The Market for CSR Practices

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to stimulate a discussion about the market for CSR practices. This entails a shift of focus from contemporary approaches of analyzing the phenomenon that largely focus on the way in which CSR actions affect businesses and the markets. In contrast, the present paper proposes an analysis of the market for CSR actions and activities as a more integrative approach to conceptualizing the complex nature of the phenomenon. Three critical dimensions are identified as determinants of CSR market outcomes, namely the content of the demand and supply forces, the origin of the market, and the institutional terrain within which the market is developed. A tentative application of the proposed context is discussed with reference to the food sector.