The term CSR refers to the idea of a set of responsibilities that a company has towards its stakeholders, in order to ensure a fair balance between the contribution made to the organisation and the consideration received in economic and social terms. Therefore, Social Responsibility can be traced back to the inclusion of the ethical dimension in business logic and strategies.
The modern era of social responsibility began in the 1950s with Bowen (1953) who speaks of CSR referring to « the obligation that entrepreneurs have to pursue those policies, to make those decisions or follow those lines of action considered socially desirable in terms of objectives and values » (Bowen, 1953).
In the following decade, Davis (1960) was considered one of the first and most important CSR scholars of the period, as he wrote extensively on the subject and, therefore, made a significant contribution to the evolution of the concept. In particular, when he speaks of social responsibility he refers to those « decisions and actions that entrepreneurs take for reasons at least partially independent of the economic or technical interest of the company ». (Davis, 1960).
Therefore, social responsibility implies greater public attention to economic and human resources and the way they are used for broad social purposes and not only in the strictly corporate interest.
Instead, in 1971, Johnson presented a series of definitions of CSR, proceeding in a critical analysis of them. In particular, he is remembered for having introduced the concept of « conventional wisdom », i.e. « a socially responsible enterprise is such when the manager balances a multiplicity of interests. Rather than only working for the large recipients of profits, it is also necessary to work for employees, suppliers, retailers, the local community and the nation » (Johnson, 1971:50). In this perspective, « corporate social responsibility is the pursuit of social and economic goals through the development of social norms in prescribed corporate roles; or simply it can be said that business management takes place in a socio-cultural system that also outlines corporate norms and roles in order to respond to particular situations and deal in detail with the way business is conducted » (Johnson, 1971:51).
In the 1980s, the focus of attention on these issues underwent a transformation: from the refined definitions of CSR to a fragmentation of writings and the promotion of alternative concepts, such as Corporate Social Responsiveness,
Corporate Social Performance, Public Policy, Business Ethics and Stakeholder Theory/Management.
It was precisely in 1980 that Jones entered, with an interesting perspective, into the discussion on CSR: the author’s major contribution concerns the importance he places on CSR as a process rather than as a set of outcomes, since it is difficult to reach a unambiguous understanding of what is meant by socially responsible behaviour.
In the 1990s there were very few theoretical contributions to the definition of CSR. Rather, the concept is considered as a basis or starting point for the development of other related issues. Once again, it is relevant to present issues such as Corporate Social Performance, Stakeholder Theory, Business Ethics and corporate citizenship.
CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) is a management concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and interactions with their stakeholders on the way to sustainable development.
Corporate social responsibility is traditionally broken into four categories:
The term corporate social responsibility (CSR) refers to practices and policies undertaken by corporations that are intended to have a positive influence on the world. The key idea behind CSR is to pursue other pro-social objectives, in addition to maximizing profits. Examples of common CSR objectives include minimizing environmental externalities, promoting volunteerism among company employees, and donating to charity.
For businesses and organizations committed to operating in a socially responsible way, there’s ISO 26000, a name which is recognized all over the world.
We have used/applied ISO 26000 as a guide/framework/basis to integrate/implement social responsibility into our values and practices.
It provides guidance to those who recognize that respect for society and environment is a critical success factor. As well as being the “right thing” to do, application of ISO 26000 is increasingly viewed as a way of assessing an organization’s commitment to sustainability and its overall performance.
La RSE ou CSR en anglais (Corporate Social Responsability) signifie : Responsabilité Sociétale des Entreprises.
Cette responsabilité s’inscrit pleinement dans un souhait de développement durable et de préservation de l’environnement.
Les trois piliers de la RSE :