Since the general acceptance of the field of corporate social responsibility worldwide, corporate entities and those who act for them either as executives or "ordinary" employees are expected to be socially responsible. Being socially responsible has a number of quantifiable and unquantifiable benefits for the entity and its stakeholders. It improves the entity’s bottom line results, protects jobs, and is also better for the environment. As such, it makes good sense for professionals and those that they interact with as colleagues, suppliers of goods and services, lenders etc to want to take the issue of CSR seriously. This perhaps explains why this book has chosen to explore how 19 professions across the world have integrated and continue to impress upon their staff the importance of CSR in their operational activities. We are constantly reminded that our world’s natural resources are exhaustible; we can therefore no longer live for today alone if we do not want to cause substantial problems for future generations.

Since the general acceptance of the field of corporate social responsibility worldwide, corporate entities and those who act for them either as executives or "ordinary" employees are expected to be socially responsible. Being socially responsible has a number of quantifiable and unquantifiable benefits for the entity and its stakeholders. It improves the entity's bottom line results, protects jobs, and is also better for the environment. As such, it makes good sense for professionals and those that they interact with as colleagues, suppliers of goods and services, lenders etc to want to take the issue of CSR seriously. This perhaps explains why this book has chosen to explore how nineteen professions across the world have integrated and continue to impress upon their staff the importance of CSR in their operational activities. We are constantly reminded that our world's natural resources are exhaustible; we can therefore no longer live for today alone if we do not want to cause substantial problems for future generations.

Good governance is good PR, it is important in every sphere of society, whether it be the corporate environment, the political, or wider society. When resources are too limited to meet the minimum expectations of the people, it is a good governance level that can help to promote the welfare of society. Enlightened companies recognise that there is a clear link between governance and corporate social responsibility and make efforts to link the two. Unfortunately this is too often no more than making a claim that good governance is a part of their CSR policy as well as a part of their relationship with shareholders. Corporate Governance and CSR are significant issues in all parts of the world, huge amounts of time and energy are devoted to its global interpretation. Most analysis however is too simplistic to be helpful as it normally resolves itself into simple dualities: rules based v principles based or Anglo-Saxon v Continental. The editors of this book argue that this is not helpful - that the reality is far more complex. They show that Corporate Governance and CSR cannot be understood without taking geographical, cultural and historical factors into account. It is necessary, they say to understand the concerns of people in different parts of the world. Therefore, by using a wealth of case studies, theoretical models, and drawing on the knowledge and perspective of experts from around the world, the editors have produced this valuable book. Global Perspectives on Corporate Governance and CSR discusses issues such as regional and cultural similarities and differences, the contexts of differing legal frameworks and governance codes, differences between large companies and SMEs, governance in new environments (companies and economies) versus stable environments, and the changing environment affecting corporate social responsibility around the world. The editors then synthesise this in a way that will be helpful to business people as well as to academics.

This volume sets the agenda for a developing field of thought from a variety of perspectives from academia, policy, business and the professions. Articulating current thinking, each subject is represented by a scholarly presentation, together with responses from other researchers and practitioners in the field. The book explores and critiques corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals and national, organizational and managerial strategies, whilst reviewing the importance, sustainability and long term value of CSR practice to corporations and civil society.

Over the last decade the question of the relationship between organizations and society has been subject to much debate, often of a critical nature. The decade has seen protests concerning the actions of organizations, exposures of corporate exploitation and unfolding accounting scandals. At the same time ethical behaviour and a concern for the environment have been shown to have a positive correlation with corporate performance. The nature of corporate social responsibility is therefore a topical one for businesses and academics. There are, however, many different perspectives upon what is meant by corporate social responsibility and how this might be applied within organizations. The authors involved are respected academics from a variety of disciplines from around the world. The contributions to this book investigate theoretical perspectives on the topic, the application in practice of socially responsible behaviour and the ethical dimension of such behaviour.

Examines the concepts of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the context of globalisation and its many challenges, focusing on different legal perspectives that arise.

CSR encompasses broad questions about the changing relationship between business, society, and government. An authoritative review of the academic research that has both prompted, and responded to, these issues, the text provides clear thinking and perspectives on CSR and the debates around it.