Corporate Social Responsibility and International Development : Is Business the Solution?.

Description

The business of business is business. So why should corporations be involved in development? This groundbreaking new book makes the case that governments and their international agencies, grouped under the umbrella of the United Nations, have failed in their attempts to rid the planet of underdevelopment and poverty. If development is the objective then it seems that the solution and the responsibility lies with the private sector - particularly through the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes of large corporations, with their tremendous power and economic strength. Written by note.  Read more... Cover Corporate Social Responsibility andInternational Development Copyright Contents List of Figures, Tables and Boxes Acknowledgements Preface So has the UN failed? Can the power, money and reach of large corporations do a better job on development? So what can be gained from CSR? MNEs are already involved in development Is CSR really the answer? So what next for MNEs? Final remark on CSR List of Acronyms and Abbreviations Chapter 1 Can CSR Pave the Way for Development? Introduction The meaning of development Can corporations fill the gap? Has the UN really failed? New way could be CSRCorporations and development The CSR route to development CSR can pave the way for development Chapter 2 What is CSR all About and Where is it Going? Introduction My original CSR definition Market economy critique of CSR Would corporate sustainability be a better concept than CSR? Corporate social performance and responsiveness More CSR definitions Does my own definition hold water? Corporate governance and CSR as a systems approach Corporate responsibility versus CSR Concluding remarks on definition The rise of CSR over the past decade Fifteen key items. What is the future for CSR?Chapter 3 Corporate CSR Development Case Studies: Failures and Success Introduction Disasters and disastrous interventions Large corporations and development -- some experiences MDG case studies UNDP and the Business Centre -- A model? Corruption and responses Endnote Chapter 4 Failures of Development: A Global View Introduction Development trends Focus on sub-Saharan Africa HIV/AIDS Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Concluding remark Chapter 5 Corporations Should Abandon Philanthropy and Concentrate on CSR Introduction CSR is not philanthropy. CSR is before profitCSR is sustainable, philanthropy is not Should sponsorship be stopped too? But what about all those good causes? Chapter 6 A Critique of CSR and Development Introduction Lack of definition, everyone seems to have their own concept or definition CSR is just part of a public relations plan to bamboozle an increasingly sceptical public CSR is just another word for corporate philanthropy CSR is misleading since it diverts attention from key issues, it is a curse rather than a cure CSR ignores development economics and its concerns with capitalism and neo-liberalism. The social responsibility of business begins and ends with increasing profits. CSR is an unnecessary distractionCSR is a sham because companies cannot be left to self-regulate Concluding remarks Chapter 7 CSR and Poverty Introduction An analytical framework for CSR and poverty Labour market rigidities Can a product-orientated approach reduce poverty? The fortune at the bottom of the pyramid What can happen when wages rise -- the case of Gap Can CSR have a positive effect on poverty? Chapter 8 Supply Chain Issues Introduction What are the key issues? What has been the development impact of supply chains?