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Center for International Private Enterprise
Corporate Citizenship at Eli Lilly and Company:
A Strategic Use of Core Competencies
Article at a glance
Corporate social responsibility, or corporate citizenship, is a
•
constantly evolving concept.
Good corporate citizenship utilizes a company’s core
•
competencies to benefit the community as much as to sustain
the corporation.
Relationships built on shared goals, not just philanthropy,
•
contribute to community sustainability and corporate
profitability.
June 15, 2009
published by the
Center for International Private Enterprise
an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
1155 Fifteenth Street NW • Suite 700 • Washington, DC 20005 • USA
ph: (202) 721-9200 • www.cipe.org • e-mail: cipe@cipe.org
An interview with Laurel Vogelsang
Associate Director for Corporate Responsibility
International Government Affairs, Eli Lilly
®
To comment on this article, visit CIPE’s Development Blog: www.cipe.org/blog.
25
years of strengthening democracy through market-oriented reform
Center for International Private Enterprise
Corporate Citizenship at Eli Lilly: A Strategic Use of Core Competencies
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Introduction
The complexities of operating in a global
economy create challenges for companies striving
to operate in a socially responsible way, especially
in developing countries. Many have found that
if the notion of corporate citizenship remains
limited to philanthropy, companies fail to take full
advantage of their core competencies. In contrast,
emphasizing key business expertise to engage more
effectively with local communities can provide
unique opportunities to make a difference at a
grassroots level. In this interview with the Center
for
International Private Enterprise
(CIPE),
Laurel Vogelsang, associate director for corporate
responsibility at Eli Lilly and Company, discusses
how the principles of good corporate citizenship
can be an integral part of a successful corporate
strategy. Founded in 1876, Lilly is the worl