ABSTRACT
This chapter considers corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the issues surrounding it, basing discussion firmly on 21st-century realities. CSR has moved beyond a simple equation of profitability plus compliance plus philanthropy to becoming more about understanding the societies in which business operates. Top executives are finding themselves dealing with a wide spectrum of issues, including greater accountability, human rights abuses, corporate governance codes, workplace ethics, stakeholder consultation and management, and sustainability strategies. Pressure of events requires a crisis or extreme public pressure—usually both at once—to make companies take the CSR lesson to heart. Increasingly, employees are demanding that the companies they work for commit to and act on socially responsible values. Many companies are acting on perceived gaps in their social performance. A commitment to social responsibility can build the competence and vitality of a company and guide it along a path of knowledge and innovation-based success.
