The Corporate Social Responsibility Agenda

Abstract

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has experienced a journey that is almost unique in the pantheon of ideas in the management literature. Its phenomenal rise to prominence in the 1990s and 2000s suggests that it is a relatively new area of academic research. This book seeks to offer such a critical reflection on some of the major debates that coalesce around the subject of CSR. Bringing together a range of voices from within, across, and around the management literature, this book is intended as an authoritative account available on the CSR literature as it stands today, from the world's leading scholars in the area. This introductory article provides an overview of CSR as a subject of academic inquiry, discusses the institutionalization of the CSR literature, and outlines the guiding principles adopted in assembling this book and selecting the contributors.

Corporate social responsibility and financial performance relationship: a review of measurement approaches

“…CSR has been studied for some time now, but a consensus is still missing concerning its definition and its constituent dimensions, constructs and principles (Crane et al, 2008).…”

“…For example, Friedman (1970) argues that 'the only social responsibility of a company is to increase its profits' whilst staying 'within the rules of the game' . Contrary to that, Davis (1973) argues that CSR requires 'consideration of issues beyond the narrow economic, technical, and legal requirements of the company' (cited in Crane et al, 2008). These two definitions sit on opposite sides.…”

“…However, achieving this objective should not cause negative side effects for other stakeholders and society as a whole. Businesses make up part of society and depend on it to attain their economic goals (Crane, McWilliams, Matten, Moon, & Siegel, 2008).…”

Responsabilidade social corporativa na indústria relojoeira suíça: percepções e práticas

“…According to the author, corporations that limit themselves to the first two layers should not be considered as being socially responsible. Crane et al (2008) relied on the study of Gariga and Melé (2004) to offer four categories of existing schools of thought: economic focus, stakeholder focus, strategic focus, and society focus. Visser (2011) suggested grouping different CSR typologies into five different stages of CSR that can overlap each other according to the nature of the companies' CSR program.…”

Institutionalizing Strategic Communication in Europe – An Ideal Home or a Mad House? Evidence from a Survey in 37 Countries

“…Examples in corporate communication might be issues management, public affairs, investor relations, and corporate social responsibility (CSR). At the core of CSR are questions of governance and legitimization of an organizations' role in society, taking into account economic, ecological and social implications of its actions on internal and external stakeholders (Crane, McWilliams, & Matten, 2008;May, Cheney, & Roper, 2007). This area came up significantly in the findings from the ECM 2008 survey where three out of four communication managers reported being involved in CSR activities (see Table 3).…”