MIT Sloan Management Review Article on Why Companies Practice Corporate Social Responsibility

For two decades now, the question of why companies practice corporate social responsibility (CSR) has gripped practitioners, policy makers, and academics alike. Strong interest in this question has been driven by the increasing engagement of companies worldwide in all manner of CSR activities, from reducing carbon emissions to increasing the gender and racial diversity of boards of directors.

The breadth of almost 200 surveys that have queried business leaders in over 70 countries on their CSR motivations offers evidence of the high level of interest in this topic. Research has been conducted by nearly every blue-chip consultancy, including McKinsey, EY, BCG, PwC, KPMG, Deloitte, and Accenture, as well as by major political bodies, such as the United Nations, the European Commission, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

About the Author

Shawn Pope works at Léonard de Vinci Pôle Universitaire, Research Center, and is an instructor at Stanford University. Alwyn Lim is associate professor of sociology at Singapore Management University.