


06/2009
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) represents a company’s voluntary commitment to address the ethical, social and environmental factors associated with all aspects of its operations. What is the appropriate role of CSR in an era of rapid globalization and decline of traditional welfare state policies? Should CSR be directed primarily at exploiting the core competences of companies, or should it focus more strongly on the prevailing social needs, independently of these competences? Should companies assume responsibility for potentially detrimental activities by suppliers and customers and, if so, how?
How can CSR help reconcile conflicting interests generated through business activity? What role can CSR play in defining and implementing rules to govern transnational relationships between firms and their stakeholders?
What role should governments play in facilitating and supporting CSR? How can politicians be discouraged from treating CSR as a substitute for good public policy? What is the role of NGOs and other civil society institutions in finding a balance between public and private satisfaction of social needs?