Governance through corporate social responsibility as a key organizational principle

Abstract

This article addresses Governance through Corporate Social Responsibility as a Key Organizational Principle. The notion of etic and emic depicts the definitional status of CSR. Etic represents the universal recognition of CSR and emic represents the unique implementation of CSR in an organization. This article proposes that organizations behave like complex adaptive systems with complex interactions needing socially responsible strategies. This article describes French based SUEZ's emic responses to achieve responsible Governance in terms of CSR. A recipe or menu approach to Governance through CSR is inappropriate. SUEZ has acted as a model for recognizing etic and emic differentiation, using CSR as the Key Organizing Principle that allows adaptability in a socially responsible way and developed specific guidelines incorporating the needs of diverse stakeholders.