Why the practice of CSR needsa conscience

This chapter argues that CSR becomes valuable only when it is rooted in the conscience of the organization and is used to guide business strategy and organizational practice. This requires businesses to adopt a stakeholder-oriented perspective and to think critically not only about the economic impact of choices but also about the social and environmental impacts. The implication is that organizations need a clearly defined purpose and principles that can guide them in the way they act together with other stakeholders to effect change. Using examples such as Unilever, SAP, Tesco, Oda, and Rabobank, the chapter shows how companies can embed conscience into value-creation processes, targets and metrics, and processes and culture.