Finally in business: Organising corporate social responsibility in five

Abstract

Our society is fundamentally in transition. As a result, new and unforeseen demands are placed upon business. In the past decade it has become evident that business needs to find new ways to respond to these developments. The conventional balance between actors in society is under construction. Governments tend to retreat from their traditional governing role in many sectors. New (environmental and social) risks are apparent and the challenge of sustainability has to be taken up. What emerges is an image of a society in transition. One of the critical issues that becomes apparent is the changing interface between business and society. It is unclear how roles, responsibilities and functions of business should be defined and handled given this transition. The search for answers to these questions necessitates a corporate vision that goes beyond the conventional, economically driven business perspective. © 2006 Springer Berlin·Heidelberg.