Abstract
The literature on corporate responsibility contains a wide range of arguments for business sector involvement in matters of social and political community. Some writers argue for extensive involvement, while others draw relatively narrow boundaries around the appropriate sphere of a company's nonbusiness activity. One way to classify and clarify these various views is to examine each in light of the notion of business-society relationship which underlies it. Four ways of understanding the business-society relationship are articulated here, together with the arguments for corporate responsibility that emerge from them.
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sohn, H.F. Prevailing rationales in the corporate social responsibility debate. Journal of Business Ethics 1, 139–144 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00412085
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00412085