Academics, policymakers, business people, members of civil society and individuals have all recognized the significant effect the activities of the private sector have on employees, customers, communities, the environment, competitors, business partners, investors, shareholders, governments and others. It is also becoming increasingly clear that firms can contribute to their own wealth and to overall societal wealth by considering the effect they have on the world at large when making decisions. All of this has led to growing interest in corporate social responsibility (CSR), which has been described as the way firms integrate social, environmental and economic concerns into their values, culture, decision making, strategy and operations in a transparent and accountable manner and thereby establish better practices within the firm, create wealth and improve society. The scope of the commitments and activities associated with any CSR initiative, which extend well "beyond the law", can be daunting and include corporate governance and ethics; health and safety; environmental stewardship; human rights (including core labor rights); sustainable development; working conditions (including safety and health, hours of work, wages); supplier relations; community involvement, development and investment; and accountability, transparency and performance reporting. This book is intended as a comprehensive introduction to the theory and practice of CSR that covers CSR definitions and themes, CSR drivers and benefits, the core subjects of CSR, implementing and integrating CSR into business operations, CSR governance and organizational culture, stakeholder engagement and CSR reporting and communications.
