Introduction

This chapter establishes the aims, rationale, and scope of the book, providing a detailed introduction to the use, affect, and violation of the corporate social license, a term frequently extended to the social license to operate. The social license—a public perception that can be earned, lost, and regained—fits within the wider remit of corporate social responsibility as a form of private business self-regulation through normative pressure. Examples are provided to link social license to established models of business legitimacy, ethical practice, and conformance, and conversely episodes of business illegitimacy, malpractice, and corruption.