IMPACT OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY ON THE PERFORMANCE OF ORGANIZATIONS IN NIGERIA
No one question has received attention by businesses, government, politicians and people in general in the past few years than probably the question of what the social responsibility of business should be. This question, though originally aimed at profit oriented business in now being posed to non-profit oriented business institution in the society; Universities, hospital governmental agencies, charitable organization etc. are all increasingly being confronted with similar demand and being attacked for not assuring responsibility for society’s ills and problems. As society awakens and become vocal with respect to the urgency of social problems is asking the managers of all kinds of organizations particularly those at the top as to what they are doing to discharge their social responsibility and why they are not doing more.
About decade ago, a broad movement probably of an evolutionary nature began in the utilized countries of the world. It is movement to take institutions particularly business institutions more responsive to human needs. The business firm is thus caught up in the stream of events as it is being pressed by public sentiment and legislative and regulatory action to respond to issue beyond its traditional task of producing and distributing goods and services at a profit.
Traditionally, managers of business enterprises have been asked by society to concentrate on using efficiently the resources at their disposal to produce goods and services that customers wanted at agreed prices, they were willing to pay, maximize profits. But today, businesses are being asked to contribute more to the quality of life.
In discussing and analyzing commercial Banks and social responsibility in Nigeria, the emphasis is not on what commercial bank should or might do to tackle and solve problems of society, rather than problems of their employees, shareholders and customers. The concept of social responsibility for social and political goals and that they became the keepers of society’s concern and not merely keepers of society’s financial resources. The emphasis is on the contributions banks can make to such social problems and social issues as support of education, health and medical care, support for disables and unemployed persons, than maintenance and restoration of the physical environment, improving public transportation and involvement in community development (e.g. borehole construction, children park, local market construction etc)
It is pertinent to point out that the, social demands on business have been and will continue to increase significantly and the role of business firms in the society.
The amount of attention give not the area of social responsibility by both management and society has increased in recent years and probably will continue to increase in the future.
Background of the Study
The modern commercial banking dates bank to the colonial period during which Nigerians was under the political administration of Britain. It is not surprising therefore that the banking scene was dominated by British banks which were affiliates of the leading banks in United Kingdom.
Banking began in Nigeria in 1892 “under the initiative of foreign investors, when the Elder Dumpster lines, a shipping company started some form of banking business in the country to facilitate to own transactions. By 1894, what was then the bank of British West Africa, later Standard Bank Ltd, and now First Bank of Nigeria plc, became the first to establish banking business in Nigeria. It remained the sole bank until 1917 when later colonial bank, later Barclays Bank of Nigeria limited and now Union bank of Nigeria Plc, open branches in the country. The British and French Bank now United bank for Africa affiliate of the banquet Nationale Pour’le Commerceetl’ Industries, a large French banking establishment, came in 1947 to make the third expatriate bank which dominated early Nigeria commercial banking. Together the banks controlled close to 90% aggregate bank deposit.