ABSTRACT
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is about the responsibility that businesses have towards society, going beyond their legal requirements. CSR can be considered as businesses being considerate towards the communities where they are based. Business performance has been measured purely along the profit dimension, and most business models have seen profit maximisation as the core objective of the firm. The government caught up with the developments and brought in laws to protect employees and, albeit much later, limit any damage to the environment. CSR may have its roots in the ‘thoughtfulness’ and consideration of philanthropists towards their fellow human beings, it has become much more formalised and exists at the heart of the ‘mission statement’ of many companies. China is important in terms of its population, land area, rapid industrialisation and significant issues it has thrown up with regard to sustainable development. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
