In the history of corporate social responsibility, there have been many models developed in an attempt to classify corporate responses to social issues. In the early stages Sethi argued a company’s main goal should be to gain legitimacy in society through different strategic approaches. His model had three ways in which a company responds to social issues. The first is social obligation, in which companies only respond at the legal requirements. This is below the standards of society. The second level is social responsibility which refers to the c

A heavily debated issue is if there really is a relationship between corporate social responsibility and a company’s financial performance. While the majority of these studies, 68 percent, have suggested that there is, there are some people who disagree. Here are a few items which help support the idea of a relationship between the two. A recent analyses performed by DePaul University found that companies found in the Business Ethics Best Citizen performed ten percentile points higher than the mean ranking of the rest of the companies in the S & P 500 Index. (BSR) “Companies with a public commitment to ethics perform better on three out of four financial measures that those without. These companies also have eighteen percent higher profits on average.” (CRSEurope)

Timberland’s socially responsible report begins by explaining the company’s code of conduct. Then the web-site states the internal and external resources that the company uses to ensure that the code of conduct is being used. Timberland goes on to explain a few programs which they have set up to help protect their workers. An example is the “Life Skills Training Program” in China, where workers learn about a topic of their choice, as well as labor law, wage calculation, and the Timberland Code of Conduct. A frequently asked questions section wraps up the web page. This report shows stakeholders how Timberland is doing their best to improve worker awareness and working conditions.

Corporate social responsibility has had a big impact on environmental factors. Companies are finding that it pays off to use three R’s, which are reduction, reuse, and recycling. Reduction refers to the reduction of packaging waste by modifying or limiting the way in which packaging contains less material than before. Reuse refers to the direct use of packaging in similar packaging in similar applications to that originally intended. Recycling refers to the inclusion of used packaging material in the manufacturing process. When a company implements these three R’s it can help reduce operating costs. For instance, Dow Chemical Company has committed themselves to reduce production of twenty-six toxic chemicals. The company’s €3.1 million investment is saving the company €5.4 million per year.

Executives and CEO’s have been affected by this trend of corporate social responsibility. An overwhelming percentage of company executives believe that the development of a corporate social responsibility plan will be able to increase business benefits. “71 percent of CEO’s would sacrifice s

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