The process of voluntary radical change for corporate social responsibility: The case of the dairy industry

Research on radical change in CSR is needed to understand how to address threatening issues to society and the planet which are often systemic, complex, and time-sensitive. In a seven-year case study of the U.S. dairy industry, the processes behind voluntary radical change are explored, finding two core themes related to structure and strategy. First, structure changed to include the whole system such that both external and internal stakeholders at all levels, and at the same time, were engaged in CSR throughout the entire process of change. Second, a strengths-based approach to strategy was used in which the industry built on its core strengths and amplified them to address CSR issues—this is counter to prior approaches in change that are often deficit-based (i.e., analyzing and then fixing weakness). The findings uncover how stakeholders can positively and voluntarily work together collectively for large-scale, radical, and rapid CSR change.