Corporate social responsibility: A perspective from Weberian economic sociology
Abstract
Answering the call for a new theoretical approach to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), this paper makes a suggestion from a Weberian perspective. It briefly appraises the existing research on CSR and develops key points of a new approach based on their criticism. Suggesting that CSR is a discourse about the role of the economy in society, it discusses whether a suitable new approach for the analysis of CSR can be found outside of economics and business ethics. It is argued that Max Weber's economic sociology and particularly his concept of ideal interests offer an appropriate framework. This framework is developed from Weber's theoretical writings and demonstrated to be used by him to analyze processes of change in the role of the economy in society. The paper then outlines how an analysis of CSR could be carried out building on an ideal interests-framework. It is suggested that such research would significantly advance the understanding of central, yet under-researched elements of CSR. Finally, I argue that the proposed research has the potential of contributing insights to action theoretical questions of modern economic sociology. --Download Info
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Paper provided by Witten/Herdecke University, Faculty of Management and Economics in its series Discussion Papers with number 22/2011.Length:
Date of creation: 2012
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:zbw:uwhdps:222011
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Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility; economic sociology; role of the economy in society; Max Weber; protestant ethic; ideal interests; theory of action;This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:
- NEP-ALL-2012-04-03 (All new papers)
- NEP-HME-2012-04-03 (Heterodox Microeconomics)
- NEP-HPE-2012-04-03 (History & Philosophy of Economics)
References
References listed on IDEASPlease report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
- Abagail McWilliams & Donald S. Siegel & Patrick M. Wright, 2006.
"Corporate Social Responsibility: Strategic Implications,"
Journal of Management Studies,
Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(1), pages 1-18, 01.
- Abagail McWilliams & Donald S. Siegel & Patrick M. Wright, 2005. "Corporate Social Responsibility: Strategic Implications," Rensselaer Working Papers in Economics 0506, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Department of Economics.
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