In recent years the term corporate social responsibility (CSR) has gained prominence both in business and in the media, not least because of the rise in power of the transnational corporation in an increasingly globalized world. It is one of the most debated management issues, yet there is a lack of consensus on what the concept means, what it entails, why it should be embraced and how. This Research Companion brings together a team of scholars from around the world to offer their view of the key issues in corporate social responsibility research. Each author is concerned with different aspects of CSR, providing a variety of theoretical lenses and a wide range of perspectives from different countries and experiences. It presentrs scholars and graduate students with a valuable guide to current thinking and a comprehensive reference to this increasingly important field.
While the concept and domain of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) are not new—its beginnings can be tracked back to the 1960s—its scope, urgency, and relevance have shifted dramatically in recent years. CEO responses show that the majority of business leaders understand that they operate in an environment of contested values and that stakeholders expect companies to do better and more. However, many corporate incentive systems are not in sync with societal norms and expectations. Moreover, "grand challenges" such as climate change and global pandemics and growing interconnectedness shed light on the fault lines of value creation through complex supply chain systems, exposing unacceptable working conditions, modern slavery, and the environmental consequences of highly distributed production at any cost. As a consequence, corporate social responsibility has become a widely accepted common denominator of the role and responsibilities of business in society, ranging from core functions such as health, safety, and environment standards, to governance and recognition of stakeholders, supply chain design, and corporations’ stand on climate change and its responsibility to future generations. This volume assembles state-of-the-art scholarship from leading scholars in the field and enables a "full range view" of CSR, from its roots, normative foundations, and institutional perspectives to matters of stakeholding, the global value chain, social innovation, and future directions. The Routledge Companion to Corporate Social Responsibility represents a prestige reference work providing an overview of the subject area of CSR for academics, researchers, postgraduate students, as well as reflective practitioners.
Is corporate social responsibility (CSR) a universal idea? Is the same exact definition of CSR relevant for any organization, regardless of context? Or would such a definition need to be adapted to fit different types of organizations, in different cultures, industries and sectors? This book discusses how CSR preferably should be practiced in various generalized contexts. Experts share their knowledge on whether a broad definition of CSR can be practiced as is or if it first has to undergo changes, in as various generalized contexts as Buddhist and Islamic organizations, developing countries, the food processing industry, the shipping industry, and the pharmaceutical industry.
Designed to serve as a supplemental text for courses in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, corporate strategy, and organizational behaviour, this text is also an indispensible companion text for business students to use throughout their full programme of study. It provides objective coverage of key issues in corporate social responsibility, the obligation of companies to various stakeholder groups, the contribution of business to society and culture, and the relationship between organizations and the quality of the environment. Key features of the text include the following: A Reader's Guide that explains how to use the volume Keyword entries featuring comprehensive essays on such crucial topics as strategic corporate social responsibility, strategic philanthropy, corporate social performance, and social audits. A listing of references and suggested readings for each entry, so that readers can find more information on topics of particular interest.
Finally, a book that crosses the great divide between academia and practice a rare feat, especially in edited volumes with scholarly contributions. . . there is much to like about what the book does cover. Wayne Visser, Ethical Performance Mallin brings together academics and business experts to share a wide range of accounts from across the globe. Readers will find insights and guidance on how countries and companies have tried to balance the perceived needs of often disparate groups. James McRitchie, CorpGov.net Chris Mallin has put together a fine volume providing detailed insights into the global spread of CSR. It wonderfully showcases the diversity and dynamics of CSR in different countries, regions and key industries. It is an essential read for everybody interested in the dialectics of global homogenization and local adaptation of CSR-related management practices. Dirk Matten, York University, Toronto, Canada Professor Mallin has edited a remarkable range of studies, illustrating how companies across the world regard and respond to their social responsibilities. Her book will prove an invaluable source of information for everyone interested in comparative corporate social responsibility, aided by the admirable learning points and questions following each case study. It will also be turned to for guidance by investors concerned to promote corporate social values internationally. Sir Adrian Cadbury, Aston University Business School, Birmingham, UK Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is an area of increasing global interest with companies taking CSR issues more seriously, devoting more resources to such issues and acknowledging the benefits of CSR activities. This insightful book provides a comprehensive analysis of the development of CSR in a diverse range of countries including the UK, Italy, Poland, Turkey, the USA, the Middle East, Australia, Japan and Korea. Christine Mallin has brought together leading experts from both academia and the business world to provide fully up-to-date accounts of developments in CSR from a range of legal, cultural and economic perspectives. This timely resource will serve as an invaluable teaching and resource tool for advanced students and academics and will provide insights and guidance to the wider business community.
