Boston College Conference to Unveil Research on Corporate Citizenship Issues

(3BL Media) Chestnut Hill, MA – March 6, 2012 – Nielsen, Net Impact and Ernst & Young have chosen Boston College’s 2012 International Corporate Citizenship Conference as the ideal environment to release findings that will influence the way global brands manage their relationship with key stakeholders.

Along with the Boston College Center’s biennial State of Corporate Citizenship report, the research from Nielsen, Net Impact and Ernst & Young will be made public for the first time at the conference in Phoenix, March 25-27. These findings will offer valuable information on how corporate citizenship issues are perceived by corporate leaders, employees and consumers. 

The annual Boston College corporate citizenship conference provides an opportunity for corporate professionals to learn from, and network with, more than 500 peers representing a variety of business functions, including corporate citizenship, community relations, sustainability, communications, external affairs and human resources. With a theme of “Corporate Citizenship: Managing Many Environments”, the 2012 conference will explore trends and best practices related to managing the diverse portfolio of responsibilities associated with corporate citizenship. The release of new research will give conference attendees an opportunity to gather relevant insights and data, including:

• Boston College findings from its biennial State of Corporate Citizenship, showing that while corporate leaders recognize the long-term value of investing in environmental, social and governance issues, they face pressure to prioritize short-term returns.
• Net Impact research revealing what is important to job-seeking college students, the attitudes of Generation Y employees, and how a company's commitment to corporate and environmental sustainability influences salary negotiations.
• New Nielsen research on the socially conscious consumer, revealing differences in consumer expectations and the preferred social causes across 56 countries.
• Results of a new Ernst & Young LLP/GreenBiz Group study – "Six growing trends in corporate sustainability" – which reveals an increasing financial focus on sustainability efforts that impact core business objectives. The study finds that 77 percent of survey respondents anticipate natural resource shortages will impact business and 65 percent say their CFO is now involved in their company's sustainability initiatives. 

Interested corporate professionals can still register for the 2012 International Corporate Citizenship Conference, where they will also hear from inspirational keynote speakers representing companies that lead the field and take an inside look at how businesses tackle today's challenges. In addition, breakout sessions and workshops feature experts on a wide range of issues and challenges including:

• Engaging stakeholders in the era of social media 
• Aligning corporate citizenship across the company and inside business units
• Taking a corporate citizenship program global 
• Developing the work force of tomorrow through investment in education

The Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship at the Carroll School of Management is a membership-based research organization committed to helping business leverage its social, economic and human assets to ensure both its success and a more just and sustainable world. As a leading resource on corporate citizenship, the Center works with global corporations to help them define, plan and operationalize their corporate citizenship. Through the power of research, management and leadership programs, and the insights of its 400 corporate members, the Center creates knowledge, value and demand for corporate citizenship. www.BCCorporateCitizenship.org

For more information contact:
Tim Wilson
Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship at
the Carroll School of Management

Email: wilsontk@bc.edu Phone: 617-552-1173