What a mature CSR team looks like

Wickert, Christopher; Risi, David; Ramus, Tommaso (2022). What a mature CSR team looks like Harvard Business Review Harvard Business School Publishing

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As climate change, social inequities, and other critical issues grow ever more urgent, many companies have built dedicated departments focused on corporate social responsibility (CSR). But while this is an important first step, the authors’ new research suggests that organizations with the most mature CSR programs are often actually those with the smallest CSR departments. Based on an in-depth analysis of several Swiss firms as well as a review of prior research on CSR implementation, they identify a three-phase process through which many companies progress as their CSR operations advance from high-level vision to on-the-ground impact: A nascent stage in which the CSR department centralizes and coalesces, an intermediate stage in which it decentralizes and orchestrates, and a final stage in which it retreats and consults. Through this process, resources shift from the central CSR team out into functional units, meaning that the size and budget of the CSR department is often a poor indicator of the maturity of its CSR execution. To paint an accurate picture of a company’s performance — and to identify opportunities for improvement — the authors ultimately suggest that it’s essential to recognize these nuances and calibrate expectations and evaluations accordingly.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	Business School > Institute for Sustainable Business > Corporate Responsibility Business School
Name:	Wickert, Christopher; Risi, David0000-0003-1652-8806 and Ramus, Tommaso
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28 Management. Industrial Management
ISSN:	0017-8012
Publisher:	Harvard Business School Publishing
Language:	English
Submitter:	David Risi
Date Deposited:	22 Nov 2022 15:26
Last Modified:	18 Jul 2023 21:46
ARBOR DOI:	10.24451/arbor.18026
URI:	https://arbor.bfh.ch/id/eprint/18026