The Human Resource Insider by Thanuki Goonesinghe

  Image by Freepik This week's topic is 'Corporate Social Responsibility,' which is an organisational trend that has been developing for some time now. Newly emerging aspects are added to it frequently. It is my opinion that this is a constantly evolving subject, which organisations must necessarily take into account and address.  What is Corporate Social Responsibility ('CSR')? Take a few moments to go through these definitions of CSR. "Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a self-regulating business model that helps a company be socially accountable to itself, its stakeholders, and the public. By practicing corporate social responsibility, also called corporate citizenship , companies can be conscious of the kind of impact they are having on all aspects of society, including economic, social, and environmental."  ( Fernando, 2022 ) "People today are more socially conscious than ever, and buyers are prepared to pay more for sustainable products. C

In my last two articles, I wrote about 'change management.' While I take a short break from that series, I'm moving on to an area that is close to my heart - Financial Technology, in other words, 'Fintech.'  I aim to provide a brief introduction to Fintech and discuss the HR challenges faced by financial institutions during its adoption. Diving right in, the first question to answer would be, what really is fintech?    Definitions. "FinTech (financial technology) is a catch-all term referring to software, mobile applications, and other technologies created to improve and automate traditional forms of finance for businesses and consumers alike. FinTech can include everything from straightforward mobile payment apps to complex blockchain networks housing encrypted transactions."                                                              - ( Columbia Engineering, 2021 ) "Financial technology (better known as fintech) is used to describe new technology

  In my previous article ' Change Management : Part I ,' I introduced the topic and its connections with HR management. If you haven't read it already, I suggest that you should before getting started on this one.  In this article, I will be taking you through a 5 step guide to the change management process, by Harvard Business School Online . Let's dive right in.  At the outset, the 5 steps are; 1. Prepare the Organisation for Change 2. Craft a Vision and Plan for Change 3. Implement the Changes 4.  Embed Changes Within Company Culture and Practices 5. Review Progress and Analyse Results - ( Miller, 2020 ) Let's delve deeper into each step and its relevance to HR professionals. Step 1: Prepare the Organisation for Change “We cannot change what we are not aware of, and once we are aware, we cannot help but change.”  - Sheryl Sandberg ( Goodreads, 2023 ) At the starting point of managing change, it is a pre-requisite to have an awareness of the ongoing and emerging c