Corporate volunteering – business implementation issues

The importance of corporate volunteering has been acknowledged internationally, particularly in practitioner literature relating to corporate social responsibility (CSR). However, while a growing number of businesses support corporate volunteering initiatives, existing research on the challenges of implementing such CSR activities is scarce. This paper provides practice-based insights into CSR implementation by examining business managers' understandings of the drivers and operating practices for corporate volunteer schemes and the challenges facing business managers in implementing such initiatives. Results from this study indicate that managers perceive corporate volunteering programmes as being driven by an array of motivations, representing an uneasy mix of business efforts to satisfy internal and external stakeholder concerns. Managers face challenges organising corporate volunteering programmes in ways that support significant social goals, while serving strategic business interests and offering meaningful experiences for employees.