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Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science

01.03.2009 | Conceptual/Theoretical Paper

Bounded goodness: marketing implications of Drucker on corporate responsibility

verfasst von: N. Craig Smith

Erschienen in: Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science | Ausgabe 1/2009

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Abstract

Drucker’s immense contribution to the thinking and practice of management extends to social responsibility in business. This work goes back over 60 years but remains relevant today—notwithstanding the impacts of globalization and the greater interconnectedness of business and society—and not least to marketing. Given trends in marketing research and practice as well as the importance of paying tribute to Drucker and preserving his legacy, this paper examines the implications of Drucker’s CSR “principles” for marketing practice. As well as revealing their significance, it also considers Drucker’s views on the limits of social responsibility, referred to here as “bounded goodness”. It examines how Drucker’s thinking informs the challenging question of “how much is enough?” in relation to corporate responsibility issues such as food marketing and obesity, availability of AIDS drugs in Africa, and supply chains and labor rights.

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Drucker generally referred to “social responsibility” and “corporate social responsibility” in his writing. These terms remain in use today but various other terms are also used, such as “corporate responsibility” (because it doesn’t appear to preclude environmental impacts), “corporate citizenship” (a term preferred by U.S. corporations, but often used largely in relation to philanthropic activities), “sustainable development” (a term seen to better capture environmental considerations and thus favored by resource extraction companies) and the “triple bottom line” (the idea of giving attention to a nominal social and environmental as well as economic bottom line). This article mostly retains Drucker’s language and the abbreviation CSR and uses the term corporate responsibility in reference to more contemporary thinking on corporate social and environmental responsibilities.

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Titel: Bounded goodness: marketing implications of Drucker on corporate responsibility
verfasst von: N. Craig Smith
Publikationsdatum: 01.03.2009
Verlag: Springer US
Erschienen in: Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science / Ausgabe 1/2009
Print ISSN: 0092-0703
Elektronische ISSN: 1552-7824
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-008-0110-4