Corporate Social Innovation in Comparison with Corporate Social Responsibility: Integration, Development or Replacement?

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to provide conceptual insights as to the social dimension of businesses and how it fits into the principles of strategic management of for-profit enterprise. This issue is analyzed with reference to the three paradigms of corporate social responsibility (CSR), social innovation, and corporate social innovation (CSI). Although there have been many studies and a great deal of research on these issues, the qualitative and quantitative analyses done so far have generally analyzed the three paradigms separately, while there has been no analysis of the logical links among them. After identifying CSI as the link in the chain between CSR and social innovation, this paper poses the question of what linkage exists between the two paradigms of CSI and CSR, and in particular of whether CSI integrates, develops, or replaces CSR. In terms of method, the paper is conceptually developed on the basis of the prevailing international literature and secondary data.