The CSR bottom line: Preventing corporate social irresponsibility

Abstract

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a prominent topic. Researchers frequently understand CSR as the requirement for corporations to make additional contributions to the well-being of society. Accordingly, CSR is linked with the idea of ``doing good.'' However, beyond ``doing good,'' corporations also have the responsibility for ``avoiding bad'' in order to prevent corporate social irresponsibility (CSI), such as cheating customers, violating human rights, or damaging the environment. Thus, CSR entails both ``doing good'' and ``avoiding bad.'' Nonetheless, the issue of CSI and, accordingly, the responsibility for ``avoiding bad'' are not sufficiently addressed in the discussion of CSR. The article argues that the negligence of the issue of CSI constitutes a serious shortcoming of the current debate. The study here elaborates on the relevance of ``avoiding bad'' for the perceived social responsibility of corporations and provides a framework which captures the relationship between CSR (''doing good'' and ``avoiding bad''), CSI, and perceived CSR (pCSR). (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.