Leadership’s Role in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Corporations play an increasingly important role in society as actors who influence and govern the wellbeing of citizens, workers, and consumers. In today`s globalized world, then, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is of immense importance for society and for business – consider, for instance, taxation, working conditions, and environmental issues. CSR and leadership are both contested concepts. Leadership is not about leaders, it is about process. Leadership is about engagement and creating “a family-like commitment to appropriate behaviors.” The key to leading CSR is an interest in the past and present interactions between the firm and society, including learning by engaging with critics.