Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), also known as Corporate Responsibility, and Corporate Citizenship

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), also known as Corporate Responsibility, and Corporate Citizenship

Because society is fundamentally based upon

performance and profit, it is necessary to impart a sense of corporate social

responsibility with regard to modern commerce. The ethical approaches of

purpose, principle and consequence are integral components of business social

performance; itemizing these contributions involves incorporating the

interests of ethics and morality within the corporate structure. These are

essential concepts that are often absent from a managerial standpoint.

Corporate social responsibility should exist within every company's

infrastructure; however, social integrity is not something that is often at

the forefront of modern day business dealings. Ethics, business and society

must work in tandem or there is no purpose for any of its existence. Unethical

practices are what create a climate of contempt and distrust, leading to

consumers harboring ill will. This is no way to run a business Ethics are

a necessary and critical ingredient in any successful enterprise1.

Establishing such ethical fortitude is not difficult if a moral and

conscientious outlook is maintaned . Ethical concerns run rampant among

various entities, posing questions along the way as to whether a particular

practice is deemed morally acceptable. Ethics sometimes get in the way of

resolving questions like: What is the ethical concern? Am I being true to

myself? Why is this bothering me? Is it my problem? What do others think? Who

else matters? 2 Establishing reasonable ethical guidelines, and therefore

appropriate corporate social responsibility, must come from a management

perspective. This the primary location where policy is derived. Utilizing the

insightful perspectives of Beauchamp et al (1996), which include purpose,

principle and consequence, there exist myriad ethical considerations in the

daily world of business, with each one presenting yet another moral dilemma:

Should the decision be made for company or personal gain? How many will reap

the benefit of individualized attention at the expense of all others? Is there

a time when an individual's interests supercede those of the masses? These are

ethical questions posed each and everyday throughout the global business and

social worlds; whether or not the right answers are acted upon is another

matter entirely. "Ethical problems of personal and public decision making are

not new. The need to undertake ethical reflection is part--indeed a central

part--of what it means to be human" (Mitcham, 1996, p. 314). Ethical

decision-making goes hand in hand with sound business judgment, yet this is

not a concept always followed. The very purpose behind ethical behavior has

some people stumped as to its true intention; while some believe it instills

the foundation of good business, others contend that it brings out nothing