Simulations and Social Responsibility: Why Should We Bother?

Conclusions

All these different types of simulations have been very effectively applied to a whole variety of issues outside the corporate social responsibility arena. They have proved to be an effective approach in helping corporations build sufficient understanding of market dynamics, develop and assess different strategies, design and test business capabilities, and, last but not least, improve their human performance.

The challenge facing simulation and gaming professionals is to replicate this success within the arena of corporate social responsibility and help corporations, as well as the groups interacting with them, to address the CSR-related challenges in an innovative and effective way.

An example of a successful application of simulation and gaming for CSR is a game developed by the Rabo Bank branch office in Bernheze, Netherlands.

The bank was facing two issues: (1) How to increase the awareness of what socially responsible entrepreneurship is, both within the bank as well as within the communities the bank is serving, and (2) how to create a vision of how to effectively develop and implement socially responsible entrepreneurship in the local communities; a vision that is not only shared with but acted upon by all relevant actors in that community.

With these questions in mind the bank developed a board game called “The Game of Profit and Values” (Spel van Winst en Waarden) and played it with the employees of the bank, the bank clients (members), members of the local government, representatives of political parties, and representatives of business associations. Based on the experiences and insights created by playing the game, the bank (together with their clients) shaped a vision on socially responsible entrepreneurship in the local communities.

Rabo Bank; Nieuwe Verbindingen: Duizend-en-een communities in praktijk; Juni 2003 (ISBN 90-807510-1-6).