ABSTRACT
Technology companies have learned from the experiences of companies in other sectors that have been the focus of stakeholder scrutiny, such as apparel, extractives, and consumer products companies, and adopted tools and best practices for demonstrating and communicating corporate responsibility. Few, if any, companies become corporate responsibility leaders without first enduring critical scrutiny. Companies often use “corporate responsibility,” “corporate social responsibility,” “corporate citizenship,” “business ethics” and “sustainability” interchangeably to describe corporate initiatives ranging from philanthropy, to legal compliance, to social and environmental programs. Many corporate responsibility initiatives go beyond compliance to set minimum standards for business conduct, and for social and environmental performance within a company’s “sphere of influence,” even in the absence of legal requirements or enforcement. Increasingly, business leaders understand that corporate responsibility also goes beyond philanthropy, such as charitable giving.
