Is corporate social responsibility always a function of good management?: an ethical relativism perspective

The debate on the relationship between business and society is an issue of practical importance and theoretical interest. This paper discusses the perspectives on the social responsibilities of organisations to indicate the diversity of approaches to the legitimacy and the boundaries of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices. Classical Theories of Social Responsibility, The Stakeholder Theory, The Social Demandingness Theory, and The Social Activist Theory are critiqued. Finally, major arguments behind the social responsibility theories are discussed and an ethical relativism framework is proposed to assess the morality and the legitimacy of CSR practices.