Corporate Social Responsibility Analysis

This assignment delves into the multifaceted realm of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). It examines various perspectives on CSR, including its role in shaping ethical business practices, the effectiveness of self-regulation versus mandatory compliance, and the potential for greenwashing. The provided research papers shed light on the paradoxes, limitations, and evolving nature of CSR, prompting critical analysis of its impact on corporate accountability and stakeholder relationships.

Running head: CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY, ETHICS AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Corporate Responsibility, Ethics & Accountability
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

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Executive summary
This paper investigates the motivation for corporate social responsibility, ethics and
accountability in an organization. The paper also evaluates the impact of the three aspects on an
organization and also the implementation of the three aspects in an organizational framework.
The paper begins with a clearly stated problem of the statement which is followed with the aims
and objectives of the study. The paper also contains a justification of the study and a review of
literature which helps to identify the studies conducted in the past and compares it with what will
be found in this research. The methods and methodology used by the researcher have also been
described. The final section of the paper contains a conceptual framework for the study and
research schedule as well as projected budget estimates.

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Contents
Executive summary.........................................................................................................................1
Introduction of the subject...............................................................................................................2
Research questions...........................................................................................................................4
Justification......................................................................................................................................4
Problem Statement...........................................................................................................................5
Aim and Objectives.........................................................................................................................6
Potential outcome of the project......................................................................................................6
Literature review..............................................................................................................................7
Methodology....................................................................................................................................9
Data analysis..................................................................................................................................10
Data presentation...........................................................................................................................10
Conceptual Framework..................................................................................................................10
Project Schedule............................................................................................................................11
Project budget................................................................................................................................12
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................13
References......................................................................................................................................14

3CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY, ETHICS AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Introduction of the subject
This study seeks to understand and analyze the aspects of corporate social responsibility, ethics
and accountability in an organization. The study also seeks to establish the role played by the
three aspects in an organization and the impact that they have on organizational performance.
Corporate social responsibility is defined as the relationship between corporate organizations and
the stakeholders of the organization as well as the local environment in which the organization
operates. It also involves the relationship of an organization with the local communitywhere its
based. Corporate social responsibility has become dominant in today`s business world.
Accountability is the obligation of an individual or organization to account for activities and
actions and take responsibility for the outcome whether its positive or negative. An individual or
organization should be able to disclose the results in a transparent and truthful manner.
Research questions
What is the meaning of corporate social responsibility, organizational ethics and accountability?
What is the impact of the corporate social responsibility, organizational ethics and accountability
on an organization?
How do most organizations perform currently in form of corporate social responsibility?
What is the arising corporate responsibility and ethics issue among organizations today?
What is the framework used by organization for CSR, ethics and accountability?

4CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY, ETHICS AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Justification
CSR has become a major area of concern for organizations today. The term corporate social
responsibility was developed in the 1960s. During that time, very few organizations were
involved in social activities and promotion of community affairs. However, there were still some
small businesses and organizations which played a major role in contributing to social good.
After the turn of the millennium, the popularity of corporate social responsibility has increased
significantly. Almost all organizations globally are involved in corporate social responsibility
activities in one way or the other. The increasing involvement of corporate organizations in
social activities has prompted researchers to study on the reasons why corporate organizations
engage in CSR(Harjoto, 2017). Many authors have also investigated the impact of corporate
social responsibility on an organization. Ethics is another aspect of business organizations which
has been highly researched on. This is majorly due to the huge role played by ethics in
determining organizational success. An ethical organization will most likely be successful even
financially. There has been a consistent question on the role that ethics play in determining the
success of an organization. The impact of ethics on an organization also needs to be determined
so as to help organizations determine what they need to do to improve the performance of their
organizations using ethics. Accountability in an organizational context means an individual being
to account for all activities and disclose the results of in an open manner. In the recent past, cases
of fraud and dishonest among employees and management has been on the rise (Colle, Henriques
& Sarasvathy, 2014). Organizations sometimes try to hide from stakeholders the true financial
state of an organization. It is therefore important to construct a research to determine the impact
of accountability on an organization and the factors which promote this value in an organization.

5CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY, ETHICS AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Problem Statement
Corporate social responsibility ethics and accountability very important aspects in an
organization in today`s business world.Most of the global and local based corporations have a
policy regarding corporate activities which are socially responsible. Different authors and
scholars view corporate social responsibility from different aspects with some focusing on the
social role played by the organization while other focus on the responsibility of the organization
towards the stakeholders excluding the society. The aspect of corporate social responsibility and
what it means to organizations has evolved over the years. Organizations all over the world are
playing a greater role in corporate social responsibility. This study seeks to understand what
impact this aspect has on organizations. Organizational ethics can be defined as principles, rules
and policies which govern the behavior of people in an organization. Ethics are at the core of
every organization since they have a huge bearing on organizational performance. The minimum
tolerable standards of behavior and performance are set by the organization to help guide
employees when executing their dally task at the work place (Ackers, 2017). Ethics help an
organization to be disciplined and they promote good relations between employees and other
stakeholders and also among employees themselves. Ethics as well as accountability are very
crucial for an organization to achieve its objectives. This study aims at investigating the imact
that these three aspects have on an organization and how they can be incorporated in an
organizations business framework to improve performance.
Aim and Objectives
The main aim of this research is to analyze the changes that the subject of CSR,ethics and
accountability have undergone over the years and investigate the impact that they have on
business organizations. The following are the objectives of this study:

