Why Enforcing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is Morally Questionable
Masaka, D. (2008). Why Enforcing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is Morally Questionable EJBO - Electronic Journal of Business Ethics and Organization Studies, Vol. 13 (1). Retrieved from http://ejbo.jyu.fi
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Date
2008Docketed literature on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) exhibits heated contentions on the nature of business-society relations. This paper seeks to explore this contentious issue in the light of contemporary incorporation of CSR in business strategic plans. It notes that enforcing
CSR on business might lead to its manipulation to advance corporate
organisations’ purely self-interested
ends rather than pursuing intrinsic philanthropic activities for the good of society. An insight into the undesirable consequences of enforcing
CSR is given. Using Kantian ethics, the paper notes that the instrumental
use of CSR by corporate organisations is immoral because it does not treat CSR as an end in itself in the same way as the profit maximisation is conceptualized in business circles. The paper, therefore,
concludes that the integration of CSR in corporate organisations’ strategic plans is seen as instrumental
to the realisation of their profit motives other than a genuine show of social concern.
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Publisher
Business and Organization Ethics Network (BON)ISSN Search the Publication Forum
1239-2685