Yes, CSR may reported to reduce profits that lead to reduce taxes. Also some regulators worldwode requires CSR activities especially the banking sector in order to engage with the public

Kenneth Loebel

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I think that the consumer determines the answer to that question and any attempt to apply "social pressure" in terms of "expected acts of corporate social responsibility" comes close to indoctrination and is a form of boundaryless nationalism (ideological nationalism without borders), subjecting enterprises to special interest group peer pressures that may or may not fit the moral code of the founders.

I would HOPE that enterprises serve a higher purpose than only profits.

I would be leery of a "Kardashian-style" politicially charged set of expectations, standards or rules established by: royalty, dictators, political groups, or special interests/political donors.

I believe that it is the responsibility of the consumer, not the enterprise, to set demands and then each organization can have a right to choose to meet the consumer's demand.

I am opposed to political demands, as they are generally arrived at out of an undeserved elitist egotistical attitude that removes power of the consumer and politicizes the process as a means of power and control by those in political positions, imposing corruption into the process.

Michelle, here's my two cents. Hope it helps a little. Your question is both interesting and tricky. However, I think this question has already been answered in extant literature relating to Kantian ethics and the historical evolution of CR. See for example: Ahen, Frederick and Zettinig, Peter (2014) "Critical perspectives on strategic CSR: What is sustainable value co-creation orientation?" Another insightful article you might want to read is: Ahen and Zettinig (2015) What is the biggest question in CSR research? For other critical perspectives, see: Banerjee, SB (2007) Corporate Social Responsibility - the good, the bad and the ugly.

In the ideal world the firm must meet the demands of the society in which it is embedded and depends on for its very existence; thus, all the stakeholders who affect and are affected by the organisation (Freeman, 1984). Unfortunately, as matters stand CR is what firms make of the concept; for PR (communication purposes) and other strategic purposes or to green wash. On the other hand, it must be emphasized that some organisations have sustainable processes and outcomes as their actual business models to co-create value that meets the socioeconomic and environmental challenges of our time (Ahen & Zettinig, 2014). This is how they communicate change. Emergent global concerns such as climate change, emergent diseases, and growing inequality among others are welcoming such market solutions.

It is important to remember that institutional contexts especially define responsible forms of organizing. CR works differently where there are institutional mechanisms to monitor and regulate firms’ actions see: Campbell, (2006). In weaker institutional environments the story is slightly different as we see in the exploitation of indigenous communities and poor urban areas.

Further, I would like to add that CR is only a new and growing field for those who are not acquainted with the literature in different languages. We can say that general awareness has grown exponentially in recent times. However, since the first industrial revolution, the welfare and conditions of workers (especially coal miners, farm workers), and the firm’s impact on the larger society and its environment have been themes of intense discussion. In the colonies, the conditions of work of those who picked cotton or those in the Congo who sourced rubber for European markets under horrible conditions have also been written about – just not mainstreamed. It must be noted that each epoch and its generation defines the CR problems that matter. In this era, it is the climate change and the sustainability of our environment whose health defines humanity’s overall future well-being. The environment is being impacted massively by corporate externalities. So the question as to whether ‘’private persons and companies have the moral and ethical responsibility to give back to their public and intended beneficiaries’’ is neither here nor there. This is because it is narrow and reduces CR to philanthropy/charity. But it is deeper than that.

CR is what an organization is (a responsible organization), it is not just what it does from time to time when it can to give back. In this broader sense, the question is “do private persons and companies have the moral and ethical responsibility to give back to their public and intended beneficiaries by not selling toxin-laden food, by not maintaining sweat shops in Bangladesh, by not cheating on fuel emissions, by not interfering in national elections in developing nations in order to obtain mining concessions, by not polluting the environment, water bodies and destroying forests, and by not destroying value?” As you can see, it is all that the organisation does beyond legal requirements (when no one is watching) to make the world a better place. Yes, every organization has a moral obligation to respond to the above troubles if it wants to survive!

I think that those who have strong ethical motivations pursue CSR. Those who do not have these ethical values ​​will follow CSR if they believe there is an advantage for the company. This behavior is not ethically correct, but can lead to ethical results

First of all Im glad someone out there finds there's a strong relationship between CSR & DEVCOM. My response would be YES! Companies not only carry the moral obligation to give back to the public, it is in actual fact a MUST that they do.

Business is the only better placed institution (as opposed to government, NGO's etc) for sustaining development because its focus is on profit-making. Profit-making requires and is determined by mutual/inclusive growth which can and should ultimately sustain development.

However most countries have not embraced CSR to a point that they view it as a potential economic drive that should be regulated. This is where DEVCOM comes in to sensitize governments and advocate for the adoption of policies that make the business world realize where its positioned and how CSR can stimulate their growth.