Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

CSR governance and departmental organization: a typology of best practices

CSR governance and departmental organization: a typology of best practices Purpose – This paper aims to study the state of the art of corporate social responsibility (CSR) governance and operational structure within the most sustainable companies to arrive at a typology of CSR organization. Whether companies consider corporate social responsibility (CSR) a strategic management task is mirrored in the department and governance structure of CSR. Design/methodology/approach – By conducting a web content analysis, the authors apply a “best practice” approach to examine the vertical and horizontal organization of CSR within the “most sustainable companies worldwide” (Robeco SAM, 2013). Findings – The results show that most corporations have in place governance structures for CSR that organize it horizontally in stand-alone departments. Three types of CSR organization best practice emerged: the single-headed, two-headed and infused types. Practical implications – The paper indicates three different ways that companies can organize CSR internally. The authors discuss the feasibility of such organization for large and small companies and their day-to-day business. Originality/value – The paper addresses the under-researched area of vertical and horizontal CSR organization at the micro level. The authors analyze the state of the art of organizational and governance structures of CSR in the most sustainable companies and deduce three types of CSR governance and operational architecture. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Corporate Governance Emerald Publishing

CSR governance and departmental organization: a typology of best practices

Lock, Irina; Seele, Peter
Corporate Governance , Volume 16 (1): 20 – Feb 1, 2016
Download PDF
20 pages

Loading next page...
 
/lp/emerald-publishing/csr-governance-and-departmental-organization-a-typology-of-best-vMpjfm5sWc
Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © Emerald Group Publishing Limited
ISSN
1472-0701
DOI
10.1108/CG-01-2015-0010
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Purpose – This paper aims to study the state of the art of corporate social responsibility (CSR) governance and operational structure within the most sustainable companies to arrive at a typology of CSR organization. Whether companies consider corporate social responsibility (CSR) a strategic management task is mirrored in the department and governance structure of CSR. Design/methodology/approach – By conducting a web content analysis, the authors apply a “best practice” approach to examine the vertical and horizontal organization of CSR within the “most sustainable companies worldwide” (Robeco SAM, 2013). Findings – The results show that most corporations have in place governance structures for CSR that organize it horizontally in stand-alone departments. Three types of CSR organization best practice emerged: the single-headed, two-headed and infused types. Practical implications – The paper indicates three different ways that companies can organize CSR internally. The authors discuss the feasibility of such organization for large and small companies and their day-to-day business. Originality/value – The paper addresses the under-researched area of vertical and horizontal CSR organization at the micro level. The authors analyze the state of the art of organizational and governance structures of CSR in the most sustainable companies and deduce three types of CSR governance and operational architecture.

Journal

Corporate Governance – Emerald Publishing

Published: Feb 1, 2016

References

  • How companies respond to social demands
  • Governance and sustainability: an investigation into the relationship between corporate governance and corporate sustainability
  • Corporate social responsibility and broad-based black economic empowerment legislation in South Africa codes of good practice
  • An integrated management systems approach to corporate social responsibility
  • Corporate social responsibility: a process model of sensemaking
  • Organizing corporate social responsibility in small and large firms: size matters