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How corporate social responsibility is defined: an analysis of 37 definitions

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  • Alexander Dahlsrud

Abstract

Despite numerous efforts to bring about a clear and unbiased definition of CSR, there is still some confusion as to how CSR should be defined. In this paper five dimensions of CSR are developed through a content analysis of existing CSR definitions. Frequency counts are used to analyse how often these dimensions are invoked. The analysis shows that the existing definitions are to a large degree congruent. Thus it is concluded that the confusion is not so much about how CSR is defined, as about how CSR is socially constructed in a specific context. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

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  • Alexander Dahlsrud, 2008. "How corporate social responsibility is defined: an analysis of 37 definitions," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:corsem:v:15:y:2008:i:1:p:1-13
    DOI: 10.1002/csr.132
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Richard Welford & Stephen Frost, 2006. "Corporate social responsibility in Asian supply chains," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 13(3), pages 166-176, July.
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