Being a good corporate digital citizen goes beyond simply demonstrating responsibility and acting according to norms and good online behaviour. Expectations of corporate digital citizens include respecting, sharing and educating others and engaging in meaningful discussion and deliberation. With that said, those in the corporate realm need also to champion good digital citizenship as they would in any other aspect of their life. But before we delve into the etiquette of digital citizenship, we need to understand what it is.
Digital citizenship means using information technology (IT) in order to engage in society, politics, and government. As defined by Karen Mossberger, one of the authors of Digital Citizenship: The Internet, Society, and Participation, digital citizens are “those who use the internet regularly and effectively.” They also have a comprehensive understanding of digital citizenship, which is the appropriate and responsible behaviour when using technology. Here are some examples of how businesses and investors can practise good digital citizenship:
The modern business world runs on data. The sum of all actions, interactions, and transactions serves as the currency that drives digital business forward and allows organisations to innovate and transform like never before. But using data to deliver insights and support informed customer experience comes with great responsibility: companies must take privacy and data ethics seriously. They must provide consumers choice and control around what data they entrust to other companies, and they must be transparent in how they use it. Data used the right way can help organisations deliver relevant, personalised, and innovative product and customer experiences.
Keeping in mind the image of your brand and the reputation you and your business hold in the digital space can determine the level of respect and trust you accumulate in the industry. Therefore, ensuring your digital footprint remains one that adds value to your audience is essential. Refining your digital footprint means making sure your brand’s web pages, social media channels, and media coverage are honest and aligned to the strategy with which crisis is dealt with.
Whether you operate a business or invest in businesses without taking an active interest in their day-to-day activities, it’s crucial that you (or the company you invest in) diversify your use of online media. For example, stats show that 77 percent of buyers are more likely to buy from a company whose CEO uses social media. This confirms that content on platforms like websites can be optimised if shared on other mediums and seen by different audiences.
Likewise, investors are now more than ever inclined to diversify online assets – for example, by participating in cryptocurrency to maintain a global presence. Wealth diversification, like media diversification, also ensures you are protected against sudden changes in a single digital arena.
In recent years, especially given the pandemic and the lockdowns that came with it, the trend of attaining second citizenship has skyrocketed. Second citizenship provides a means to not only live and work in multiple jurisdictions but exercise travel rights more effectively.
According to CS Global Partners, interest in second citizenship increased 42 percent in the US from 2019 to 2020 and 72 percent in North Africa compared to the last year, with other regions in the world showing similar patterns in 2021. While getting second citizenship through long-term naturalisation is a valid means, time-poor businesspeople seldom can afford that option.
Through citizenship by investment, often most of the process can be dealt with digitally. Many Caribbean countries like St Kitts and Nevis and Dominica do not require applicants to spend time in the nation, travel there, and will do an initial review of documents submitted online. Hard copies must however be sent to the relevant citizenship by investment bodies prior to approval.
As businesses and economies continue to digitise, having second citizenship under one’s belt helps keep up with the times.
CS Global Partners has over a decade of experience in the CBI industry, and we seek to offer the best advice to investors looking for second citizenship or permanent residency. We tailor specifically to the needs of our clients and their families.
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