Sitting on the floor of Wat Bang Nam Chon Temple School a few weeks ago, surrounded by excited young students, I was brought back to my early school days. As the children threw themselves heart and soul into the activities, I gazed around the classroom and soaked up the sense of wonder.
My own students, the young adults pursuing their dreams at AIHM, sat on the floor themselves and helped the children master the English names for colours. I listened to young Thai voices calling out a rainbow of words. Blue! Red! Purple! Green! Yellow! Each word was punctuated by a joyful exclamation mark. That’s how excited the children were to practice their English.
I remembered the first school lessons of my own childhood. A is for apple. B is for ball. C is for cat. For young children, every day is filled with new discoveries. You’re constantly learning, always dreaming, exploring your imagination and encountering new possibilities. In many ways, the first days of university are similar—just on a more mature level. Your world has just opened wide. You’re stretching your horizons and envisioning the possible paths for your future.
I was at the local temple school to join in one of AIHM’s CSR initiatives. My colleagues, my AIHM students from around the world and I spent several days in the month of June engaging with the children at the elementary school neighbouring our own riverside campus. We worked with the eager children, helping them strengthen their English skills, but even more importantly we built bridges between their dreams and the dreams of AIHM’s own students. As the young children practiced their English, even more significant lessons were taking place. The sessions were nurturing self-confidence, self-expression and possibilities for the future.
Honestly, volunteering at Wat Bang Nam Chon School was a lot of fun, but the experience also provided me a chance to reflect on the pillars of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). What does it mean to do business responsibly? How should organisations engage with their surroundings? What role does CSR play in an organisation’s mission?
Thinking about these questions amidst the backdrop of an elementary school classroom inspired me to create my own ABCs of CSR. I’d like to share them with you below.
A is for Alignment
Effective CSR should be an extension of your culture. Align your initiatives with your own existing talents and values. AIHM is an institute of higher learning. We exist to teach and inspire. For AIHM, an educational initiative is an ideal fit. We already possess the skills and talents to teach. We strive to help students dream big and achieve their goals. Our partnership with Wat Bang Nam Chon School was a natural fit.
B is for Balance
Successful businesses understand the importance of balanced economic growth. Responsible economic growth is not a zero-sum game. As you grow, it’s crucial to bring others up with you. Ethically, it’s the right thing to do. Financially, it’s the smart thing to do; consumers increasingly want to ensure their pounds (or baht) are going to responsible businesses. Practically, it’s the strategic thing to do. Long-term growth plans must balance profitability with sustainability.
In AIHM’s case, contributing to the success of local students is also contributing to the long-term success of our industry. AIHM’s volunteers were helping young Thai school children learn English, a language that is becoming increasingly important in today's global economy. Our students possess an advanced level of English, and this initiative allowed them to share this vital skill with the young children studying just a short distance away.
C is for Community
Community empowerment is one of the most important elements of CSR. Businesses must give back to their communities. Whether this takes the form of capacity building, environmental enhancement, job creation or educational opportunities, businesses have a responsibility to ensure their community impact is a net positive. We have to ensure the communities where we do business benefit from our presence and that we give back generously and responsibly.
Final Thoughts
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is an essential aspect of any organisation, and CSR initiatives benefit a wide range of stakeholders. Most important, of course, are local stakeholders—the community in which you carry out your business activities. CSR activities also benefit internal stakeholders. They boost the morale of participants. While helping local children develop their English and other vital skills for success, AIHM’s students had an opportunity to develop their own communication skills. They built bridges with the local community, fostering a sense of unity and cooperation.
It’s heartening to see that this programme has been met with great enthusiasm from both AIHM’s students and the community. The benefits of this initiative go beyond just language instruction—it's a step towards creating a more inclusive and supportive society. I also hope that these weeks serve as a seed for future growth. As AIHM students learn the value of CSR and the ways in which it can be carried out, they’re preparing themselves for a future in which they’ll continue to embrace sustainable development and take it to even greater levels. By participating in initiatives such this one and through the sustainability studies within our degree programme, AIHM’s students are learning how to develop and implement CSR programmes that: (1) align with organisational values and resources, (2) balance business growth with environmental and social development, and (3) empower the communities in which they do business.
Teachers hope their students will one day surpass them. If our students do, we did our jobs successfully. Society is becoming increasingly socially and environmentally conscious, and CSR will only grow in importance. The field will expand and improve. I look forward to following my students’ futures and seeing the ways they embrace the ABCs of CSR while championing new initiatives and steering sustainable development to even greater heights.
Follow the Industry’s Future
AIHM and its young leaders are shaping the future of the hospitality industry. Want to discover more initiatives and see how AIHM’s students are reshaping hospitality as we know it? Follow the Asian Institute of Hospitality Management on LinkedIn.
