The Corporate Social Policy Process: Beyond Business Ethics, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Corporate Social Responsiveness

Abstract

This article examines three concepts—business ethics, corporate social responsibility, and corporate social responsiveness—that have been used to evaluate corporate social performance. It explores the similarities and differences among them. It then introduces a fourth concept, the corporate social policy process, which integrates the key elements of the three concepts. The corporate social policy process represents a system of individual and collective moral reflection and choice within the corporation. It is not an ad hoc system, but an institutionalized one that can help improve the way in which the corporation operates in a rapidly changing social environment with value pluralism.