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The Effectiveness of CSR’s Approaches: Before Practice or Theory? Insights from Italian Corporate Territorial Responsibility Projects

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The Dynamics of Corporate Social Responsibility

Part of the book series: CSR, Sustainability, Ethics & Governance ((CSEG))

Abstract

The work proposes an overview of the process and the models relative to the diffusion of CSR and sustainability based on a public-private involvement. The multilevel and multidimensional approach to CSR and sustainable growth can be interpreted as a specific model of territorial social responsibility which is based on the rise of paths of local governance and social innovation whose protagonists are members of a localized network.

Starting from these premises and drawing from the reflections developed in previous works this paper intends to add new perspectives on the current debate by presenting a comparative analysis based on Italian case-studies related to CSR and sustainability-driven best practices which are being developed in two Italian areas (notably the Marches and Emilia Romagna Regions). The selected projects started even before the discussion on multilevel and territorial governance begun at the national and international level and they are highly innovative and dynamic since over the years their objectives have become progressively enriched and adapted. Using a qualitative-based approach the empirical analysis focuses on both the weaknesses and strengths, as well as on the similarities and differences of these bottom-up approaches of territorial responsibility and sustainability.

Findings underline the effectiveness of approaches and tools which are not disconnected from specific local (anthropological, cultural and socio-economic) dynamics. Territorial pathways of CSR and sustainability seem more suited to lead and preserve sustainability over time. Accordingly, in the analysis of sustainable development processes, a priority should be attributed to the territorial dimension since it contains all combined factors (human and environmental resources, entrepreneurial and social creativity) which generate processes of social innovation.

At the same time, these innovative pathways that are capable of generating social innovation underline the urgency of new theoretical constructs which take into account a maturity model of CSR/sustainability based on different stages and actors involved in CSR and sustainability-oriented projects.

The chapter is organized into three main sections: the first presents the theoretical framework, the second describes the empirical analysis, while discussion and conclusions summarize the main theoretical propositions and empirical implications of the present research and offer insights useful for further investigation.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Recently, the Committee of the Regions of the European Union has published a White Paper on Multilevel Governance , intended as: “coordinated action by the European Union, the Member States and local and regional authorities, based on partnership and aimed at drawing up and implementing EU policies” (Committee of the Regions of the European Union, 2009: 1) and including both vertical and horizontal interactions among social actors from different institutional spheres and jurisdictions.

  2. 2.

    One main issue for considering multilevel governance has been environmental and climate change (OECD, 2010; Winter, 2006).

  3. 3.

    Stakeholders ’ social responsibility includes social responsibility by the enterprises, the business associations, the financial systems, the State, the civil society organizations, the trade unions, the educational system, the consumers and families, and the publishers and media, as to create a coherent institutional field capable of promoting a culture of social responsibility in society (See Ashely, 2010a, b, 2012a, b, c: 167).

  4. 4.

    The network actors include: institutions such as municipal, provincial and regional authorities; enterprises; trade and entrepreneurial associations, consumer and non-profit organizations; universities; chambers of commerce, banks, etc.

  5. 5.

    One study by Unioncamere (2014) reveals that 18.3 % of the businesses regarded for their best practices come from the Marches region. See: www.csr.unioncamere.it

  6. 6.

    www.figlidelmondo.org

  7. 7.

    For years numerous initiatives developed within the PercoRSI project have been presented to the Sodalitas Social Award, an organization which had added to its online CSR database, the most exhaustive in Europe, with over 1200 best company practices carried out in Italy .

  8. 8.

    www.eticarim.it

  9. 9.

    See: www.sodalitas.com

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  1. University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Urbino, Italy

    Mara Del Baldo

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  1. Dept of Management Theory, Warsaw School of Economics, Warsaw, Poland

    Maria Aluchna

  2. London Metropolitan University, London Guildhall Faculty Business & Law, London, United Kingdom

    Samuel O. Idowu

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Del Baldo, M. (2017). The Effectiveness of CSR’s Approaches: Before Practice or Theory? Insights from Italian Corporate Territorial Responsibility Projects. In: Aluchna, M., Idowu, S. (eds) The Dynamics of Corporate Social Responsibility. CSR, Sustainability, Ethics & Governance. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39089-5_3

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