CORPORATE SOCIAL ACTIVITIES IN GERMANY: THE EXPERIENCE OF COMPANIES

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to study the European experience of the formation and regulation of socially responsible behaviour of economic entities; distinguishing the dominant drivers of corporate social responsibility in Germany and strategic priorities for its implementation. Its contents are interpreted in the expanded and narrow sense. Expanded approach insists that CSR is a set of interrelated types of responsibility (legal, economic, professional, moral, political, etc.) that reflect the system of values of society. Narrow interpretation foresees the definition of the degree (measure) of adoption by the subject of socially significant goals of society, the fulfilment of mutual rights and responsibilities, observance of social norms. The research subject – the peculiarities of the functioning of the European model of socially responsible entrepreneurship, the practice of its implementation in Germany. The methodology of the research is based on the definition of general principles of constructing the system of corporate social responsibility, disclosure the essence of the categorical apparatus, considering its main theoretical concepts. In the process of research, a set of methods of scientific cognition were used: analysis, synthesis, generalization (for the disclosure of the conceptual-categorical apparatus of the subject of the research); statistical method, grouping, empirical approach (while analysing the practice of distributing social responsibility among the subjects of social partnership in the EU for ensuring social protection of the population, and differences between the EU countries on the level of such responsibility of the subjects of the social process, depending on the model of socio-economic development). Conclusion. Under the influence of the challenges of globalization and the 4th Industrial Revolution, aggravation of competition, the conditions of the economy are changing. The need for business models on the basis of the strategy of sustainable development, socially responsible behaviour of business structures on the basis of systemic and long-term is growing. This situation actualizes the problem of creating mechanisms for maintaining social compromise in society. System of ensuring responsibility of the subjects of society for the formation of normal living conditions of society is one of the institutional mechanisms of social control and creating conditions for balancing personal, collective and social interests. Institutional support for the functioning of the mechanism for supporting social compromise regarding the formation of normal living conditions is based on the levers of state regulation (subsidies, preferential taxation, economic incentives, and compliance with the standards of activity); institute of entrepreneurship (international and national standards for doing business); institute of the public (the system of social reporting of enterprises, work with territorial communities). Compliance with product quality standards, with obligations to stakeholders, social reporting and progress reporting (including its environmental parameters), transparent business promotes the implementation of socio-stabilizing functions of entrepreneurial activity both on national and on a world scale. Experience of European (in particular, German) companies proves the need to adherence to the principles of social responsibility in entrepreneurship and the possibility of their use as a competitive advantage.