(Re) discovering the Social Responsibility of Business in Germany
co-authored with André Sobczak and Maria Oppen,
a revised version of this paper was published in: Journal of Business Ethics, 89/ 3, 2009: 285-301
The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a relatively recent addition to the agenda in Germany,... more The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a relatively recent addition to the agenda in Germany, although the country has a long history of companies practicing social responsibili¬ties. The expectations of society had remained stable for many years, encapsulated in laws, societal norms, and industrial relations agreements. But the past decade has seen significant changes in Germany, challenging established ways of treating the role of business in society. This contribution reviews and illustrates the development of diverse forms of social responsibility in German corporations and analyses how actors in business and society can build on traditional strengths to find new institutional arrangements for sharing tasks and responsibilities in the interests of achieving a better balance between societal, economic, and environmental needs.