Corporate Social Responsibility through an Economic Lens

Robert Stavins, Forest Reinhardt and Richard Vietor
Additional contact information
Forest Reinhardt: Harvard U
Richard Vietor: Harvard U

Working Paper Series from Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government

Abstract: Business leaders, government officials, and academics are focusing considerable attention on the concept of "corporate social responsibility" (CSR), particularly in the realm of environmental protection. Beyond complete compliance with environmental regulations, do firms have additional moral or social responsibilities to commit resources to environmental protection? How should we think about the notion of firms sacrificing profits in the social interest? May they do so within the scope of their fiduciary responsibilities to their shareholders? Can they do so on a sustainable basis, or will the forces of a competitive marketplace render such efforts and their impacts transient at best? Do firms, in fact, frequently or at least sometimes behave this way, reducing their earnings by voluntarily engaging in environmental stewardship? And finally, should firms carry out such profit-sacrificing activities (i.e., is this an efficient use of social resources)? We address these questions through the lens of economics, including insights from legal analysis and business scholarship.

JEL-codes: L51 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008-04
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-env and nep-soc
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (93)

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https://research.hks.harvard.edu/publications/work ... ?PubId=5947&type=WPN

Related works:
Journal Article: Corporate Social Responsibility Through an Economic Lens (2008)
Working Paper: Corporate Social Responsibility Through an Economic Lens (2008)
Working Paper: Corporate Social Responsibility Through an Economic Lens (2008)
Working Paper: Corporate Social Responsibility Through an Economic Lens (2008)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ecl:harjfk:rwp08-023

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