ABSTRACT
Societies around the world face significant challenges in the twenty-first century: a growing global population, changing demographics and an ageing population in certain countries, the effects of global warming, as well as continuing global poverty (Blowfield and Murray, 2008). It can be argued that the fundamental role that organizations play in addressing these trends and issues is, and will continue to be, an ongoing concern. At the same time, it can also be argued that societies will expect businesses to continue to demonstrate greater responsibility, accountability and transparency; that they will seek to ensure that corporate irresponsibility, greed and excess is minimized; and that they will treat employees in a fair and responsible manner. The expectation, therefore, that companies do more than simply generate wealth and shareholder profits by demonstrating a commitment to societal issues through social and environmental activities will remain a central and fundamental issue for organizations in the future. Will, as Burchell (2008) considers, these ongoing challenges ensure that CSR in the long term will lead to a fundamental shift in organizational behavior towards more sustainable ways of operating, or will it be seen as a management fad that is of less concern when more immediate issues present themselves?
