New Perspectives On Corporate Social Responsibility

Providing a timely contribution to the ongoing questions surrounding topics which are by definition subject to varying stakeholder interpretations, this book addresses “the missing link” between theoretical CSR concepts and everyday management practice. It acts as a guide to awaken managers to the advantages of adopting a CSR “mindset” when developing sustainable business strategies. The book consists of three parts: 1) A theoretical realm which establishes the key concepts and rationale for the adoption of a sustainable CSR approach, 2) A practical realm which addresses putting CSR and sustainability into business practice, 3) An educational realm which proposes how to incorporate the concepts into teaching and training.

Over the last decade the question of the relationship between organizations and society has been subject to much debate, often of a critical nature. The decade has seen protests concerning the actions of organizations, exposures of corporate exploitation and unfolding accounting scandals. At the same time ethical behaviour and a concern for the environment have been shown to have a positive correlation with corporate performance. The nature of corporate social responsibility is therefore a topical one for businesses and academics. There are, however, many different perspectives upon what is meant by corporate social responsibility and how this might be applied within organizations. The authors involved are respected academics from a variety of disciplines from around the world. The contributions to this book investigate theoretical perspectives on the topic, the application in practice of socially responsible behaviour and the ethical dimension of such behaviour.

Examines the concepts of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the context of globalisation and its many challenges, focusing on different legal perspectives that arise.

This book presents the latest evidence on, and new approaches to, the development of Corporate Social Responsibility in emerging and established economies. To do so, it examines a broad range of industries, from fashion to banking, and various aspects, like accounting, information security, and human resource management. Special emphasis is placed on the role of education. The case studies gathered here analyse both small and medium sized companies, as well as listed enterprises. The book is a valuable resource for researchers in the fields of sustainability and corporate responsibility, provides student teaching cases for courses on CSR and sustainable management, and offers blueprints for professionals seeking guidance and inspiration on their path towards responsible business operations.

This book highlights the multi-faceted nature of corporate social responsibility and the need for greater engagement across academia to help develop the mechanisms needed to encourage socially responsible approaches across the board. The product of a cross-disciplinary collaboration of authors from various academic disciplines, the book reflects the emergent diversity of academics now studying corporate social responsibility (CSR). Accordingly, it includes contributions from economists to social anthropologists, from accountants to philosophers, and from clinical psychologists to social geographers. Together they provide new insights into aspects that challenge, hinder and enable CSR practitioners and corporations with regard to their financial impact and accountability, governance and supply chains. The book is divided into four parts focusing on the practical, sociological, theoretical and environmental aspects of corporate social responsibility.

Good governance is good PR, it is important in every sphere of society, whether it be the corporate environment, the political, or wider society. When resources are too limited to meet the minimum expectations of the people, it is a good governance level that can help to promote the welfare of society. Enlightened companies recognise that there is a clear link between governance and corporate social responsibility and make efforts to link the two. Unfortunately this is too often no more than making a claim that good governance is a part of their CSR policy as well as a part of their relationship with shareholders. Corporate Governance and CSR are significant issues in all parts of the world, huge amounts of time and energy are devoted to its global interpretation. Most analysis however is too simplistic to be helpful as it normally resolves itself into simple dualities: rules based v principles based or Anglo-Saxon v Continental. The editors of this book argue that this is not helpful - that the reality is far more complex. They show that Corporate Governance and CSR cannot be understood without taking geographical, cultural and historical factors into account. It is necessary, they say to understand the concerns of people in different parts of the world. Therefore, by using a wealth of case studies, theoretical models, and drawing on the knowledge and perspective of experts from around the world, the editors have produced this valuable book. Global Perspectives on Corporate Governance and CSR discusses issues such as regional and cultural similarities and differences, the contexts of differing legal frameworks and governance codes, differences between large companies and SMEs, governance in new environments (companies and economies) versus stable environments, and the changing environment affecting corporate social responsibility around the world. The editors then synthesise this in a way that will be helpful to business people as well as to academics.

The goal of this project is to detail the core, defining principles of strategic CSR that differentiate it as a concept from the rest of the CSR/sustainability/business ethics field. It is designed to be a provocative piece, but one that solidifies the intellectual framework around an emerging concept--strategic CSR.The foundation for these principles comes from my perspective as a management professor within the business school. As such, it is a pragmatic philosophy, oriented around stakeholder theory, that is designed to persuade business leaders who are skeptical of existing definitions and organizing principles of CSR, sustainability, or business ethics. It is also designed to stimulate thought within the community of intellectuals and business school administrators committed to these issues, but who approach them from more traditional perspectives. Ultimately, therefore, the purpose of the strategic CSR concept (and this book) is radical--it aims to redefine both business education and business practice. By building a theory that defines CSR as core to business operations and value creation (as opposed to peripheral practices that can be marginalized within the firm), these defining principles become applicable across the range of operational functions. As such, they redefine how businesses approach these functions in practice, but also redefine how these subjects should be taught in business schools.