Jake's View | Social responsibility should begin and end with the law
Pressuring firms to follow unwritten social obligations does more harm than good – if an activity is unacceptable, then make it illegal
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) - a management concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns into their operations and interactions with stakeholders - is widely understood as a business imperative.
Ihaven't been out bashing the do-gooder lobby for a long while now and the urge can no longer be denied. Here we go. Corporate social responsibility, as commonly understood these days, is an arrogant, false notion.
Let's define what we mean first. The idea is that corporations have an obligation beyond any imposed on them by law to promote social harmony and equality and to pioneer environmental protection practices.
If it is required of them by law then they have a legal obligation rather than a social one. Breach the law and they lay themselves open to prosecution.
CSR means nothing if we talk only of what the law requires. All persons and corporations are required to comply with the law.