Where Do Companies Do Their Business? In the Markets or in the Society?
It is an undisputed fact that a company’s survival does not depend upon its consumers alone, but a diverse set of stakeholders like the government, religious leaders, social activists, NGOs, media, etc. Hence, earning the satisfaction of these segments is also as imperative as they add to the power of the brand by word of mouth. Corporates that embrace the deepest social values have been successful in building powerful brands, and, eventually, robust customer relationships. The area of corporate social justice falls under two broad categories. The issues such as the nutrition of children, child care, old-age homes, amelioration of hunger, offering aid to those affected by natural calamities, etc. come under the first category. The issues that contribute to making society a pleasant place to live in the long run may be grouped under the second category. The issues which come under this category are health awareness and aid, education, environmental protection, women’s employment and empowerment, preventing unjust discrimination (on the basis of caste, community, religion, ethnicity, race, and sex), eradication of poverty, preservation of culture, values, and ethics, etc. Procter and Gamble’s (P&G) philosophy is that it should lead the industry in implementing a global environmental programme. P&G contributes to sustainable development and addresses environmental and social issues connected with its products and services.
The corporate social justice issues described in the passage differ primarily in terms of:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → The time frame and sustainability of their impact
Option (1) Size of the company undertaking them — Incorrect. The passage says nothing about the size of the company. Any company can take up either kind of issue.
Option (2) The time frame and sustainability of their impact — Correct. The passage divides corporate social justice issues into two categories by time. The first category meets immediate needs: nutrition of children, child care, old-age homes, hunger and aid after natural calamities. The second makes society a pleasant place to live in the long run: health awareness, education, environmental protection, women’s empowerment and removal of poverty. So the two differ in how soon their effect is felt and how long it lasts.
Option (3) Revenue generating potential — Incorrect. These are social issues. The passage does not judge them by the revenue they bring.
Option (4) Government policy dependence — Incorrect. The government is named only as one of the stakeholders. Neither category is said to depend on its policy.
Note: In the original question, both Option (1) and Option (2) were correct as per the NTA Answer Key. The paper printed Option (1) as Beneficiaries nature and Option (2) as The time frame and sustainability of their impact. For the benefit of students and to ensure a single answer, Option (1) has been changed to Size of the company undertaking them. NCERT (2026-27 Edition): “Where Do Companies Do Their Business? In the Markets or in the Society? … The area of corporate social justice fall under two broad categories. The issues such as the nutrition of children, child care, old-age homes, amelioration of hunger, offering aid to those affected by natural calamities, etc. needing instant attention with humanitarian perspective, comes under the first category. The issues that contribute to making society a pleasant place to live in the long run, may be grouped under the second category. …” |