Corporate Social Responsibility

The Shape of a History, 1945-2004

Executive Summary

The charge for this paper was to sketch the elements that could be explored in writing a history of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and to identify some of the intellectual and bibliographic resources potentially available. In that sense, it is a planning study. The time period selected begins in 1945 and ends with 2004. We recognize, however, that the roots of CSR begin much earlier.

The project team at the Center for Ethical Business Cultures (CEBC) undertook a preliminary literature search and concluded that no comprehensive history of CSR exists for this period. In sketching a potential approach to the subject, the team discusses five broad categories or "lenses" that would cast light on the subject. They are: the core economic impact of business on society, the changing context – economic, political and social – within which business operates, the evolution of the definition of CSR, attention to business practices that have been implemented, and the issues related to CSR that are currently under debate.

• Focusing on the core economic contribution of business to society draws attention to its role in meeting basic human needs, increasing standards of living, creating wealth, and, as many argue, providing the fundamental platform for political freedom.

• Focusing on the changing environment or context for business illuminates the forces that influence business conduct and how business has developed its approach to CSR. Globalization, development of standards, public opinion, emergence of social investing, governmental regulation, and the role of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are relevant.

• Definitions of CSR have emerged both from practitioners in business and from scholars, often independently. Attention to this lens helps to clarify and test theoretical frameworks for evaluating business practice.

• Particularly important for a history is examination of actual business practice and how it has evolved across the 60-year period in question. This examination can be undertaken in a variety of ways: studying the history of a single company or case, understanding how the CSR "profession" has developed and in turn influenced business decisions, observing the work of industry associations, analysis of surveys of business, and case studies of how business has responded to particular issues. It will be important to explore the differences between large, sometimes transnational, corporations and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

• Finally, the last 10-15 years offer numerous examples of issues illustrating fundamental conflicts between business and its critics and examples of business struggling to deal with new institutional relationships and global social, environmental, economic and political challenges.

To lay a foundation for future discussion and for beginning a history of CSR, the paper offers a preliminary – and admittedly incomplete – bibliography based on our literature search. Clearly with a history as the goal, far more work will be required to identify original source material from business, business leaders, and reports that may not be published.

The paper suggests that it may be useful to develop a graphical timeline from 1945 to 2004 representing key developments or milestones – perhaps several timelines, each keyed to particular dimensions of CSR. A rough model is offered.

Finally, the paper identifies a number of scholars, business and academic centers, and NGOs that could be approached to explore their interest in the project and whether they have information or resources to bring to the table.

We approached this task with trepidation, recognizing the sheer volume of material, the number organizations working in the field, and the quality of analysis and thinking evident among scholars, practitioners and NGOs. Our appreciation for the scope of the project only grew as we proceeded.

It is our hope that this paper will serve as a point of departure for discussion and as a launching pad for a more intensive effort to write a thorough and insightful history of corporate social responsibility. For this reason, we have developed an expandable database as a repository for the literature search, the list of scholars, the list of centers, and the list of events or milestones that might be developed into a CSR timeline(s).

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