The role of leadership and organizational competencies in corporate social responsibility programmes

Using a narratives study, this chapter offers a detailed contextual view into the role of leadership and organizational competencies in a global CSR programme. The authors look specifically at one hotel’s efforts to embed sustainability and social responsibility across a global chain through the CSR programme. Using a model supported by numerous case examples, the authors apply specific organizational competencies to a hotel. Five supported competencies emerge as key to the process of constructing a global CSR platform. By studying a hotel, the authors extend the literature to include a service-based organization. Further, the authors demonstrate that bilateral organizational collaboration and sensemaking contribute to the process, and this may also improve CSR cognition and support implementation and practice across the entire industry.