Sustainable Development

One of the basic challenges of managers in the present era is the major focus on the topic of sustainable development. Sustainable development with different dimensions such as economic sustainability, social sustainability, political sustainability and environmental sustainability requires a holistic attitude, but the precedence of some of the plans and policymaking in any of the sustainable development axes is proportional to the requirements of the same region and country. On the other hand, social responsibility of the organizations and companies is not considered as an ethical requirement and/or social marketing only, but it is a major element in the missing loop of relationship between government’s policies and policies of the companies. This study, which has been conducted with Expert Delphi Approach and hierarchical analysis method in order to determine the priority of sustainable development dimensions as well as dimensions of social responsibility of managers, has been selected as the preferred choice considering the opinion of experts in social sustainability as the top criterion for sustainable development and managerial responsibility. Accordingly, recreation can be performed in managers’ roles in urban and industrial macro communities by prioritizing social sustainability as well as involving environmental strategies in the responsibilities of managers.

In the meantime and according to objectives announced by the United Nations Organization, from 2015 to 2030, all member states of the United Nations Organization must endeavor to achieve sustainable development indices in three national, regional and international levels. The United Nations Organization has determined and approved 17 macro objectives for achieving to sustainable goals which, inter alia, making sustainable use of oceans and seas, improving ecosystem and reviving the global participation in sustainable development are expressed as national and international upstream documents in the field of environment.

Undoubtedly, responsibility of organizations is not to be merely effective, but they must serve the community in which they operate. In line with this, social responsibility is essential for project management and includes all stages from zero and preliminary phase up to project implementation. In addition to physical plan and investment and production specifications, the managers must consider the side effects of the activities and allocate part of project resources to the issue of social responsibility and take care that harmful effects do not affect the peripheral environment.
In today’s business paradigm, the key to sustainability of large companies is not only profitability for the shareholders and performing legal responsibility. But, beneficiaries expect that the company undertakes economic, social, environmental and ethical responsibilities and be transparent and accountable against them.
Although petroleum and power industries have always attempted to reduce the negative impacts of activities of these industries in different regions by creating necessary welfare facilities and infrastructure, but the fact is that, despite these measures, people’s view regarding oil, electricity and water is not a good view yet and much more attempts must be made to improve this view. Although, this topic has much lesser progress in mine industries and much less measures have been taken in the form of sustainable development. In Araz, we believe that one of the good measures that have been taken in recent years and should be expanded, has been the empowerment of individuals which will be received strongly by people.

Social responsibility mainly encompasses corporate or organizational obligations for natural and social environment and puts these obligations alongside the economic activity of enterprise. The sprite of this type of responsibility is based on ethics and pays attention to interests of corporate or organizational beneficiaries beside economic interests. In the eyes of Global Center of Business Sustainable Development, social responsibility of companies must be performed well so that quality of life can be improved. On the other hand, the results from commitment to social responsibilities will include brand management and reputation, as many large companies of the world have serious activity in this field. It seems that success in performing social responsibilities requires a more scientific, smarter and more human attitude and we must deeply believe that no matter in which organization we are, we have a social mission.

Green economy and sustainable development cannot be achieved by the government alone and the role of people, popular institutes and private enterprises is undeniable. Meanwhile, role of companies and economic enterprises which play a role in production of goods and services in achieving to indices of sustainable development becomes more important every day. Corporate or organizational social responsibility falls in the scope of “business ethics” which refers to the role of companies and economic enterprises in the issues related to the community. Organizational social responsibility is a set of duties and obligations that the economic enterprise must perform them in line with preserving, taking care of and helping the community in which it operates.
What is noticed in Azar Silicon Industries Campus is that “social responsibility” is not doing “charitable work” or “giving ransom” to certain local influential figures or irresponsible “distribution of money.” Usually, whenever it comes to social responsibility, the mechanism to satisfy the critics by “making them indebted” is immediately put in the agenda of some of managers of the companies. Whereas, “transparency” is considered as one of the principles of social responsibility of economic enterprises. In addition, these measures provide a mechanism for compensating social and environmental costs of extracting and processing activity of mineral substances at the first place and improves the relationship of Azar Silicon with the local communities and this way, economic risks of weak relationships with the local community are reduced and as a result, production operation does not suffer from delay or even stoppage; a point which has clearly been forgotten in oil and mineral economic activities in Iran or has gone astray due to misunderstanding about the concept of “social responsibility.” We intend to have a positive impact on Iran’s poor environment. So, we have found a way so that development not to be equal to destruction and intensifying inequality in the minds of people of this land. Accurate understanding of “social responsibility” is just one of these ways and not all of them. Our belief in Azar is to operationalize the plan to empower the individuals more than ever and this will certainly be received strongly by the people.