MISSION
The Polo Center of Sustainability is devoted to running first-rate scientific research that informs decision making and improvements upon our understanding of European society, and beyond.
GOVERNING PRINCIPLES
Our premise is attained by its governing principles:
being leaders and innovators in applied social scientific research methodologies;
undertaking research that has a positive societal impact;
maintaining expert collection, processing, and interpretive knowledge of qualitative and quantitative data;
promoting a corporate ethos of continuous advancement with the pursuit of excellence as a focal premise;
creating high-performance research units or groups and working respectfully, collaboratively, and transparently with our clients, our stakeholders and each other;
working to the highest ethical standards;
actively enabling in our research all members of society, regardless of social status; and
encouraging and supporting our people to reach their top capacity.
CSR AT THE CENTER
The Polo Center of Sustainability is committed to creating first-rate scientific research solutions to support informed decision-making on ongoing and contemporary issues. Our mission is a commitment to conducting ethically sound research and to behave in a socially responsible manner. We extend this pledge to all of our stakeholders, our staff and others within the research community that we corroborate and collaborate with, in the research we undertake and those that we conduct research for. This is demonstrated through our governing principles which are stated above. In accordance with the Guidance Standard on Social Responsibility, ISO 26000, we comply that social responsibility is the responsibility of an organization for the impacts of its decisions and activities on society and the environment, through transparent and ethical behavior. The governing principles highlight our commitment towards being socially responsible and our efforts to conduct our establishment appropriately so that we have a positive impact on the community, the environment, and our people. We believe that this is vital to the success of the Polo Center of Sustainability. Our responsibilities cover three areas: our staff, our community, and the environment.
OUR MEMBERS
The Polo Center of Sustainability has a dynamic workforce with members working internationally in various forms; this includes permanent, adjunct, and casual staff. Our people make our organization and so their welfare is principal to healthy day-to-day work. All employees that are permanent, fixed term (more than one year), and regular senior casual staff are included in our performance and development review process. These reviews are an important part of the Polo Center of Sustainability’s efforts to grow and develop our employees, through regular discussions and planning with managerial decisions. This contributes to the Polo Center of Sustainability’s culture of continuous improvement and ensures that we achieve our strategic objectives. Staff also have access to professional development and, if desired, are encouraged to learn and study outside of their paramount fields of expertise. We also ensure we have adequate number of staff who are trained in first aid or pre-arranged access to medical facilities in-house and abroad.
OUR COMMUNITY
Our community encompasses a wide range of groups, including our clients, our research partners and collaborators, the individuals and organizations who participate in our research, others in the social sciences research community, and the wider community itself. The Polo Center of Sustainability has taken an active decision not to participate in research projects for organizations which could have a detrimental impact on our community. Our research portfolio instead focuses on areas that are for the greater good of society. We strive to ensure that our research is as inclusive as possible, through adopting flexible approaches (the use of translators and translation services, for example is common practice), undertaking ethically sound research and full compliance with all relevant professional European standards. In addition to the orientation of our research activities, we encourage, recognize, and support our staff members’ own involvement in charitable activities. We encourage staff to participate in individual charitable and volunteer activities and showcase these through our internal communications.
THE ENVIRONMENT
At the Polo Center of Sustainability, we believe that it is everyone’s responsibility to contribute to sustainable, environmentally-friendly practices. We understand that even the smallest changes can go toward making a big difference in our organization. The Polo Center of Sustainability has adopted an Environmental Management Framework under which it: (1) advocates to encourage more environmentally sustainable transport; (2) assists members to reduce their environmental impact; (3) ensures that the Polo Center of Sustainability is environmentally responsible in the conduct of its business; and (4) assists the wider community to help the environment. The Polo Center of Sustainability has environmental policies it advocates in the areas of sustainable transport, air pollution, alternative transport, and environmental education. These policies support the need for sustainable development and environmental responsibility.
