Harvard Business Review on Corporate Responsibility (Harvard Business Review Paperback Series) [Paperback]

Harvard Business School Press (Author), C. K. Prahalad (Author), Michael E. Porter (Author)

Book Description

Series: Harvard Business Review Paperback Series | Publication Date: July 10, 2003

What and whom is a business for? This collection of articles gathers the latest thinking on the strategic significance of corporate social responsibility. Readers will develop an understanding of why businesses should continue to give money away even while laying off workers, how companies play a leadership role in today's social problems by incorporating the best thinking of governments and nonprofit institutions, and how community needs are actually opportunities to develop ideas and demonstrate business technologies. Readers will see how corporate responsibility can lead to new markets and solutions to long-standing business problems.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Since 1984, Harvard Business School Press has been dedicated to publishing the most contemporary management thinking, written by authors and practitioners who are leading the way. Whether readers are seeking big-picture strategic thinking or tactical problem solving, advice in managing global corporations or for developing personal careers, HBS Press helps fuel the fire of innovative thought. HBS Press has earned a reputation as the springboard of thought for both established and emerging business leaders.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Harvard Business Press (July 10, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591392748
• ISBN-13: 978-1591392743
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #451,566 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 8essays that see corporate responsibility as an opportunity, October 22, 2003

By 

Max More "Max More" (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Harvard Business Review on Corporate Responsibility (Harvard Business Review Paperback Series) (Paperback)

Traditional corporate executives may shudder when they hear the term "corporate responsibility". In their view, the corporation's responsibility is to maximize shareholder value within the bounds of the law. That's a tall order as it is, so resistance to the thought of additional sources of responsibility and additional relevant "stakeholders" isn't surprising. The writers gathered in this collection of papers from HBR see corporate responsibility less as a burden and more as an opportunity. The opportunity lies in creating new markets, resolving age-old business problems, improving public perception, strengthening brands, and melding the best ideas for governments and nonprofit institutions for doing well while doing good.

This collection of eight essays provides a firm foundation in both critical and creative thinking on issues of corporate responsibility and active philanthropy. If the terrain is unfamiliar, the collection's fifth essay - "The Path of Kyosei should be a comfortable entry point. Canon's honorary chairman, Ryuzaburo Kaku, sets out five steps along a path toward a "spirit of cooperation". Practical but still intellectually not so challenging is Rosabeth Moss Kanter's "From Spare Change to Real Change: The Social Sector as Beta Site for Business Innovation". Craig Smith in "The New Corporate Philanthropy" sees philanthropic strategies as giving a competitive edge. A similar perspective, worked out in some detail, comes from Michael Porter and Mark Kramer in their contribution, "The Competitive Advantage of Corporate Philanthropy".

Charles Handy takes his turn at defining the extent of corporate responsibility in "What's A Business For?". A more impressive piece with far more potential payback for the executive reader comes from C.K. Prahalad and Allen Hammond in their recent essay, "Serving the World's Poor, Profitably". Also of high quality is Roger Martin's "The Virtue Matrix: Calculating the Return on Corporate Responsibility". For the more philosophical, a challenging and well-presented argument for strong corporate responsibility appears in "Can a Corporation Have a Conscience?" by the fittingly-named Kenneth Goodpaster and John Matthews. With a couple of weaker spots, this collection succeeds in bringing together some of the best recent thinking on the issue in recent years. To fill in the gaps, be sure to look at the best pieces from other publications.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Harvard CSR, May 14, 2007

By 

J. M. Jackson "ed leadership prof" (norfolk va) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Harvard Business Review on Corporate Responsibility (Harvard Business Review Paperback Series) (Paperback)

As an educational leadership professor, I am interested in learning about corporations and how they impact educational settings. This text was one of the most comprehensive collections of essays to offer a wide range of perspectives on the issues of corporate social responsibility. With its researchers and the commentary, this text provides a novice, like myself, with the background, application and insight as to how the business world perceives CSR within its own environment. For those of you who are new to this field, this is a must read.

Dr. Joan Jackson, Asst. Prof. Ed. Leadership, ODU

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great CSR Beginners Guide, February 9, 2011

By 

Frank Roettgers "Author of Going Green Together" (Frankfurt, Germany) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Harvard Business Review on Corporate Responsibility (Harvard Business Review Paperback Series) (Paperback)

This collection of papers from well-known and respected authors such as Prahalad, Porter, and Kramer is a very good starting point for everyone who wants to get into the topic of corporate responsibility. In a very academic way these authors describe the concept, scope, and possibilities of corporate responsibility. With their years of experience in their fields they are able to outline examples of how this concept should work, but especially how it really works in practice.

As with most Harvard Business Press paper collections you will get excellent theory on the topic mixed with brilliant insights and prescient views. The expertise of the authors allows them to provide the reader with a great overview on the interaction between the different factors that play a role in corporate responsibility.

- Frank Roettgers, author of Going Green Together - How to Align Employees with Green Strategies