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Corporate Social Responsibility: Three Key Approaches

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Author Info
Duane Windsor
Abstract

Corporate social responsibility remains an embryonic and contestable concept. This paper assesses three key approaches and offers a perspective gauging little prospect of theoretical synthesis. Ethical responsibility theory advocates strong corporate self-restraint and altruism duties and expansive public policy strengthening stakeholder rights. Economic responsibility theory advocates market wealth creation subject only to minimalist public policy and perhaps customary business ethics. These two viewpoints embed competing moral frameworks and political philosophies. Any theoretical synthesis must discover some subset of ethical principles yielding corporate competitive advantage. Corporate citizenship language invokes a political metaphor providing neither true intermediate positioning nor theoretical synthesis. Two conflicting interpretations abandon responsibility language without adopting the economic viewpoint. An instrumental citizenship interpretation expands philanthropy as a strategic lever for increasing corporate reputation and market opportunities while retaining managerial discretion. An ideal citizenship interpretation restates ethical responsibility into voluntarism language intended to influence managerial discretion concerning universal human rights. Copyright Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2006.

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File URL: http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2006.00584.x
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Article provided by Blackwell Publishing in its journal Journal of Management Studies.

Volume (Year): 43 (2006)
Issue (Month): 1 (01)
Pages: 93-114
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Handle: RePEc:bla:jomstd:v:43:y:2006:i:1:p:93-114

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  1. Minna Halme & Juha Laurila, 2009. "Philanthropy, Integration or Innovation? Exploring the Financial and Societal Outcomes of Different Types of Corporate Responsibility," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 84(3), pages 325-339, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Nelarine Cornelius & Mathew Todres & Shaheena Janjuha-Jivraj & Adrian Woods & James Wallace, 2008. "Corporate Social Responsibility and the Social Enterprise," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 81(2), pages 355-370, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Uwafiokun Idemudia, 2009. "Oil Extraction and Poverty Reduction in the Niger Delta: A Critical Examination of Partnership Initiatives," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 90(1), pages 91-116, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. James Hine & Lutz Preuss, 2009. "“Society is Out There, Organisation is in Here”: On the Perceptions of Corporate Social Responsibility Held by Different Managerial Groups," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 88(2), pages 381-393, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Stephen Pavelin & Lynda Porter, 2008. "The Corporate Social Performance Content of Innovation in the U.K," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 80(4), pages 711-725, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Edmund Byrne, 2007. "Assessing Arms Makers’ Corporate Social Responsibility," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 74(3), pages 201-217, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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