Corporate social responsibility: definitions and organizational perspectives

CSR Definition

Corporate citizenship basically refers to how a business organization meets varying social and economic standards that are established by stakeholders and the impact of the organization's activities on the community it operates in. Corporate citizenship, which is also known as corporate social responsibility, has received significant attention in the past given the importance placed on it by customers, employees, suppliers, and the whole society. Actually, some organizations consider corporate citizenship as creative opportunity to essentially foster their businesses while making significant contributions to the society. As a result, corporate citizenship has emerged as a core component for the overall strategies of companies, since it enables businesses to creatively handle major business issues.

In light of the increased significance of corporate citizenship in today's business environment, organizational vision and values have considerable impact on achieving an edge in corporate social responsibility. The main impact of vision and values on achieving an edge in corporate citizenship is that it determines the overall strategies the company utilizes in creatively addressing major business issues in the society (Keys, Malnight & van der Graaf, 2009). Vision and values act as the framework through which strategies are developed in light of the major business issues in the society. Actually, vision and values provide an edge in corporate citizenship through determining and influencing initiatives that result in creative opportunities for strengthening the business and organizational operations while meeting society's needs. Therefore, vision and values help in identifying suitable measures for creating value for the business and society, which results in an edge in corporate citizenship.

Despite the increased recognition of the importance of corporate citizenship in the modern business environment, there is no single standardized definition of corporate social responsibility. The lack of a single definition of this concept has generated plenty of confusion regarding what actually constitutes a corporate citizenship activity. The previously described definition of corporate citizenship is not cast on stone given the increased confusion of what actually describes this concept. The modern business environment has been characterized by prevalence of different ideas on the actual definition and description of corporate social responsibility as reflected in the two articles.

According to Mims (2008), the idea or corporate citizenship or corporate social responsibility has shifted in the past few years and should now be centered on matching customers' satisfaction in a way that enhances an organization's bottom line. She argues that companies are increasingly convinced that the most appropriate means for demonstrating corporate citizenship is through focusing on customers' concerns and what the company does best. The focus on this intersection helps the organization to generate real, valuable change since it leverages its knowledge and expertise in developing meaningful solutions to key business issues in the society. Wan-Jan (2006) recognizes the widespread misunderstandings and cynicisms associated with corporate citizenship and attempts to provide a working definition of this concept (p.176). The researcher argues that current literature and best practices define corporate social responsibility either from an ethical perspective or business strategy, which is a major factor in the plenty of confusion regarding corporate social responsibility.