Sign Up Now
Get instant access to over 1 million+ study documents
OR
Already registered? click here to login
By creating your account, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and student honor code.
1. Introduction
There are a number of definitions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) available that typically focus on different factors that should be included in these initiatives (Verschoor, 2009). A concise definition provided by The Financial Times states that CSR is “is a business approach that contributes to sustainable development by delivering economic, social and environmental benefits for all stakeholders” (Definition of corporate social responsibility, 2017, para. 1). This definition is congruent with the consumers’ perspective of CSR as well, with the most important factors including: (a) corporations need to be committed to their employees; (b) corporations need to be committed to the public and communities and overall society; (c) corporations have a responsibility to provide quality products; and (d) corporations have a responsibility to the environment (Verschoor, 2009). The respective internal and external drivers and obstacles of CSR are discussed below followed by a discussion of the role of CSR communication in achieving organizational goals.
2. Drivers and Obstacles of CSR
Internal Organizational Drivers and Obstacles:
One of the overarching obstacles to successful CSR initiatives is the mindset of some corporate leaders concerning the utility of these efforts. Until fairly recently, many corporate leaders viewed CSR initiatives as so much greenwashing intended only to minimally...
Increasingly, however, many corporate leaders are recognizing that CSR initiatives that are aligned with organizational goals can provide significant returns on these investments. For instance, Ballou, Casey, Grenier and Heitgerp (2012) emphasize that, “If organizations think about sustainability initiatives in the same manner as their core business decisions, such initiatives cannot only be a source of competitive advantage and long-term value for shareholders, but also be highly valued by an organization’s multiple stakeholders” (p. 268). Beyond these intangibles, though, other drivers of CSR initiatives include their ability to directly contribute to a corporation’s profitability (Carrasco & Buendía-Martínez, 2016). To facilitate the process, some corporations have created CSR teams to identify opportunities and implement appropriate initiatives; others, however, have implemented CSR strategies organization-wide in less obvious but still significant ways. For example, Brooks (2010) reports that, “Some [corporations] have set up a substantial CSR team while others have embraced CSR in a more subtle and pervasive way. The latter have changed their values as a result and require all activities to reflect these new values” (p. 12).
External Organizational Drivers and Obstacles:
As growing numbers of companies…
References
Ballou, B., Casey, R. J., Grenier, J. H. & Heitger, D. L. (2012). Exploring the strategic integration of sustainability initiatives: Opportunities for accounting research. Accounting Horizons, 26(2), 265-288.
Brooks, M. (2010, June). Incorporated social responsibility: Authentic CSR is an attitude that pervades every business decision. Financial Management, 12.
Carrasco, I. & Buendia-Martinez, I. (2016, January 1). From the business strategy result to a source of economic development: The dual role of CSR. Journal of Small Business Strategy, 26(1), 69-73.
Definition of corporate social responsibility. (2017). The Financial Times. Retrieved from http://lexicon.ft.com/Term?term=corporate-social-responsibility--(CSR).
Frecea, G. L. (2016, June 1). CSR integration into the financial economy: A conceptual approach. European Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 8(1), 35-39.
Kesavan, R. & Bernacchi, M. D. (2013, January 1). Word of mouse: CSR communication and the social media. International Management Review, 9(1), 58-62.
Verschoor, C. C. (2009, August). Consumers consider the importance of corporate social responsibility. Strategic Finance, 20-24.
Corporate Social Responsibility There are various definitions aiming to explain what Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) signifies. Because of the many ways in which this concept is interpreted by the millions of companies around this country, and the world, there is no consensus as to what CSR could truly mean. In other words, definitions vary depending upon the field examined, and the impact of a business' actions. Yet CSR is of vital
591-2). The failure to integrate CSR initiatives into a larger development plan is another problem contributing to the lack of implementation of CSR projects. Projects are often driven by short-term expediency meaning that the decisions taken are at too low a level as to which projects to execute. There may be little coordination in determining the areas that will benefit and how the projects can be put together to contribute
Corporate Social Responsibility Unfortunately, corporations are given considerable leeway by the government and are allowed to sidestep rules, misinform or withhold information from the public; and otherwise avoid accountability. As Estes writes in his article "Punitive Damages Remind Companies Not to Sin," "We'll continue to have exploding automobiles, unsafe workplaces, sweatshops, toxic pollution and waste until corporations are made to put the public interest over private profit." Exploding cars are only
Corporate Social Responsibility Trends of 2011 With so many businesses running the world today, and especially in light of those who do not necessarily have the consumer's best interest at heart, there must be something holding it all to a certain standard, namely, something assuring that the customer and the employees are served well by the company. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is that thing. CSR is defined by Mallen Baker (2011) as
Corporate Responsibility During the past couple of decades companies that had been previously concerned only with their bottom line and profitability have changed course and taken new directions that include corporate social responsibilities such as health, safety, environment, and even community relations. As these new responsibilities have taken shape many of the for -- profit organizations have established footholds in what used to be the non-profit arena's domain of expertise. This
Corporate Social Responsibility Literature Review a topic-Corporate Social Responsibility The term 'corporate social responsibility' is a social word that has often taken the world by a storm at its mention. Noya and Clarence (2007) in their book "The social economy: building inclusive economies" offers a succinct description and understanding of what normally takes place and get exemplified at the mention of this term in the business world. Many writers of business journals