From the ASQ Website News Link:

Concerned as a citizen about how businesses act?

Involved in social responsibility endeavors at your corporation?

The SRO* is for you. We’re a new international movement that is helping define and shape the evolving practice of social responsibility in corporations and other businesses and organizations.

We discuss standards for social responsibility, how social responsibility can be part of an organization’s focus on quality, and examples of best practices in social responsibility.

Join the movement »

The SRO* is a partnership of the American Society for Quality (ASQ), the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, The Greater Milwaukee Committee and Visit Milwaukee, but is not confined to the Milwaukee area.  Other corporations and organizations that share an interest in defining social responsibility and in shaping how that definition affects business and society are invited to support the effort by becoming sponsors of The SRO* — no matter where they are physically headquartered or operating.

ASQ was awarded the administration of the U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Social Responsibility by the American National Standards Institute. The U.S. TAG is the U.S. member of an international working group chartered with developing an international standard on social responsibility. ASQ’s involvement is a direct extension of its existing leadership role in standards development.

The social responsibility guidelines will be released in mid- to late 2010 as ISO 26000.

The ISO 26000 guidelines will cover seven core areas:

  • organizational governance
  • human rights
  • labor practices
  • fair operating practices
  • environment
  • consumer issues
  • Contribution to the community and society.
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What a beautiful summer we have had here in Wisconsin, albeit a touch wet. Our friends & neighbors in Milwaukee have really suffered from the flooding. This too had an impact on the Experimental Aircraft Association Airventure. (EAA) I know from personal observation that the Fond du Lac County Airport has been over capacity for parking the birds, but what a great economic boost this will be for the Fox Valley. I have to say that now having lived here for four years, Wisconsin has exceeded my expectations and made me an extremely satisfied customer.

In an effort to reciprocate, my colleagues and your friends and co-workers who are the members of the board and volunteer chair holders are making me look good as they continue to develop & implement the programs for the 2010 -2011 ASQ Winnebago Section 1206 events year. I urge everyone to pay attention to this website and read your newsletter (you have the option to print it right off of the website if you like the ink on the finger method) and stay tuned. We have the entire program year booked and are working on programs for next year! In addition, our chair positions for working the business of the section are full and we have back-up help in most cases. You guy’s ROCK! However, everyone is invited as we turn nobody away from our meetings or offers to help us with the business of enhancing your career advancement through education and networking.

One of the exciting additions to our section to come this year is mostly due to one of our new volunteers who has taken the lead role in developing and hopefully successfully implementing a new student section at local universities. Darci Keplin is doing a great job of organizing this activity and even if the program does not achieve success, it is in no way a reflection on her efforts. Frankly, I think it is going to be really big, and she is starting small at the schools in Fond du Lac. (Marian University / UW FDL / Moraine Park Technical College) If this proves to be successful, there are plenty more great universities in the valley where we can continue to share the knowledge and wealth of our society.

A new activity under development at H.Q. in Milwaukee is the Social Responsibility development activity and associated International Standards that are in process of being developed by ASQ for the international business community. Thanks in part (my opinion) to the debacles of modern business failure and consumer rip-offs of our generation, the Social Responsibility and associated oversight committee and certification process should put some reaction plans to out of control business practices, including containment and corrective action development. I am hopeful that BP. may be the first to be “red tagged” once they actually clean up the spill and associated aftermath from the Gulf oil crisis. Anyway, below are some clips from the ASQ website providing information on that subject. I think its great, and wonder why we didn’t do this a long time ago.

For those of us working in manufacturing & quality, does it seem to you as it does to me, that the focus of quality processes and improvement is no longer on us, but more on the service industry, medical and business practices in general? Who knows, maybe we will actually be able to hold government accountable to the same standards which we in business are held to.

A guy can dream can’t he?
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