ABSTRACT
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a strategic systems approach that examines and influences the behaviour of a company while preserving its competitive advantage. Competitive advantage is the implementation of a value-creating strategy not simultaneously being implemented by any current or potential competitors. Strategic CSR transforms "value chain social impacts" into activities that benefit society while simultaneously reinforcing corporate strategy and also advances strategic philanthropy that leverages areas of competitiveness. Putting in place a strategic CSR programme will probably require a financial investment in that the requisite management infrastructure may have to be put into place, and when carrying out a scoping study and doing benchmarking it is sometimes prudent to hire consultants. For a CSR programme to be truly strategic it must be embedded in all functions and enmeshed in business decisions. The identification and interviewing of key stakeholders is an essential prerequisite before embarking on future full-fledged stakeholder dialogues.
