Corporate Social Responsibility: an Institutional Perspective

Over the past two decades much has been written on the subject of corporate social responsibility (CSR). From an international business perspective, several papers in a recent focused issue of theJournal ofInternational Business Studies (JIBS) reviewed some of the firm-specific organization and strategic managerial issues and challenges posed by them (Eden et al., 2006). A more multifaceted and interdisciplinary approach is taken by van Tulder and van der Zwart (2006). They view CSR as part of a business—society management nexus, which has become more varied and complex as a result of globalization.1 The ethical implications of CSR have been addressed by several scholars, such as Sethi (2003a, 2003b), van Marrewijk (2003), Kolk and van Tulder (2004) and Garriga and Mele (2004). In this chapter, we shall attempt to integrate these alternative approaches to CSR by relating each to the ‘big picture’ now emerging in international business (IB) scholarship. In so doing we shall suggest that this can best be done by embracing a more institutional perspective on the subject.