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Some firms are initiating pro-stakeholder activities and policies that transcend conventional corporate social responsibility (CSR) conceptions and seem inconsistent with their business interests or economic responsibilities. These initiatives, which are neither legally nor morally obligatory, are responding to calls for a more active role of business in society and for a broader interpretation of CSR. In fact, they benefit stakeholders in a superior and an innovative way and are difficult to reconcile with commonly used rationales in the extant CSR literature, such as win-win opportunities, creating shared value, or corporate philanthropy. For better insight, we develop a qualified account of the concept of supererogation from ethical theory. This account, which examines voluntary responses to moral obligations from which a business is normally excused, is applied to identify the unique features of the initiatives that are not readily understood within conventional reasoning, which is generally focused on a business case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To purchase or authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8608.2008.00539.x Byline: Laura Albareda ([dagger]), Josep M. Lozano ([double dagger]), Antonio Tencati (s.), Atle Midttun ([paragraph]), Francesco Perrini (*) Abstract: The aim of this article is to contribute to understanding the changing role of government in promoting corporate social responsibility (CSR). Over the last decade, governments have joined other stakeholders in assuming a relevant role as drivers of CSR, working together with intergovernmental organizations and recognizing that public policies are key in encouraging a greater sense of CSR. This paper focuses on the analysis of the new strategies adopted by governments in order to promote, and encourage businesses to adopt, CSR values and strategies. The research is based on the analysis of an explanatory framework, related to the development of a relational analytical framework, which tries to analyze the vision, values, strategies and roles adopted by governments, and the integration of new partnerships that governments establish in the CSR area with the private sector and social organizations. The research compares CSR initiatives and public policies in three European countries: Italy, Norway and the United Kingdom, and focuses on governmental drivers and responses. The preliminary results demonstrate that governments are incorporating a common statement and discourse on CSR, working in partnership with the private and social sectors. For governments, CSR implies the need to manage a complex set of relationships in order to develop a win-win situation between business and social organizations. However, the research also focuses on the differences between the three governments when applying CSR public policies. These divergences are based on the previous cultural and political framework, such as the welfare state typology, the organizational structures and the business and social and cultural background in each country. Author Affiliation: ([dagger])Researcher at the Institute for Social Innovation at ESADE Business School, University Ramon Llull - (URL), Barcelona, Spain ([double dagger])Professor in the Department of Social Sciences at ESADE Business School, University Ramon Llull - (URL), Barcelona, Spain (s.)Assistant Professor at SPACE - European Research Centre on Risk, Security, Occupational Health and Safety, Environment and Crisis Management, Bocconi University, Milan, Italy ([paragraph])Professor, Director of the Centre for Corporate Citizenship and Co-Director of the Centre for Energy and Environment at the Norwegian School of Management, Sandvika, Norway (*)Professor in the Department of Management (IEGI) and SDA Bocconi School of Management at Bocconi University, Milan, Italy

To purchase or authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8608.2008.00515.x Byline: Sergio Pivato (*), Nicola Misani (*), Antonio Tencati (*) Abstract: A critical and notoriously elusive issue in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) research is the impact of Corporate Social Performance (CSP) on the bottom line. Instead of looking for direct correlations between social and financial performance, we hypothesize that the first result of CSR activities is the creation of trust among the stakeholders. A survey conducted on consumers of organic products provided support for our hypothesis, showing that CSP influences consumer trust and that that trust in turn influences consumers' subsequent actions. The findings further suggest that intermediate variables between CSP and Corporate Financial Performance (CFP) may best support a business case for CSR. Author Affiliation: (*)Full Professor of Management, Assistant Professor of Management and Assistant Professor of Management, Bocconi University, Milan, Italy