Applications for the Second Deignan Award for Responsible Entrepreneurship are open until September 20, inviting small-and medium-sized (SMEs) in Macau and Hong Kong with less than 100 employees to apply.
This year themed “Corporate Philanthropy – Sharing Values, Determination, and Compassion”, the award is co-organised by Wofoo Social Enterprise, Macau Ricci Institute and the University of Saint Joseph (USJ). A recent statement provided by the organiser noted that the award aims to communicate “core human values like integrity, honesty, care and unity as well as promote sustainable business models”.
Speaking with the Post in a recent interview at Jesuitas (Macau) in Largo de Santo Agostinho, the award’s chairman and Macau Ricci Institute Director Stephan Rothlin S.J. said the rationale behind it was to encourage SMEs in Hong Kong and Macau to link entrepreneurship with ethics.
Its name, meanwhile, goes back to Fr Alfred Deignan (1927-2018), who was known to people in Hong Kong and beyond Catholic circles as a passionate educator who “really cared about the common good”, according to Rothlin, who referred to Deignan as his dear friend. “His concern was always to share values”. Rothlin collaborated with Deignan on workshops and conferences on business ethics.
Rothlin, who is from Switzerland, has been promoting business ethics in Macau, where he has organised various events for over 20 years, as well as in Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland. And when it came to the award, he noted: “I felt that an award is an incentive for business people to kind of show that they not only comply with, but also espouse these values”.
The award debuted against all odds during the COVID-19 pandemic and led to surprising results, according to Rothlin.
This year’s contest is the outcome of the first edition and has its special focus on corporate philanthropy, with Rothlin noting that the organisers felt how much small companies helped those who lost their jobs or were in other “terrible” situations during the pandemic. “We observed that this was a surprising contribution from SMEs to help those left behind, so therefore it’s also a learnt lesson from the first round”, Rothlin underlined, adding: “It’s really great that we can honour these players who have a true track record of helping people”.
Maintaining its basic profile, candidates of the award are evaluated based on the following criteria: respect for human dignity, fairness, the environment, the disadvantaged, business ethics, and entrepreneurial spirit.
The award organisers also collaborated with different partners in Macau to develop the competition’s criteria. “I think we have had some solid criteria by a local, very dedicated group of scholars from different institutions who really are passionate and also support me a lot in these kinds of events.”
He added that those going out of their way to show their social responsibility should get a certain spotlight. The award could also be a chance to set an example to others, be an incentive and stimulate innovation among SMEs, as well as promote the “key motor” of the economy, he noted. “If you slowly build up a momentum, this could really have a positive impact”. He underlined that those who have received the award “will in a sense be more observed”, and need to stick to their values.
Moreover, one does not have to be a big company in order to apply ethical principles that lead to positive impacts on its business, according to Rothlin, adding that there is good documentation showing that small players can also “thrive and thrive even better”.
The application procedure is divided into two stages. Those interested can first send in their online submissions with their self-reported Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practice by the deadline. According to a statement from the organisers, a pre-screening team will then select three finalists each from Macau and Hong Kong based on the self-reported CSR practice in November. Finalists must also submit further evidence and prepare for a site visit. Winners will be announced next March.
For further details and the competition timeline, visit https://www.deignanaward.org/.
– Interview by Rui Pastorin
This recently taken photo shows Deignan Award for Responsible Entrepreneurship Chairman and Macau Ricci Institute Director Stephan Rothlin posing in the library of Jesuitas (Macau). – Photo: Rui Pastorin
