Ask many people what corporate social responsibility is and they may tell you it is something that the chief executive officer takes care of. The chief executive officer of a company does in fact have many different responsibilities but it is important to understand that corporate social responsibility is not just for CEOs. Perhaps the best way to understand who is truly responsible for corporate social responsibility is to build a solid foundation by understanding exactly what corporate social responsibility is. Known by other names such as corporate social performance, corporate responsibility, responsible business, corporate citizenship and sustainable responsible business, corporate social responsibility is a method whereby a corporation self regulates via its business model.

This may sound like a lot of jargon, but in its most simplified explanation, what this means is that corporate social responsibility is a corporations policy that operates as a self regulating, built-in mechanism that allows the corporation to monitor itself to ensure it is operating according to established international norms, ethical standards and any relevant legal measures. This means that the corporation takes full responsibility for employees, stakeholders, consumers, environment, communities and associated members of the public realm.

The many aspects of a corporation that are impacted by corporate social responsibility include human resources, risk management, brand differential, ethics trading, motives, globalization and market influences, ethical consumerism, regulations, social accounting, auditing, reporting and much more. With such a broad range of influence, there are many who argue that corporate social responsibility is nothing more than clever window dressing for corporations who want to go unmonitored by outside influences. Those who are in favour of corporate social responsibility argue to the contrary, saying that when you reach such an extensive group of corporate related individuals and garner agreement as a whole to uphold certain standards, it can only work towards the greater good of all those involved.

One thing that is for certain and that is the reality that corporate social responsibility is not just another tick mark on the job description page for the CEO, COO, CFO and other pertinent leaders of a corporation. Although these individuals may play some of the highest ranking roles in the implementation of a corporate social responsibility policy, it is clearly a policy that belongs to every member of the corporation and all those who fall under the umbrellas coverage. Corporate social responsibility is a valuable tool that can help a corporation establish a presence and reputation that speaks for itself.