In the last decade, activist organizations have grown much more aggressive and effective in bringing public pressure on corporations with some level of government regulations mandating socially responsible behavior. Environmental and sustainability issues thus began to explain how many organizations create value for their clients and customers. Consequently, conducting business in a way that finds a strategic balance among social, environmental, and economic goals became a strategic imperative. In the article “The Sustainability Imperative,” David Lubin and Daniel Esty” recognize the trend of corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a megatrend, a paradigm shift in strategy that compels fundamental and persistent changes in how organizations conduct business and compete (Lubin & Esty, 2010). Lubin and Esty noted that in the past, organizations that were unable to adapt to megatrends, such as the information technology and the quality movements of the 1980s, lost their competitive advantage in the marketplace.

This report analyzes and evaluates corporate social responsibility (CSR) and philanthropic activities of the Volta Aluminum Company (VALCO) in Ghana, a subsidiary of Kaiser Aluminum, from its inception in the ’60s to the early part of the 2000s…

“I propose that you [corporate leaders]… and we, the United Nations, initiate a global compact of shared values and principles, giving a human face to the global market. Globalization is a fact of life…, an imbalance between the economic, social, and political realms can never be sustained for long…We must choose between a global market driven only by short-term profit calculations and one with a human face” (Kofi Annan, 1999). These words spoken by Kofi Annan, the past Secretary General of the United Nations, set a tone for corporate citizen behavior.