Systems Thinking and Corporate Social Responsibility

摘要

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) means something to everyone, however typically, not the same thing to everyone (Carroll, 1999). The widespread acceptance and growth of CSR in business and society has not been mirrored by consensus. The complexities apparent in CSR theory and practice have led to a veritable CSR labyrinth. Organizations engage with CSR despite being unsure of whether it is in the best interests of their business, society or both (Aguilera et al., 2007). In practice, the ability to reconcile a wider range of interests to decide upon and prioritize socially responsible actions has been challenging.rnTo date, contributors and practitioners often approach the topic from a narrow perspective or discipline; however, CSR is predicated upon understanding multiple perspectives and relationships that would benefit from the use of holistic methods. This is a claim that we find continuously raised; but so far we have not seen a great deal that addresses how the process of CSR can then be developed, taking into account such multiple (and often conflicting) perspectives.