CSR Corporate Social Responsibility

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has recently reached an unprecedented level of salience with the emergence of global protests that seem to be driven in a large part by concerns over social issues such as equality as wells as environmental issues such as the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions. Although the protestors are occupying various parts of the world for a plethora of mixed motivations, it is reasonable to speculate that much of these individual motivations are embodied in the concept of CSR. The concept of CSR covers a lot of ground but there are two core principles that account for most of the commentary.

The first concept embodied within the notion of CSR is in respect to the manner that people are treated. Under classical models this would only include investors, customers, and internal employees. However the CSR approach includes all stakeholders locally, regionally, or even globally. For example, pollution emitted by manufacturing processes may not only local residents but also contribute to atmospheric contributions of greenhouse gases which not only affect the global population but may also affect unborn generations. The way corporations act in regards to environmental issues is also of primary importance to the concept of CSR as ecological problems are becoming increasingly identified primarily among the scientific community as well as various activist groups.

Growth of Corporate Social Responsibility

The processes by which organizations operate are increasingly becoming the target of the attention of individuals and organizations across the world. The recent interest in corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been fueled by immeasurable...

These occurrences have done much to shed light upon the implications that follow acts that are void of ethical considerations. Not only have these unethical acts become more salient, but their effects on the economy are also reached a level of transparency that has never before been possible. Technology has increased not only the speed, but also the amount of information that is available to the public about corporate operations.
CSR practices may include corporate philanthropy but its reach extends far beyond charity donations. Some have argued that CSR doesn't have to be complicated nor does it significantly differ from ethical values that are generally considered to appropriate in society on an individual level such as honesty, humility, respect, and dignity (Hui). Others argue that there need not be a separate classification of CSR or business ethics because, in the end, any ethical system is curtailed from the similar origins and thus the concept of CSR isn't any more relevant than the study of ethics for any circumstance (Drucker). Others have also argued that organizations have absolutely no responsibilities other than maximizing shareholder value; given that they operate "within the rules" and any attempt to impose other considerations represents a form of socialism (Friedman).

Despite the varying opinions on whether or not CSR is ethically necessary, many researchers have approached the dilemma from a purely financial perspective. One study developed a framework by considering the salience of stakeholders, their perceptions of the CSR effort, and their collective ability to impact a corporation's financial…