Ye Olde CSR: The Historic Roots of Corporate Social Responsibility in Norway

Abstract

This essay traces the roots of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Norway. It is argued that a basic tenet of CSR, an orientation toward the concerns of stakeholders, has a long history in Norwegian business, predating the modern CSR movement. The essay underscores certain qualities of the Norwegian business system and the Norwegian political culture in order to explain how this stakeholder orientation grew and how CSR is perceived and practiced today. Corporatism and dialog are traits which position Norwegian businesses well to address CSR in a globalized economy.Present-day examples of companies and practices are provided to illustrate key features of Norwegian CSR, as it has developed over the course of more than 150 years.This version is accepted and will be appearing as:

The Effect of Virtual Team Membership Change on Social Identity Development: A Case from Higher Education in Norway

“…The Norwegian Model often refers to the establishment of a peculiar corporative political culture and an economic system in Norway [19].…”

“…The Norwegian Model has fostered a climate for compromise and negotiations [19]. Business in Norway is considered to be one of many institutions functioning in society, and is not always seen as the most important, business has often been eyed with skepticism [19].…”

“…Business in Norway is considered to be one of many institutions functioning in society, and is not always seen as the most important, business has often been eyed with skepticism [19]. The Norwegian political system, based on corporatism, dialog, and social democratic government, has given trade unions sufficient influence to limit work place conflicts.…”

“…The Norwegian political system, based on corporatism, dialog, and social democratic government, has given trade unions sufficient influence to limit work place conflicts. Cooperation, consensus, participation, and power sharing have been important keywords, and the model has given employees huge influence [19]. While relations have been strained at times, an underlying understanding of shared interests has prevailed in many Norwegian companies [19].…”

Corporate Social Responsibility in Europe

“…The Rio conference, and the major companies mentioned above, clearly contributed to the international business focus on the environment and later social responsibility. However, in order to understand how Corporate Social Responsibility really is perceived by business and the public in Norway, we need to trace the historical roots of a rather special relationship between business and society which is different from such relationships in other countries in Europe (Ihlen & Hoivik, 2013).…”