Responsible Companies During the Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has represented a great economic blow for the entire Latin American region; thousands of companies have been forced to cut staff, cut wages and even declare bankruptcy.
The Woman Post | Jorge Francisco Vuelvas Lomeli
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However, it is worth highlighting those companies that not only kept employees on the payroll but also for their leadership in social responsibility.
According to the Merco company, a ranking based on a comprehensive evaluation was published and the experts selected the companies that showed the greatest commitment and social responsibility during the COVID-19 crisis.
Merco clarified that several experts have ranked companies based on their behavior during the peaks of the crisis, and their technical evaluators have evaluated the main measures and actions they have taken during the pandemic.
The expert evaluation made up of different interest groups is aimed at company managers, communication directors, opinion leaders, financial analysts, economic information reporters, governments, NGOs, unions, social media managers, the general population, etc.
Catalina Londoño, general director of Merco for Colombia, stated that "the effort made by all the companies in a year that was especially marked by the pandemic is remarkable, and that is why in this tenth edition the different audiences recognize that great effort of the companies facing the challenges posed by the health emergency.”
Likewise, the CEO, José María San Segundo, said that “in times of crisis, like the sanitation that we currently live in the world, undoubtedly many companies have lost, others have won and some more have managed to rebuild their company's reputation. In general, all citizens, regardless of where we live, have realized their good or bad behavior and their social contribution to a greater or lesser scale, marking an important differentiation in the appreciation we have for them.”
Also read: THE LABOR GAP IN COLOMBIA AS A CONSEQUENCE OF COVID-19
The Classification
The measurement standard considers three main pillars: gender equality, social responsibility, and environmental responsibility. Bancolombia and Nutresa in Colombia, continue to occupy first and second place, and both are held in 2019.
Faced with the methodology, a committee with executives from companies with a turnover of more than US $30 million chooses the provisional ranking of more than 500 companies and the 10 most responsible except for its own. The 100 most nominated are evaluated. To this is added the concept of health workers, and Merco groups, and thus the winners come out.
The total sample of the Merco Empresas y Líderes Colombia field has increased by 19% compared to the previous year. As of 2020, it has gone from 60,977 surveys to 72,591, becoming the only reputation monitor verified by KPMG. His "worldwide reputation evaluation method, which integrates perception and evaluation of 24 information sources."
The highest positions are Sura, Alpina, and Bavaria. The company with the highest increase was Arturo Calle, which went from position 15 to 6. It is the first time it has entered the top ten, while Crepes & Waffles was ranked 13 in 2019, and in this edition, it ranked seventh.
Catalina Londoño, John Karakatsianis, an expert in ethics and corporate reputation, and Enrique Mañas, Technical Director of Merco, participated in the webinar for the delivery of this recognition.
Having these Colombian companies as new leaders of social responsibility should serve as an example for the entire business sector of the country because in a new Post-COVID-19 reality it will be crucial to bet on the inclusion of women, indigenous people, and people with disabilities for all the possible sectors.
