| Abstract: | This paper explores the concept and nature of corporate social responsibility and relates this to the process of crisis management. The paper begins by outlining a typology of corporate social responsibility which uses categories drawn from political and social theory to organize the vast literature on this topic. In setting out this typology, the paper notes some of the weaknesses and contradictions within these types of corporate social responsibility. On the basis of such indications, it is argued that a ‘democratic’type is the most adequate form of corporate social responsibility. The paper then shifts to note some recent arguments concerning the various phases of crises and the nature and significance of crisis management as a process of crisis avoidance. These considerations lead to a consideration of the various interrelationships that exist between the two phenomenon. It is argued that there is a close affinity between crisis avoidance and democratic forms of corporate social responsibility. The paper concludes by highlighting the provisional nature of the points raised and sets out elements of a potentially fruitful research agenda around the relationships between crisis management and corporate social responsibility. |
