How Corporate Social Responsibility Is Described in Keywords: An Analysis of 144 CSR Definitions Across Seven Decades

Abstract

This article reports a longitudinal analysis of corporate social responsibility (CSR) keywords drawing on an extensive sample of 144 CSR definitions across seven decades. There are clear differences in the keywords used in various time periods to describe the person or entity providing CSR, the CSR activity provided, and the intended recipients or targets of any CSR activities. There has been a trend away from individuals such as managers or specific groups such as employees being identified as providers or recipients of CSR towards keywords describing CSR as an organizational responsibility that is provided to large and inclusive groups such as communities or abstract entities such as stakeholders or the environment. Since the millennium, there has been considerable convergence in CSR keywords that appears to be driven by the availability of CSR information via the internet. The changes in CSR keywords appear to parallel changes in societal expectations, regulation and legislation, and the wider business environment. This suggests that corporations deploy CSR defensively to express alignment with prevailing public priorities, stress compliance with government directives and emphasise conformity with corporate contemporaries. The implications of these findings are discussed and possible lines for future research are proposed.