'Critically evaluate the concept of corporate social responsibility Essay

'Critically evaluate the concept of corporate social responsibility and assess its contribution to the framing of business eth - Essay Example 2006, p. 4). Thereby, Corporate Social Responsibility tends to be a pivotal issue for the organizations that tend to do business in a sustainable way. Though Corporate Social Responsibility is a concept that is affiliated to voluntary actions on the part of businesses, still, in the current times there has been a soaring pressure on the businesses to extend positive contributions to the societies and communities in which they operate, and at a minimal limit the negative impact of their business activities (Fall 2003, p. 205). The governments the world over have been formalizing the salient aspects of Corporate Social Responsibility, particularly those that are related to environment. One salient attribute of the Corporate Social Responsibility is the need on the part of the businesses to affiliate to the ethics prevalent in the socio-economic context in which they operate (Smith 2008, p. 183). Thereby any viable idea of Corporate Social Responsibility is complete without affiliating to business ethics. ... 110). The primary objective of a business is to garner profits for its shareholders and owners. However, the onus of generating profits does not mean that a corporation could do anything to facilitate these pecuniary motives. Therein comes in the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility and business ethics. Many a times the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility and ethics is used interchangeably (Kline 2005, p. 239). The thing that needs to be understood is that the term Corporate Social Responsibility pertains to the acceptance on the part of a business of certain salient social obligations. For instance it is not binding on the part of a business to extend employment opportunities to the physically challenged and other sidelined sections of the society. Still if a business extends employment to the physically challenged people, it constitutes the recognition of a social obligation on the part of a business and comes within the ambit of Corporate Social Responsibility. Howeve r, when one considers the concept of business ethics, things get a little confusing and difficult When it comes to business ethics, it is not merely about the recognition of certain salient social obligations on the part of a business (Joshi 2012, p. 148). Business ethics are not a concept that the businesses could adhere to on the basis of voluntary initiative, but rather they pertain to the actual conscience of a business (Marcoux 2006, p. 51). The ethical behaviour on the part of a business pertains to recognition on the part of that business as to what is good and right. Inculcation of an ethical behaviour on the part of a business pertains to a formal recognition on the part of a business as to what it can do, and what it cannot do