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In her widely praised book The Hummer and the Mini: Navigating the Contradictions of the New Trend Landscape, trendmaster Robyn Waters devotes an entire chapter to so-called social capitalism, the “doing-well-by-doing-good” business strategy that grounds the social responsibility (SR) movement. After reading it, I wondered if she would consider SR to be a trend or—as some business media terms it—“a tidal change” in how business does business.

“Social responsibility is not just a trend,” explains Waters. “It's a savvy business practice that has been around for many years in many different forms. In the past, businesses seldom advertised what they did to give back, and most of their efforts were within their local communities. Today's version of what I call social capitalism is a global practice and is considered 'business as usual' by many companies.

“Many companies now realize that the best way to make money just might have something to do with saving the world. I am constantly amazed at the creative ways that visionary leaders find to give back. The manner in which they choose to give back will continue to evolve as today's increasingly socially responsible consumers continue to vote with their pocketbooks.”

Waters thinks some of the heightened customer expectations regarding business and social responsibility are natural evolutions of consumer interest in living simpler, finding more value in their lives and redefining “the good life.”

“The claustrophobia of abundance that surrounds our busy lives contributes greatly to our growing frustration and our desire to simplify our lives,” she says. “Let's face it. There's really very little that any of us really need. We've been programmed to chase the holy grail of ‘the next big thing,’ but when we get there, there's always something else that's next. That's why I want to reframe the concept of trend. Trends are signposts and indicators pointing to what's going on in the hearts and minds of consumers. These days, if you want to be ‘on trend,’ it's more important to figure out what's important, not just what's next. When [we do that], we move in the direction of finding more meaning in our lives and in our transactions, not just acquiring more stuff….”

I asked whether international expansion by American organizations with international customers, employees and partners also has been driving momentum toward increased social responsibility.

Waters, now president of RW Trend, agrees: “The Europeans are definitely ahead of us in many regards when it comes to social responsibility. In the United Kingdom, they call it ethical consumption. As the world flattens, and more companies become international, they will have to find new creative ways to address their social responsibilities.

“What's really interesting to me is that in order to be a better global citizen, many companies will choose to do their give back on a local level. It's a paradox I call glocal…. In order to be successful in today's business environment, companies have to think global, but act local, in a socially responsible manner.”

Association leaders can hear more about trends and non-trends at Waters’ Thought Leader session Tuesday, August 14 at 12:30 p.m. during ASAE & The Center’s Annual Meeting & Expo.