for the crew to prove how much they care and believe in our cruciality in the company. One of the managers told me in 2016 that the word Kafou in the traditional Qatari Language is congratulation. In this program, the company arranges a special dinner for the selected crew, who constantly get recognition from various customers. Then they made a presentation that showed how much we are meant for the company and how grateful the company to our excellent services.
The program was followed by the announcement of the best cabin crews. They grouped the selected crews into their five central values: “pride in Qatar, customer first, driving excellence, honest & loyal, and one team” (About us, n.d.). I was awarded as best cabin crew in 2016 for the one with the customer first. This program is part of corporate social responsibility because it supports the company’s connection to its stakeholders, including the employee; it makes the company appear accountable and can be depended on (Fernando, 2021). The happy and motivated employee can simultaneously strengthen Qatar Airways’s brand as it does the best for the company. It helps a company be socially accountable to itself, its stakeholders, and the public.
Furthermore, Qatar Airways initiated a program named educate a child for children suffering from limited education worldwide. As Fernando (2021) said, CSR activity should relate to improving the quality of the community by having a positive influence. In 2019 and 2020, Qatar Airways raised more than QAR 3.8 million for the program Educate A Child (EAC) of the Education Above All (EAA) Charity (Press Release, 2021). The airline has partnered with EAC since 2013, reaffirming its obligation as a responsible member of the international community to support the people it helps. The airline’s Oryx One in-flight entertainment system plays an EAC video to promote the project. When a consumer completes the internet flight reservation transaction page, the firm offers the option to donate money to a cause; customers may donate up to $50 per reservation (Press Release, 2021). To not limit the customers to contribute in specific amounts or currency, I used to hand the passengers an envelope to anyone willing to donate any bills they have; later on, the dedicated Qatar Airways employee would then make it available in the common currency according to the country it plans to serve or by Qatar Riyals/US dollar.
This article demonstrates how the CSR initiative has affected several fields. In my essay case, the Kafou program involved employee engagement, and the EAC program supported the community to have a better life. In conclusion, those two examples are one of the companies’ activities to connect to their public, stakeholders, and shareholders.
Word Counts: 600 words
References:
Emslichter. (2018, June 17). Qatar airways. Pixabay. retrieved from https://pixabay.com/images/id-3478969/
Fernando, J. (2021, September 4). Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/corp-social-responsibility.asp
Press Release. (2021, January 24). Qatar Airways raises over QAR 3.8 million for educate a child programme. qatarairways.com. https://www.qatarairways.com/en/press-releases/2021/January/qatar-airways-raises-over-qar-3-8-million-for-educate-a-child-pr.html#
Qatar Aviation Services. (n.d.). About us. http://www.qataraviation.com/page/about-us/about-qas
University of the People. (n.d.). Introduction: Implementing CSR. https://my.uopeople.edu/mod/book/view.php?id=296369&chapterid=344244
