Like Company, like Self: A Multilevel Argument Explaining Firms' Level of Engagement in Corporate Social Responsibility

Abstract

This conceptual paper examines how managers, acting as organisational agents, can influence their firm's level of engagement in corporate social responsibility (CSR). With CSR considered as a strategic choice, this paper undertakes to model the largely under-studied processes through which managers proactively pursue the enactment of their identity – their self – and their social role in their position of power in the firm's management team. The study offers a new framework connecting these multilevel influences, suggesting that firms present the highest level of CSR when led by managers who intrinsically value CSR, who perceive their social role as a salient identity, and who have the ability to exercise power in their management team. Implications for managers and researchers complete this article.