Corporate Social Responsibility: Locating Contention and Scepticism

This chapter delivers an analysis of corporate social responsibility (CSR) using the two-part methodological framework. The history of the concept is traced, with economic theory—including economic methodology—playing a central role in its evolution. Central to the analysis is an investigation into scepticism directed at CSR, and key shifts or reorientations in the concept’s development. These issues are then explained using the ontological and ethical framework. In addition, and relatedly, the politicization of the concept is mapped, drawing out the complexities of its developmental journey.