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 Analysis and evaluation of concept of CSR,ethics and accountability and how the concept
has evolved over time
 Identification of the impacts of CSR,ethics and accountability on a business organization
 Application of aspects and key concepts of CSR,ethics and accountability on a real business
organization
 Evaluation of the impact of CSR,ethics and accountability on the brand name of the
organization
Potential outcome of the project
The expected outcomes of the research are as follows:
The research should be able to evaluate and discuss clearly the aspects of corporate social
responsibility, organizational ethics and accountability.
The study should be able to identify the impact that corporate social responsibility, ethics and
accountability have on an organization.
The study will be able to identify and discuss the theories underlying corporate social
responsibility, ethics and accountability and identify the corporate social responsibility
performance of the organization.
Application of corporate social responsibility, ethics and accountability issues in an
organizational framework.
Literature review
The subjects of corporate social responsibility, ethics and accountability have been widely
researched over the years. The researchers used many different research methods to help them

7CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY, ETHICS AND ACCOUNTABILITY
arrive and fulfill the aims and objectives of their study. According to Pillay, (2016), corporate
social responsibility has increased in recent years due to factors like increased customer interest
(Pillay, 2016). He argues that ethical conduct of companies exerts a growing influence on
customers. This influence may result to customers buying from the organization and eventually
becoming a loyal customer. Another factor that has been identified to lead to corporate social
responsibility is the demand for greater discloses by various stakeholders. The other drivers of
CSR are the increasing competition for human resource.
CSR has a very huge impact on every organization. According to Harjoto, (2017)CSR is
important to an organization since it brings stability to the business organization. It helps an
organization achieve its long term goals by maintaining good relations with various stakeholders
who are very important to the organization. CSR is also seen to contribute to customer retention.
A research by Ross, (2017) indicated that most customers would rather buy from a company that
is involved in CSR rather than buying from a company that is not involved in CSR. Corporate
social responsibility has a huge impact on the image of the organization. It helps to cultivate and
cast a positive image of the organization and hence the organization is able to reap the benefits of
good image for long period of time (Schreck, 2013).CSR saves organizations loads of cash. A
responsible organization will be able to avoid fines due to not complying with safety regulations
and poor employee working conditions. This helps an organization to achieve a stable cash flow.
Ethics have a very huge impact on every organization. Ethics set the minimum standards of
behavior in an organization and this helps in ensuring discipline at the work place (Shelton,
2014). Discipline ensures that all employees are able to complete their tasks as planned. Ethics
also cultivate the organizational culture of the organization. This is very important in determine
the performance standards and goal which the employees strive to meet. Ethics in an

8CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY, ETHICS AND ACCOUNTABILITY
organization also play an important role in cultivating a positive image of the organization
among customers and other stakeholders (Crane, Matten & Spence, 2013). This is very important
in attracting new customers and in encouraging customer loyalty. In addition to this, ethics have
a huge impact on the output of an organization. This is because good organizational ethics create
a conducive environment for employees to perform optimum and hence contribute to good
employee performance. Ethics also results to better conflict resolution methods and less conflicts
within the organization and hence improving the performance of the organization (Tatum, 2012).
Accountability has a huge impact on any organization since it defines the relationship between
the organization and various stakeholders. It promotes open communication and disclosure of
information. This ensures transparency and honesty within an organization and between its
stakeholders.
Methodology
This research uses qualitative research method. This method is suitable for this study
since the variables being investigated cannot be quantified and are descriptive in nature. The
research will use both primary and secondary data. Employees and managers of ten organizations
chosen randomly will be interviewed and others issued with questionnaires. Peer reviewed
journal articles as well as internet sources will be used to provide extra secondary information on
this research.Books written on the corporate social responsibility, ethics and accountability in
organizations will also be evaluated to provide further information needed for this research
study. Internet sources of data and information are also important to carry out research
successfully on this subject. Internet sources will be used to complement other sources of data
and to provide timely data on the research topic. The data collected from this study is expected to

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be descriptive in nature. The phenomenon being studied cannot be measured numerically and
hence the only method to conduct this research is through the qualitative research methods.
Data analysis
Qualitative data analysis methods will be used to analyze the data resulting from this study. The
data collected on research subject will be compared with the information collected in the
literature review. The aspects of CSR, ethics &accountability will be analyzed and evaluated
now and compared to past data (Audi, 2012).. The changes in this aspect can then be determined
and conclusions made from the research. The comparison of past and present data is a perfect
method of data analysis using the qualitative method since it sets a threshold with which the
variables can be compared.
Data presentation
Since data collected using qualitative methods is descriptive in nature, the analysis, research
findings and conclusions from this study will be presented using written reports.
Conceptual Framework
The subjects of corporate social responsibility, ethics and accountability have been highly
researched in the previous years. The attention given to this subject signifies the huge role played
by these aspects in an organization. Corporate social responsibility is viewed differently from
organization to organization depending on the CRS goals of the company (Trong Tuan, 2012).
Previous researches indicates that corporate social responsibility helps to improve the image of
the organization among the existing and potential customers and therefore an organization is able
to attract more customers(Bright, Winn& Kanov, 2014). CRS also help an organization to be

10CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY, ETHICS AND ACCOUNTABILITY
responsible to the society and protect their interest. Promotion of social good helps to create
good relations between the organization and the society and hence promoting a good conducive
environment for the organization to thrive. Ethics in an organization instill discipline among
employees and hence help them to focus towards achieving the organizational goals and
objectives. Accountability has a very huge impact in any organization since it promotes openness
and understanding in an organization.
Project Schedule
Activity Start Date Duration End date
Identification of research
subject
1/8/2017 7 8//8/2017
Formulation of research
questions and hypothesis
8//8/2017 10 18/8/2017
Identification and
formulation of research
methods and design
18/8/2017 21 8/9/2017
Research proposal writing 8/9/2017 14 2/10/2017
Literature review 2/10/2017 21 23/10/2017
Data collection 23/10/2017 30 21/11/2017
Data analysis and 21/11/2017 15 6/12/2017

11CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY, ETHICS AND ACCOUNTABILITY
interpretation
Preparation of final report 6/12/2017 10 16/12/2017
Project budget
Item/Purpose Amount ($)
Payment of research assistants 1,350
Purchase of literature review materials 970
Traveling expenses 1400
Printing and consultancy fee 880
Total $4,600
A total of $ 4,600 will be required to conduct the research successfully and on time. Research
assistant will be hired to aid in handling of bulky secondary data and to help guide the researcher
around the local area where research is being conducted. Literature materials are expected to cost
approximately $970. Traveling for the researcher and the research assistant will cost $1,400.
Conclusion
This paper evaluates the research subject of corporate social responsibility, ethics and
accountability to determine the impact that this factors have on organizations (Wild, 2014). The
first section of the report is identification the research topic and a clearly stated problem of the

12CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY, ETHICS AND ACCOUNTABILITY
statement. The paper also justifies the study and identifies the methods and justification that will
be used to conduct the research (Brewer, 2012). A review of past literature is done to identify
gaps existing in the study. The paper also contains the project schedule and a projected budget
for the research.
References
Ackers, B. (2017). The Evolution of Corporate Social Responsibility Assurance – A
Longitudinal Study. Social And Environmental Accountability Journal, 37(2), 97-117.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0969160x.2017.1294097
Audi, R. (2012). Virtue ethics as a resource in business. Business Ethics Quarterly, 22(2), 273-
291.
Brewer, E. W. (2012). Secondary data analysis. Sage secondary data analysis, 165-176.

13CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY, ETHICS AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Bright, D. S., Winn, B. A., & Kanov, J. (2014). Reconsidering virtue: Differences of perspective
in virtue ethics and the positive social sciences. Journal of Business Ethics, 119(4), 445-
460.
Crane, A., Matten, D., & Spence, L. J. (2013). Corporate social responsibility in a global context.
de Colle, S., Henriques, A., & Sarasvathy, S. (2014). The paradox of corporate social
responsibility standards. Journal of Business Ethics, 125(2), 177-191.
Harjoto, M. (2017). Corporate social responsibility and corporate fraud. Social Responsibility
Journal, 00-00. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/srj-09-2016-0166
Laine, M. (2011). Smoke and mirrors: Corporate social responsibility and tax avoidance. Social
And Environmental Accountability Journal, 31(1), 99-99.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0969160x.2011.556417
Pillay, R. (2016). The limits to self-regulation and voluntarism: from corporate social
responsibility to corporate accountability. Amicus Curiae, 2014(99).
http://dx.doi.org/10.14296/ac.v2014i99.2287
Ross, D. (2017). A research-informed model for corporate social responsibility: towards
accountability to impacted stakeholders. International Journal Of Corporate Social
Responsibility, 2(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40991-017-0019-7

14CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY, ETHICS AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Schreck, P. (2013). Nonfinancial Disclosure and Analyst Forecast Accuracy: International
Evidence on Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure. Social And Environmental
Accountability Journal, 33(3), 180-181. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0969160x.2013.845036
Shelton, W. (2014). Politicizing the Expertise of the Accounting Industry in the Realm of
Corporate Social Responsibility. Social And Environmental Accountability Journal,
34(3), 191-192. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0969160x.2014.967960
Tatum, J. (2012). Enhancing Corporate Accountability under the Criminal Code through
Enforcing Corporate Social Responsibility. SSRN Electronic Trong Tuan, L. (2012).
Corporate social responsibility, ethics, and corporate governance. Social Responsibility
Journal, 8(4), 547-560. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/17471111211272110Journal.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2143940
Wild, S. (2014). Conformance and Deviance: Company Responses to Institutional Pressures for
Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting. Social And Environmental Accountability
Journal, 34(2), 127-127. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0969160x.2014.938486

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