Corporate Social Responsibility And Entrepreneurship For Sustainability

This book provides professionals, as well as students, with the understanding that Social Entrepreneurship and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) are now core business principles for sustainably. It encourages social entrepreneurs in their role as forerunners, in creating new business models that develop, facilitate or implement constructive solutions to social, cultural and environmental issues. At the same time, this book views corporate social responsibility as a means of challenging existing entities to realize and modify prior unsustainable and predatory business models; and to increase social, cultural and environmental accountability. By linking these two concepts, this book prompts a paradigmatic awakening, whereby the foundational driver of business creation and management no longer rests on profit maximization, but on improvement of the quality of life for society.

This book addresses the dilemma that firms face in engaging in corporate social responsibility (CSR) while maintaining a financially sustainable business model in the era of digital transformation. Several strategies that firms have taken to integrate CSR within the business model are also highlighted. To explicate the problems involved, the book primarily focuses on entrepreneurial ventures, given their nascent business model that best illustrates how business leaders can embed the social mission in the firm at the beginning of organizational founding. In this age, sustainability is an innovation’s new frontier. For sustainable competitive advantage, the book argues for how companies can build more sustainable products, processes, and practices that benefit the firm and society through maintaining an entrepreneurial philosophy. The target readership consists of academics, students, and practitioners in the areas of entrepreneurship, organizational behavior, organizational theory, and strategic management. This book clarifies the critical practices of sustainability-oriented innovative firms and creative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Through a review of recent trends in CSR, the authors emphasize that CSR is no longer a “bolt-on” or some kind of window-dressing to satisfy public relations (PR) needs. Credible CSR is critical to business legitimacy and sustainability. Aware of the public’s increasing scrutiny, companies are increasingly ramping up their focus on social responsibility, whether by championing women's rights, protecting the environment, or attempting to obliterate poverty, on local, national, or global levels. Simultaneously, more firms face accusations of “greenwashing” – backlash due to consumer mistrust in the intentions behind their CSR practices. While numerous works have highlighted this dilemma and how companies fall short in their prosocial goals or financial objectives (or both), there is a lack of understanding of the ingredients and crucial processes required for the successful implementation of CSR in entrepreneurial enterprises. This book serves to fill that gap.

In an effort to safeguard the environment, consumers have begun pressuring global businesses to create environmentally-friendly products and sustainable business practices that promote the preservation and protection of communities and nature. To create and maintain positive consumer relationships, new and existing businesses must enact policies that allow them to make an effective and smooth transition toward sustainability to contribute to economic growth by creating offerings with environmental and social value. Recent Advancements in Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Corporate Social Responsibility provides emerging research that examines entrepreneurial strategies and business practices that can be implemented to provide eco-friendly services to the community and that offer solutions to various social and environmental problems. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics such as green marketing, corporate identity, and business ethics, this book is ideally designed for CSR managers, human resources professionals, entrepreneurs, managers, executives, corporate leaders, business professionals, academicians, researchers, and students seeking current research on the expanding area of sustainable business practices.

Despite its recent popularity in literature, theory, and practice, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) remains a vague concept that struggles to define itself beyond the confines of corporate philanthropy or sustainability. In some circles, it is a response to the present and anticipated climate change challenges, while in others it focuses on fair trade, corporate governance, and responsible investment. What then is CSR, and how do we understand its purpose? In Corporate Social Responsibility, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation, authors Kenneth Amaeshi and Paul Nnodim consider the governance of corporate externalities (positive and negative impacts of firms on society and the environment) as the main thrust of the CSR discourse – a field that hitherto only the state has regulated, with sometimes coercive actions. This book contributes to the theorization of CSR by presenting the meaning of CSR in a clear and distinct manner, giving the ongoing CSR debate a new direction anchored on a firm economic philosophy. It reinforces the view of firms as social institutions as well as economic actors, establishing CSR as a form of justice rather than philanthropy. Articulating CSR as private governance of corporate externalities, for the first time, this book provides researchers with a new paradigm to translate knowledge into action and offers reflective managers an alternative framework in which to explore their corporate strategies and decisions.

In today's global business environment it is no longer acceptable that a corporation does well simply by doing good. It is expected. With increasing pressures from stakeholders to improve the bottom line as well as to be good corporate citizens, business leaders face tough decisions. What social issues should we support? What initiatives should we develop that will do the most good for the company as well as the cause? Do we include social messages in our advertising, encourage our employees to volunteer, do we modify our business practices? How do we integrate a new initiative into current strategies? These and other challenges will continue to face future leaders. This book provides thoughtful answers to these important questions, and to many more. The book offers suggestions on how to choose among major worthy causes and also how to measure the amount of good achieved both for the recipients and the companies themselves. Of course, all is not only about challenges, there are loads of opportunities that go along with them but it’s only responsible and sustainable leaders who would be able to spot these opportunities. That is the future which awaits 21st century leaders.

This is the first in a two volume study of Corporate Social Responsibility and corporate behaviour from around the world, taking in viewpoints from five continents and over ten countries. These case studies present a detailed analysis of best practice in the corporate world in the areas of social ethics and community engagement.

This book provides readers with in-depth insights into Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainability strategies, as well as their impacts on product and process innovation, business models and social innovation around the globe. It explains how resource issues, climate change, the impacts of pollution and economic activities, and emerging social challenges inevitably lead to changes in the business environment, cost structure and competitive advantage. Further, it highlights how these changes influence the process of innovation, and how companies can gain an edge by integrating stakeholder groups in their innovation process, and by considering sustainability and the needs of society at large. The book reflects the immense strides made in recent years in the discussion about the relationship between business and society, and demonstrates the increasing impact on innovation management.

In a changing and complex environment currently facing the main challenges of sustainable development, effective management of knowledge, intellectual assets, organizational learning, and talent management are the basis for social innovation and new ways of competition. In this sense, management and business practice are incorporating social and environmental demands made by all types of stakeholders to improve business decisions and strategies. Knowledge Management for Corporate Social Responsibility provides research exploring the theoretical and practical aspects of linking firm profitability, social development, and natural environment in respect to business management practices. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics such as employer branding, intellectual capital, and organizational performance, this book is ideally designed for business professionals, small business owners, entrepreneurs, academicians, researchers, and business students.