Study of the Social Audit and Standards for Social and Environmental Responsibility - Case Study of Bulgaria

Abstract

This article presents some of the results of a conducted scientific research for the needs for implementation of social audit and application of standards for social and environmental responsibility in the Republic of Bulgaria. The aim of the study is to examine the needs to conduct social audit and implementation of standards of social and environmental responsibility in Bulgaria. The goal was achieved by performing the following research tasks: - Analyzing foreign and domestic theory and practice in the field of social audit and standards for social and environmental responsibility; - Analyzing the current state of social audit in Bulgaria; - Analyzing the current state standards for social and environmental responsibility in the Republic of Bulgaria and best international practices in this field ; - Exploring the needs of the conduct of social audit in Republic of Bulgaria; - Exploring the needs of the application of standards of social and environmental responsibility in the Republic of Bulgaria; -  Making concrete conclusions and recommendations based on the results. The subject of this research is: scientific theory in the field of social audit and standards for social and environmental responsibility; good practice in the field of social audit and standards for social and environmental responsibility; legislation related to social audit and standards for social and environmental responsibility. The contents of this research is consistent with the time frame (2014 – 2016  year) and comprises three main stages The first stage is dedicated to an analysis of the scientific theory and practice in the field of the social audit, the standards for social and environmental responsibility. The second stage is dedicated to collection of information about the needs of social audit and standards for social and environmental responsibility of individuals, legal entities, the civil service of the Republic of Bulgaria and the trade unions. The third stage offers the main conclusions from the obtained results. The conclusions pertaining to the study‘s scientific and applied contributions are divided into three groups: related to social audit, standards for social and environmental responsibility. The working hypotheses are three: First. The social audit and standards for social and environmental responsibility are not sufficiently explored in the scientific theory of Bulgaria and are not sufficiently known best practices in this area. Second. The application of social audit and standards for social and environmental responsibility in the Republic of Bulgaria will be beneficial not only for businesses and the government, but also for society as a whole. Third. There is a need that legal amendments are passed so as to regulate and govern the conduct of social audit and implementation of the standards of social and environmental responsibility. The first hypotheses is proved partly because as a theory, social audit and standards of social responsibility have not been studied, but the standards for environmental responsibility are already examined. The second and third hypotheses have been confirmed. This piece of research has employed inductive, deductive methods and methods of analogy and analysis. Furthermore, applied quantitative methods were applied to collect information through the development and distribution of questionnaires. The survey of the needs for conducting social audit and for the implementation of standards for social and environmental responsibility in the Republic of Bulgaria is dedicated to topical issues that have been examined in an international aspect as well. The interest in those issues is not accidental. Nowadays more than ever before is there a crisis in public trust toward employers and the state-funded projects and programmes. Cases of abuse against shareholders, stakeholders, resources, corruption and siphoning off of budget funds have become a part of everyday life.