The boundaries of strategic corporate social responsibility

Keywords: Corporate strategy, Social responsibility, Roles, Stakeholders, Ethics Abstract: Reviews the development of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) concept and its four components: economic, legal, ethical and altruistic duties. Discusses different perspectives on the proper role of business in society, from profit making to community service provider. Suggests that much of the confusion and controversy over CSR stem from a failure to distinguish among ethical, altruistic and strategic forms of CSR. On the basis of …

…JO U R N A L O F C O N S U M E R M A R K E T IN G , V O L . 1 8 N O . 7 2 0 0 1 6 1 1 a company makes a profit, employees will benefit through higher wages (and, in some cases, through stock ownership/profit sharing), and the company will grow, enabling it to employ more people and contribute to the community in the form of taxes. Thus, from an economic viewpoint,