The aim of this book is to present selected theoretical and practical aspects of corporate social responsibility and sustainability, with particular emphasis on the journey (transition) from values to impact. Values play an important role in business world and they shape the responsible approach of organizations. However, pressing and still unresolved challenges of the present day show evidently that there exist significant discrepancies between organizations' declarations on values and their real impact. COVID-19 pandemic, Globalization 4.0, climate catastrophe and challenges emphasized by SDGs, constitute the new environment that contemporary organizations face. In effect business is part of the problem and a solution as well. It is necessary to quickly and effectively push for action taking into account the power of responsible business to co-create human live and environment. Both the theoretical considerations and the practice-based studies presented in this monograph make a significant contribution to the theory and practice of management. The book is an extension and enrichment of the existing knowledge in the field of socially responsible management in organizations. Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability will be of value to academics, researchers and advanced students in the fields of business and management, especially those interest in the intersection of management and CSR and sustainability, and those focusing the impact that business activities have on the environment.
Following recent growth of ethical consumerism, customers and other stakeholders increasingly pressure organizations to be socially responsible and minimize their negative impact on the environment. Accordingly, a plethora of firms have integrated corporate social responsibility (CSR) at the center of their business strategies and actions. Whilst this has resulted in many firms meeting their broader responsibilities toward society and the environment, some firms have used CSR in a manipulative and insincere way. As stakeholders become aware of such misuse of CSR, largely thanks to the rapid evolution of information technologies, they start to penalize firms by spreading negative word of mouth about them, and specifically about their CSR knowledge, values, and actions. Now, more than ever before, stakeholders are increasingly critical and cautious in their assessments of firms’ CSR knowledge, values, and actions. On this background, this edited volume sheds light on different internal and external perspectives spanning CSR knowledge, values, and actions. It shares theoretical, practical, and case-based insights on the broader topic and can be of interest to researchers, academics, practitioners, and advanced students in the fields of CSR and business ethics, knowledge management, strategy, and marketing.
As a relatively young subject matter, corporate social responsibility has unsurprisingly developed and evolved in numerous ways since the first edition of this textbook was published. Retaining the features which made the first edition a top selling text in the field, the new edition continues to be the only textbook available which provides a ready-made, enhanced course pack for CSR classes. Authoritative editor introductions provide accessible entry points to the subjects covered - an approach which is particularly suited to advanced undergraduate and postgraduate teaching that emphasises a research-led approach. New case studies are integrated throughout the text to enable students to think and analyze the subject from every angle. The entire textbook reflects the global nature of CSR as a discipline and further pedagogical features include chapter learning outcomes; study questions; ‘challenges for practice’ boxes and additional ‘further reading’ features at the end of each chapter. This highly rated textbook now also benefits from a regularly updated companion website which features a brand new 'CSR Case Club' presenting students and lecturers with further case suggestions with which to enhance learning; lecture slides; updates from the popular Crane and Matten blog, links to further reading and career sites, YouTube clips and suggested answers to study questions. An Ivey CaseMate has also been created for this book at https://www.iveycases.com/CaseMateBookDetail.aspx?id=335.
Corporate social responsibility now touches upon most aspects of the interaction between business and society. The approaches taken to research in this area are as varied as the topics that are researched; yet this is the first book to address the whole range of methods available. The book identifies the methods available, evaluates their use and discusses the circumstances in which they might be appropriate. It also includes forward-thinking guidance from experienced academics on the future directions of research in the area.
