The Politics of Corporate Social Responsibility: The Rise of a Global Business Norm

Dec
2012

08

posted by nseferian | on Book Reviews

Author: Ursula Mühle

Publisher: Campus Verlag

Year: 2011

Pages: 390

Over the past decade, there has been a global call for businesses to behave in a socially responsible manner. The notion of a socially responsible business has been gaining momentum through the emergence of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policies, initiatives, and organisations. However, there are few studies addressing how and why CSR has made its way into particular policies and institutional arrangements. Therefore, there is every reason to welcome a new academic work exploring why the world is witnessing the diffusion of CSR.

Through The Politics of Corporate Social Responsibility: The Rise of a Global Business Norm, Ursula Mühle aims to fill this paucity in the academic literature by offering a novel analysis. Guided by theoretical ideas from international relations, sociology, and neo-institutionalism – as well as by making use of documents, case studies, and interviews from individuals in business, politics and intermediate sector organisations – the book accounts for the success of CSR over the past forty years. To provide a global perspective, Mühle focuses on two global CSR initiatives – the UN Global Compact and the Global Reporting Initiative.

The underlying argument is that CSR is becoming institutionalised as a global business norm, and is being embedded into what Mühle calls the “emerging global welfare sector.” She points out that there has been an increase in interrelations between business, politics (states, IGOs/IOs, industry associations), and the intermediate sector (consulting firms, scientists, NGOs, companies, investment communities) since the 1970s. Importantly, buttressed by the forces of globalisation, business itself has incorporated CSR as a norm and has actively participated in its global diffusion along with other actors.

Although the book attempts to provide a full account of which actors are actively involved in this global diffusion, it only pays lip service to the role of financial services industry. Despite this minor shortcoming, The Politics of Corporate Social Responsibility provides a stepping stone for future research regarding the evolving corporate social responsibility of business as an auspicious new direction.

Review by

Selena Lucien, CSR International