A research design for mapping national CSR terrains

Abstract

Most of the evidence on national progress in corporate social responsibility (CSR) relates to North America and Western Europe, making broad cross-national comparisons difficult. This study seeks to contribute to this end by developing a research design for CSR assessment in a national context. Drawing on prior theory and well-established research methods, developed in order to assess the multi-dimensionality of CSR, a research approach is proposed that can be applied to any country, regardless of the extent to which the notion has penetrated the domestic business sector. Such a research design can expand the existing pool of knowledge on national CSR patterns, inform managers on the national dimension of CSR and contribute to further identifying the relationship between cultural specificity and responsible business behaviour.

Keywords:

• corporate social responsibility
• cultural specificity
• responsible business behaviour

Notes

1. The most recent study, the KPMG International Survey of Corporate Responsibility Reporting 2008, included the top 100 corporations of 22 countries from all regions.