Fulfilling contractors' corporate social responsibilities using standards-based management systems

Construction projects place intrinsic and substantial demands upon contractors to uphold their corporate social responsibilities (CSR). Such responsibilities influence both the strategic corporate management approach of the contracting organisation and the operational management of processes and procedures used to manage the construction projects it undertakes. The implementation of organisational management systems is an obvious and proactive way for a contractor to embrace its CSR. Quality, environment and safety are at the forefront of management systems applications within construction where well conceived systems can respond effectively to the many demands placed on the contractor by CSR. This paper examines how contractors' CSR can be fulfilled using standards-based management systems and looks forward to the innovative use of integrated management systems (IMS) within construction.