Perspectives on corporate social responsibility

Over the last decade the question of the relationship between organizations and society has been subject to much debate, often of a critical nature.

The decade has seen protests concerning the actions of organizations, exposures of corporate exploitation and unfolding accounting scandals.

At the same time ethical behaviour and a concern for the environment have been shown to have a positive correlation with corporate performance.

The nature of corporate social responsibility is therefore a topical one for businesses and academics.

There are, however, many different perspectives upon what is meant by corporate social responsibility and how this might be applied within organizations.