Leadership for Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability in Strategic Management

Running head: CSR AND SUSTAINABILITY
CSR AND SUSTAINABILITY
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Topic: Leadership for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainability issues in
Strategic Management in the 21st century
1. Introduction
The different leadership skills of individuals in an organization help in supporting the
sustenance as per the environmental considerations. Corporate sustainability in an organization is
dependent on the three paradigms relating to economic, social and environmental (Metcalf and
Benn 2013). Organizations and leaders design the operations and processes in the venture in
order to balance the three paradigms effectively. The leaders and their skills play an efficient role
in maintaining the sustainability of the organizations. However, in the 21st century the leaders are
facing different strategic management issues, which have restricted their role in attaining the
sustenance of the business. The discussion will aim at undertaking literature review in order to
identify the concept of CSR and sustainability. On the other hand, the research will also aim at
understanding the different strategic issues that are encountered by the leaders while continuing
the sustenance of the organizations in the 21st century.
2. Concept of CSR and Sustainability in an organization
Sustainability plays a major role in upholding the existence of an organization in a
competitive market structure while retaining the brand reputation through loyalty of the
customers towards the offerings. Klettner, Clarke and Boersma (2014) stated that the
sustainability of the organizations are mainly characterized by the brand awareness that is
created by the same while operating in diverse global markets. On the other hand, Kurucz et al.
(2017) stated that the sustenance of the organizations are dependent on the profitability of the
business while operating in diverse competitive market scenarios. The enhanced rate of CSR

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activities in organizations helps the same in upholding the sustenance. Moreover, Wolfgramm,
Flynn-Coleman and Conroy (2015) stated that the different activities that are undertaken by the
organizations depends on the triple- bottom line approach of economic, social and environmental
sustenance. The economic sustainability or profitability of organizations helps the same in
facilitating the smooth functioning of the processes. On the other hand, Baumgartner (2014)
stated that the social and environmental sustainability is undertaken by the organization in order
to address the needs of the people and the environment in which the business operates.
3. Impact of leadership roles on sustainability
The leaders play an effective role in guiding the processes of a business in accordance to
the sustainability needs of the same. The key leadership skills contribute to the design of the
processes that are undertaken by the project managers in an organization. Metcalf and Benn
(2013) stated that the decisions that are undertaken by the leaders helps an organization in
guiding the activities towards achieving the goal of sustenance. Moreover, Adams, Thornton
and Sepehri (2012) opined that the vision of the leaders help in improving the processes that are
undertaken by businesses while adhering to sustainability.
The long term vision of a leader helps an organization in managing the resources and
undertake the operations for achieving the common goal of sustenance. In this relation, Paraschiv
et al. (2012) opined that the suitable application of strategic planning and management helps a
leader in contributing to the organizational sustenance. Therefore, the leaders in an organization
play a major role in driving the actions and processes towards the common goal of sustainability.
On the other hand, Lourenço et al. (2014) stated that the decision making skills of a leader helps
in influencing the overall operations of the business. In this relation, the different changes that

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are undertaken by the organization in the processes are dependent on the leader’s decisions.
Therefore, the different changes in the design that are undertaken by the management contribute
to the sustainability of business.
4. Strategic management initiatives of a leader
The strategic management initiatives are undertaken by the leaders based on plans that
are framed by the same while assessing the position of the business to forge subtle modifications
for sustenance. Cheng, Green and Ko (2014) stated that the different strategies that are
implemented by the leaders help the same in upholding the sustenance of the business.
Moreover, Loorbach and Wijsman (2013) stated that the leaders play an efficient role in
identifying the potential personnel while distributing responsibilities, which helps in the efficient
functioning of the workforce. On the other hand, Baumgartner (2014) stated that the long term
vision of the leaders and the imposition of specific strategies helps the same in supporting the
uninterrupted functioning of the processes. In this relation, the allocation of the right job role to
the potential staff members helps a leader in facilitating the quality of the output, which
contributes to the competitive edge.
Greenwood and Holt (2014) stated that the leaders undertake communication with the
stakeholders and the different relevant personnel in order to maintain the efficiency of the
operations as per the needs of the business. Communication with the stakeholders helps an
organization in facilitating the smooth functioning of the systems in accordance to the
sustainability needs of the same. On the other hand, Stoughton and Ludema (2012) stated that
the better communicability of the leader helps in inducing the collaborative functioning of the
workforce. However, Fernando (2012) stated that the above all strategies, the staffing strategy of