Column | Professor Christopher Wickert Research should focus on how companies can improve society, not the other way around
Christopher Wickert is a Professor of Corporate Social Responsibility at the VU School of Business and Economics and the Director of the VU Business & Society Knowledge Hub. He also serves as the Research Director of the Management & Organization Department at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. His research focuses on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability in businesses, as well as the broader relationship between businesses and society, utilizing various streams within organization and management theory.
The world is crying out for restoration when it comes to corporate social responsibility. But how do we respond to this call? For years, scientists in the field of corporate social responsibility have been trying to address social and environmental issues, while corporate initiatives to 'do good' are numerous and all around us. Yet, we continue to strain the planet, and the consequences are becoming increasingly visible worldwide. Social injustices, such as human rights violations and structural inequality, are also deeply embedded in global production processes and our consumption patterns. Have we - both scientists and businesses - based our efforts to become more sustainable on the wrong paradigm? Have we asked the wrong questions that have led to inadequate answers and solutions? During my inaugural lecture on 29 February 2024, I highlighted these issues and outlined what needs to change in how we think about corporate social responsibility in contemporary society.
Research on corporate social responsibility (CSR) has undergone a transformation over the past decades, from an embryonic concept to a mainstream subject of importance. What is truly significant here, beyond the fact that CSR has now become a mainstream topic in management research, is the significant shift in the understanding of CSR itself. Essentially, over the past 15 years, the dominant mode of analysis in CSR research has shifted from what I call a 'business-centric' mode to a 'society-centric' mode. In a business-centric mode, the primary question that motivates much research activity is as follows: How can we carry out CSR in a way that maximizes the benefits for a company? This is best illustrated by research into the business case for CSR that dominated the scientific agenda in the early days of CSR, with financial performance being the primary dependent variable of interest.
On the other hand, a society-centric mode places society first and reverses the previous research question, asking instead: How can a company's engagement in CSR best help address a specific societal problem? In this mode, the societal implications of CSR are no longer merely a secondary concern subordinate to the business case. Instead, broader questions are asked about the appropriate role and location of companies in society.
Business-centric analyses of CSR began about 25 years ago when early CSR research underwent a significant 'strategic turn', moving from a side-line philanthropic exercise to a core business activity with strategic relevance for companies. About 15 years ago, CSR research took another direction. Studies began to examine the political role of companies in global governance gaps, as well as how companies relate to the community around them.
These turning points have been crucial in the shift of CSR research from business-centric to society-centric. However, there are currently three additional turning points taking place that need to be further developed in future research to prioritize societal interests when examining CSR: the 'regulatory turn', the 'systemic crisis turn', and the 'dependent variable turn'. Ultimately, we must turn CSR research into a scientific enterprise that tackles the big questions worth asking. In the 21st century, given the enormous challenges we face, the question is not how CSR can benefit the company, but how the company can benefit society. Companies must take more responsibility for the negative impacts of their operations and minimize them as much as possible, while enhancing the positive effects. We still need to find good answers to what the role of companies should be in relation to the world's most urgent societal grand challenges such as climate change and inequality. As the new Chair of Corporate Social Responsibility at VU Amsterdam, I will do my very best to inspire scholars to engage in ongoing and future debates that prioritize society first when thinking about corporate social responsibility.
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