Corporate Responsibility, NGOs, and The WEF

With the words "corporate responsibility" finding their way into the mouths of more and more business leaders, PR giant Ketchum has launched a new corporate responsibility unit, promoting what Ketchum's Raymond Kotcher calls a "21st century management philosophy that advances commercial and financial success by demonstrating respect for ethical values, people, communities, and the physical and social environment." Richard Edelman, president and CEO of Edelman PR Worldwide, is also leaping on the corporate responsibility bandwagon and urging clients to partner up with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) meetings in New York, Edelman said his company has conducted a new poll showing that European opinion leaders trust NGOs more than corporations and governments.