Zurich Financial Services (UKISA) India Programme: Creating value through corporate community involvement

This case describes the evolution of a community affairs initiative called the India Programme, run by the Zurich Financial Services (UKISA) Community Trust. ZFS (UKISA) is UK-based and specialises in general insurance and life assurance. It is part of the Zurich Financial Services group of companies, headquartered in Switzerland, and was formed in 2000 after the completion of the merger between Zurich Insurance of Switzerland and the UK-based insurance operations of BAT Industries - Allied Dunbar and Eagle Star. The case explores how an initiative with a social objective (the India Programme) comes into being within a large organization and is subsequently developed. It describes how external events such as the merger affect the development of the programme and offers the potential to explore how the mechanics of the initiative can be changed to fit with company strategy. The case also examines how a company can create economic value through a social initiative and how to manage the twin objectives of social value creation and economic value creation over the longer term. As an example of an initiative that combines social and economic value creation, the case can be used to illustrate a range of issues within the fields of corporate social responsibility, social entrepreneurship and community affairs management. It also deals with interesting HR and talent development issues.