Literature Review and CSR Analysis: Study Skills Assignment

This report provides a comprehensive literature review on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and its impact on business practices. It begins with an introduction to literature reviews, explaining their purpose, benefits, and the process of conducting them, including the importance of understanding the research field, collecting relevant data, and developing new ideas. The report then delves into CSR, defining it as a means for companies to manage stakeholders and improve the working environment. It examines how CSR initiatives can boost employee motivation and maintain brand reputation, referencing various studies and perspectives on the subject. The report also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of CSR, including potential risks to reputation and increased workloads. Furthermore, it analyzes Carroll's CSR Pyramid model, which outlines the economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic responsibilities of businesses. The conclusion summarizes the key findings and emphasizes the evolving nature of CSR and its role in addressing societal challenges. The report aims to provide insights into how CSR can be effectively implemented to achieve specific business targets and positively impact society.

Study Skills

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK...............................................................................................................................................3
1) Meaning of Literature Review and how it can be achieve.....................................................3
2) Literature Review on 'Corporate Social Responsibility':........................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Corporate social responsibility help the companies to manage their stakeholders socially
and make them comfortable in the working environment. Literature review is a form of article
which includes survey, research and critically examining various matters and reports, concluding
the facts. It is type of secondary sources which is based on existing report. As literature review
means to analyse certain facts in deeper ways to conclude the outcome from that research. LR is
adopted by various students and PhD holders to prepare thesis, dissertation and articles. This
assignment includes the meaning of Literature review and its benefits and purposes to choose the
literature review and what does it achieve in society. It also includes the deep research on
corporate social responsibility.
TASK
1) Meaning of Literature Review and how it can be achieve
The word literature comes from learning, writing and review means analysing the facts
thus putting together, LR means reviewing the learning in written format. LR is the research and
analysis of particular topic and article which previous author and students had research and
analyse the facts. Literature review of authors helps the students to analyse certain facts and also
changes the criteria of dealing crucial matters in society (Literature Review, 2019). Their
outcomes and results mainly change the way of looking the society. As it identifies certain
matters and facts which only overcome by having deep research.
The main purpose of LR is to collect the appropriate knowledge from the existing
research and debates on relevant topics and facts that are examined. After such process, the
gained knowledge are examined in the written format. The basic purpose to conduct LR is to
improve knowledge skills in the filed that you have interest on.
Contents of Writing the Reviews:
 Introduction: It reflects the main intro of that topic. The researcher shows the short brief
about the topic they selected. Introduction contains the short overview of the matters
which the researcher research from the months or may be from years. To presents a
relevant article it is necessary to write understandable brief which is the main part of the
review.

 Main body: Under this content, the completes study is divided into headings and sub
heading. It includes the detailed review of the matters. It contains the matters which
includes the consequences raised in the topic and such matters which helps society to be
improved and changed in good aspect.
 Conclusion: Finally at the end it is concluded regarding the facts and figures which arises
in research. It represents the analyses which the researcher analysis while engaged in the
research work. It highlights the major points which is specially covered in the main body
and what researcher concluded at the end.
To move in the field of research, following points should be understand before making a
successful literature review.
 Firstly to understand the interest on which field the research is executed.
 To collect the relevant data in that field and analyse certain facts which improve the
research methodology.
 Then to develop new ideas in that research to make it more productive and useful.
 After developing the ideas next work to be initiated to commit the research work, make
sure that it is different from the previous research and should not replicate from the
completed work activities (Hart, 2018).
 Lastly to make research on current ideas examining the changes which occurs in society
in recent times.
To conduct literature review it helps to achieve:
 The knowledge and ideas of the reader and researcher regarding the topic they selected
and the reason behind that topic.
 The strength and weakness of that topic and the reason behind choosing the matters
which challenge the crucial matters happening in the society.
 It achieves that researcher is aware about all the facts and is familiar with the topic.
2) Literature Review on 'Corporate Social Responsibility':
According to Crane, Matten and Spence (2019) CSR refer to the sustainability growth of
the company. It helps the business to boost their employees to achieve their goal which results in

profitability of the company. CSR not only provide benefits to the company but also motivates
their employees, investors to work as team and maintain the brand name in the market. Company
initiate CSR activities to build a strong relationship between employer and employee. Crowther
and Seifi (2018) argued that to apply the concept of CSR company had to balance their structure
and then think about the employee's motivation. They have to first trained their employees to
work properly in the company and then promote the CSR activities. As CSR activities are
committed to maintain the interest of employees in the organisation. If employer not trust their
employee and not maintain ethical behaviours, CSR concept is waste in the companies.
As per Flammer (2015) the concept of Corporate Social responsibility is emerged by the
International Organisation for setting proper norms and standards to set the rules for companies.
This means that every companies has to follow the CSR activities to maintain the dignity in the
emerging global market. ISO certify various guidelines rather than providing requirement as
CSR is a qualitative in nature rather than it prefer to be quantitative. It is a management concept
which tackle the social and environmental matters of the business.
Grayson and Hodges (2017) Stated that CSR activities which helps society to bring
changes reflects the working of the employees in wider way. As companies initiate CSR
activities to provide friendly environment to employees regarding their working criteria. But
employees take wrong advantages of these activities and engage more in persona use. This waste
the time and resources of the company which they provide for employees benefits. Company
standard norms to commit CSR for employees benefits and they mostly take the advantage to use
CSR norms. CSR is some type of charity to maintain the brand image of the company but they
use for their promotion products. They take advantages from this concept in the form of saving
money by way of Social media marketing which can be committed by engaging in CSR
activities.
Hart (2018) criticised that CSR runs from the ancient time and many companies adopt
these to increase sales and make profit. They have no care and duty regarding the intention to
develop employees skills and knowledge. Just for the sake of government norms they have to
conduct the CSR concept and follow their standards. This criticise the rules of employees
motivation and training. As many company conduct this activity in precise manner.

