Understanding Social Responsibility and the Quality of an Organisation
Ian Erskine — Managing Director & CEO, ACI Global & E-Quip
ACI Podcast Episode 90: In this episode, we sit down with Ian Erskine, Managing Director and CEO of ACI Global and e-Quip, for the 90th episode in his ongoing Xraised series and the first of a two-part series titled Understanding Social Responsibility and the Quality of an Organisation. This milestone episode takes a foundational approach to ISO 26000:2010, unpacking how Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability work together to build organisations that genuinely earn trust, accountability, and long-term sustained success.
Ian opens by making something clear that is often misunderstood: CSR cannot function unless organisations truly understand sustainability in its fullest sense, not as a reporting exercise but as the overarching objective of maximising contribution to sustainable development, including the development of their people. That framing shifts the conversation from compliance to culture.
The episode then works through the seven principles of social responsibility as defined in ISO 26000, beginning with accountability. Ian explains what it means for an organisation to be genuinely answerable, not just to controlling interests and legal authorities, but to those affected by its decisions and to society as a whole. He addresses ethical behaviour in depth, covering how organisations should identify core values, build governance structures that promote ethical conduct, and create safe mechanisms for reporting wrongdoing without fear of reprisal.
The conversation also explores how ACI Global has gone further than the standard requires by adopting two additional principles of its own: a Social License built on digital equity and a learning guarantee, and an explicit commitment to environmental sustainability.
The episode closes with a practical discussion on stakeholder engagement and how balancing the interests of all parties, including those with no formal governance role, is what ultimately defines the quality of an organisation.
For any leader serious about building an organisation that earns genuine trust from its people, clients, and wider community, this episode is essential viewing.
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