ABSTRACT
While the causes of the gender pay gap are undoubtedly complex, it is likely that at least some portion of the gap results from—and can be closed by—the policies and practices of individual employers. Any attempt to tackle that part of the pay gap for which employers may be expected to take some responsibility gives rise to debate as to the respective roles of compulsion and voluntarism as mechanisms for change and the relationship between the two. This chapter considers strategies that have been, or might be, used by policymakers to narrow the gap and the extent to which the success of these strategies is reliant upon the willing collaboration of the business community (note that the chapter focuses on private, rather than public, employers). In doing so, we reflect on the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR), its recent history, and its potential to make a significant impact in this area.
