Critical Analysis of CSR
INTRODUCTION
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been defined as many things lately. Simply put, it is the commitment of a business or company to continuously upgrade its processes, systems, products and services by behaving responsibly and creating value for local communities they operate in, and by enabling its employees, existing and potential customers to improve their standards of living. Companies are said to be able to achieve their business goals in a transparent & ethical manner by living in the hearts and minds of their stakeholders and customers with help of CSR initiatives. Research in management and organization studies on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) suggests that even though a large number of issues are addressed from child labour to environment degradation. The orthodox research on CSR plays within quite narrow parameters and that too from the perspective of economically advanced countries. The body of knowledge available on the subject suggests that until recently very little was said regarding CSR processes and projects in the third world countries or emerging markets. This is bizarre as well as perplexing since it is in the third world that the power abuse of industrial capitalism is most nakedly and routinely apparent. It also happens to be the place where most the interventions in CSR occur on behalf of western corporations. Lack of emphasis on CSR in Pakistan as is the case with third world is in line, with the dearth of relevance of the west’s authoritative CSR discourse to those most affected in the region.
Every time CSR issues pertaining to emerging markets or Third World Countries are addressed, they are seen through the ideological and theoretical lens of the West and tend to address the sensibilities of western audiences as per their standards. If the literature on CSR is aimed at clearly aspiring the issues pertaining to the developing countries, then it needs to engage properly with the Third World where
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been defined as many things lately. Simply put, it is the commitment of a business or company to continuously upgrade its processes, systems, products and services by behaving responsibly and creating value for local communities they operate in, and by enabling its employees, existing and potential customers to improve their standards of living. Companies are said to be able to achieve their business goals in a transparent & ethical manner by living in the hearts and minds of their stakeholders and customers with help of CSR initiatives. Research in management and organization studies on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) suggests that even though a large number of issues are addressed from child labour to environment degradation. The orthodox research on CSR plays within quite narrow parameters and that too from the perspective of economically advanced countries. The body of knowledge available on the subject suggests that until recently very little was said regarding CSR processes and projects in the third world countries or emerging markets. This is bizarre as well as perplexing since it is in the third world that the power abuse of industrial capitalism is most nakedly and routinely apparent. It also happens to be the place where most the interventions in CSR occur on behalf of western corporations. Lack of emphasis on CSR in Pakistan as is the case with third world is in line, with the dearth of relevance of the west’s authoritative CSR discourse to those most affected in the region.
Every time CSR issues pertaining to emerging markets or Third World Countries are addressed, they are seen through the ideological and theoretical lens of the West and tend to address the sensibilities of western audiences as per their standards. If the literature on CSR is aimed at clearly aspiring the issues pertaining to the developing countries, then it needs to engage properly with the Third World where
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