Corporate Social Responsibility & International Development

Inhaltsangabe:Introduction: Global changes of the worldwide economy and free markets offer many business opportunities and advantages for multinational corporations (MNC), but also a lot of social challenges and ecological threats. In the last decades many scandals hit various industries for different casualities, for instance the oil industry for several oil spills, the mining industry for colaboration with corrupt governments and exposing workers to unsafe labor conditions, the clothing industry for exploiting employees or using child labor in sweatshops, the toy industry and other industries for importing tainted and unsecure products from China. As corporations have reaped the benefits of globalization and international trade, they are now, more than ever, demanded to take responsibility for the consequences resulting from their business activities. Due to the risk of a damaged reputation, loosing consumers and hence decreasing profits and as a result of public criticism, more and more corporations are pushed to change their business strategy in a way that fosters sustainable development. As the business world becomes smaller and more transparent, an increasing number of corporations are embracing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to demonstrate their stewardship. CSR is a concept that demands corporations to adress the economic, social and environmental impacts of their global operations while generating profits. The idea of CSR has become a concept that is growing in its importance and it is not only endorsed by corporations and organizations but also by individual consumer and governments. Henry Ford quoted once ‘If there is any one secret of success, it lies in the ability to get the other person’s point of view and see things form that person’s angle as well as from your own.’ This statement shows that companies striving to be economically successful are also demanded to consider the interests of all its multiple stakeholders. As corporations are gaining an increasing power and have an enourmous impact on the society in industrialized and developing countries, they are expected to respond to the societal demands and ecological concerns of all those who are affected by a company’s business practices. The aim of this paper is to give a detailed overview of CSR with all its components and its implementation process into the overall business strategy. It analyzes the role corporations play or should play in fostering sustainable [...]