ABSTRACT
Public relations practitioners need a larger skill set to successfully handle multiple complex challenges in organizations and the larger public sphere when it comes to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)/Sustainability. Linkages between public relations and CSR/Sustainability seem organic, and with some key changes, public relations could be a major driver of organizational reform required to advance responsibility and sustainability-thinking. Should governments and industries adopt mandatory requirements for CSR/Sustainability, public relations could be a major ally for integrating those changes across organizational silos. Rather than focusing exclusively on one-way publicity activities, public relations' insider-activist role means further developing and enhancing mutually-beneficial relationships among organizations and multiple stakeholders. Potential for positive synergies remains high when enjoined public relations and CSR/Sustainability efforts advance both financial and social goals. Public relations' environmental scanning duties must include scrutiny of social values and norms in communities and nations where multinational corporations operate.
