Cultural framework and its influence on corporate social responsibility professionals' profile

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) departments are becoming an integral part of contemporary business organisations. This change is the result of an evolving business paradigm that integrates economic performance, social accountability and environmental impact. Investors, customers, shareholders, local community and other key stakeholders are calling for more responsible ways of doing business, following a triple bottom line approach. Although important in shaping the meaning of sustainability at the business level, this topic is generally overlooked by scientific researchers. This paper is focused on understanding the cultural and professional profile of employees in companies' CSR departments and the perception of their work in various European companies. The aim of this paper is to shed light on the impact that different cultural and institutional frameworks may have on the professional profile of employees in companies' CSR departments, in particular by analysing what they perceive to be the main drivers of their strategies and actions.