Lins, K. V., Servaes and Tamayo (2017) discussed that to conduct the activity of CSR it
engages the employees to take decision in the company and also take decision according to the
welfare of the employees. As it helps to build the strong relationship between the employer and
employee relationship. Employee can freely discuss the issues and problems raised in the
training processes and also guides the company senior post to act accordingly. It's the duty of the
company manager to guide their employees and provide proper training while conducting the
CSR. It provides quality and productive work to the company which indirectly helps them to
achieve the targets.
Schrempf-Stirling, Palazzo and Phillips (2016) examined that there is adverse
relationship between the social responsibility and corporate performance. They find that social
responsibility provide internal benefits to the companies which influences the performance of the
management of the company. The changes arise in case of motivating the employees and trained
them which increases the social responsibility but somehow affect the performance. If the
employees are less interested in developing their skills and company organise training session,
this results in lack of performance scheme.
Wang and et.al., (2016) assessed in their study that CSR assists in maintaining brand
name in the emerging global market. As company donates huge tons of money as charity to the
NGO or provide free gods and services to help the public engaged within society. They help
people who suffered their life in natural calamities or global issue regarding heath, pollution
control and global warming. This practices increased the customer loyalty towards work
commitment and also increase sales in the company.
Crane, Matten and Spence (2019) argued that CSR comes up with certain disadvantages
to the company. They risk their reputation in the market if this activity is not succeeded. As if
changes in activity brings the depreciation value to the company working. It increases the
workload of the company and also affects the smooth working structure. As they have to initiated
their time management to commit the CSR activity. CSR activities are usually eco-friendly and
promote the less usage of resources. But to conduct this activity they have to invest lot of money
and day wise workload also increased.
According to Machi, L. A. and McEvoy, B. T., (2016) Carroll pyramids of Social
responsibility model helps to identify how the organisation meet their social responsibility and

obligation. The major key features which examines this theory as it built a strong foundation as
profit always comes in the business. Company first priority to increase sales and then concentrate
on employee's motivation as without sales company can't stand in market (Carroll's CSR
Pyramid, 2018). Various laws and regulation are imposed by the government to improve the
working of sales in organisation.
As per Wang and et.al., (2016) stated that CSR Carroll model specifies four responsibility
that to be followed to increase the CSR activities. Society conveys the messages regarding the
laws and regulation which business had to follow. As business had to work according to the rules
and regulation imposed by the government to operate in a civil society. Society always prefer
that business work according to the rules and follow polices which provides benefits to them.
Ethical responsibility is the expectation and obligation to react on fair and in right manner. It
avoids harm to the stakeholder while interacting with them regarding the work schedule. The
model indicate the economic responsibility of the business as they have to earn profit to run the
company for longer term. If the business not stands in the society, they have no liability to retain
the employees (Corporate Social Responsibility, 2017). Company growth based on economic
stability of the company. Last one is related to good corporate citizen. In this organisation
expected to behave and examines the matters in respect of good corporate citizens. They
expected from the employees that they appreciate the activities which are conducted in the
organisation.
Crane, Matten and Spence (2019) that Pyramid of CSR should be conducted for the sake
of shareholder benefits. They engaged in 4 important concepts which includes the firm’s
decision, actions, rules and regulation and polices. As they didn't represent the hierarchy of the
companies as they use these activities to promote the person in the company. Rather, business
use these activities to promote the employees working and maintain their interest in the activity
of the company. If the company want to maintain their reputation in the market, they have to add
more corporate social responsibility to the company. These directly motivates the working
structure and provide more profits to the company. Thus, CSR is successful for mostly
companies to run for longer term.

CONCLUSION
From the above study it can be concluded that in recent times the CSR concept had
undergone through various changes. Good Literature Review does not summarize the literature
and learning. It analyses the methodology problems and points which are discussed by the
researcher. Corporate Social Responsibility helps the company in achieving a specific targets. To
play an active role in society, researches identifies the outcomes in serious matters raises in
literature review. Thus, LR changes the criteria of looking forward and managing the crucial
matters in the society. It can help directly or indirectly to raise the new development in society.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Crowther, D. and Seifi, S. eds., 2018. Redefining Corporate Social Responsibility. Emerald
Group Publishing.
Flammer, C., 2015. Does corporate social responsibility lead to superior financial performance?
A regression discontinuity approach. Management Science. 61(11). pp.2549-2568.
Grayson, D. and Hodges, A., 2017. Corporate social opportunity!: Seven steps to make
corporate social responsibility work for your business. Routledge.
Hart, C., 2018. Doing a literature review: Releasing the research imagination. Sage.
Lins, K. V., Servaes, H. and Tamayo, A., 2017. Social capital, trust, and firm performance: The
value of corporate social responsibility during the financial crisis. The Journal of
Finance. 72(4). pp.1785-1824.
Machi, L. A. and McEvoy, B. T., 2016. The literature review: Six steps to success. Corwin Press.
Schrempf-Stirling, J., Palazzo, G. and Phillips, R. A., 2016. Historic corporate social
responsibility. Academy of Management Review. 41(4). pp.700-719.
Wang and et.al., 2016. Corporate social responsibility: An overview and new research directions:
Thematic issue on corporate social responsibility.
Online
Carroll's CSR Pyramid. 2018. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.tutor2u.net/business/reference/carrolls-csr-pyramid>.
Corporate Social Responsibility. 2017. [Online]. Available through:
<http://www.fiinovation.co.in/corporate-social-responsibility/>.
Literature Reviews. 2019. [Online]. Available through: <https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-
tools/literature-reviews/>./