ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines overlap of public relations and corporate social responsibility (CSR)/Sustainability by comparing/contrasting origins, theories, and attention to stakeholders. It builds upon relevant bodies of literature and to reveal empirical findings for the purpose of better understanding CSR/Sustainability's ethics and communicative components. The book interrogates the broader scope of the public relations industry for contributing to public communication involving culture, economics, and politics. It enjoins several theory frameworks in order to closely critique public relations. The book examines how/if it is possible for public relations practitioners to navigate CSR/Sustainability even when outcomes inconsistent with organizational self-interest. By the end of the twentieth century, big business had earned significant disapproval especially corporations associated with highly publicized corruption, environmental degradation, and human rights and labor abuses.
