These studies investigate the relationship between organisations and society, mainly CSR and sustainability, but also new areas of organisational responsibilities that emerge from the use of technology, aspects of morality and ethics, the responsibility towards various stakeholders, or the non-financial objectives of organisations captured in the triple bottom line of profit, people, and planet.
We have recently witnessed failures in CSR. For example when Volkswagen have spent effort inventing technology that tricks emission monitoring rather than a genuine concern for the environment and improving their cars. In a similar way, FIFA demonstrated high-level corruption and lack of ethical principles in their practices, rather than concern for the beautiful game. And don’t even get us started on the fiasco of the banks! These examples highlight the different sides of CSR and the risks associated with irresponsibility. They also illustrate why CSR is now one of the most important areas of thought in corporate strategy and marketing, and an important focus of our research group.