ABSTRACT
HE CONCEPTUALIZATION OF THE SOCIAL EXPECTATIONS OF BUSINESS WITHIN THE GENERAL CONTEXT Tof corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a recent phenomenon, in both social development think-ing and corporate culture. Yet, the emergence of C SR has been shrouded in controversy that has often taken the form of a polemic debate. While most observers agree that businesses have social
responsibilities, the crux of the disagreement between critics and advocates of CSR relates to the nature and scope of these responsibilities encapsulated under the umbrella of CSR. It also relates to the differences in perceptions and understanding of the role and purpose of the corporation in society. However,
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contemporary realities such as the bifurcation of world politics, the process of globalization, the information technology revolution and incidences of corporate misdemeanours have all ensured that CSR is not just a passing phase in the business-society relationship. As such, the issue is not so much whether corporations would imbibe the principles of CSR or not: rather, it is to what extent CSR principles influence corporate decisions and practices (Davis, 1960). In other words, emphasis is on focusing on the extent to which corporate rhetoric of CSR matches with practices and how CSR can contribute to sustainable development.
