The Breath of Life

This chapter aims to contribute to the debate about corporate social responsibility (CSR), sustainable development (SD) and global corporate citizenship (GCC) that is becoming increasingly an important issue for the human well being as well as that of ecological systems. It contains three sections. The first section looks at the concept of CSR with a historical perspective. The dimensions of CSR and its relationship with ethical theories is investigated in the second section since CSR is an ethical concept. Throughout this chapter three main groups of ethical theories classified by Garriga and Mele (2004) will be presented such as normative stakeholder theory, universal rights, the common good approach. Based on the relationship between common good approach and sustainable development, the author will discuss a requirement for global corporate citizenship approach in the third section.

The Breath of Life

This chapter aims to contribute to the debate about corporate social responsibility (CSR), sustainable development (SD) and global corporate citizenship (GCC) that is becoming increasingly an important issue for the human well being as well as that of ecological systems. It contains three sections. The first section looks at the concept of CSR with a historical perspective. The dimensions of CSR and its relationship with ethical theories is investigated in the second section since CSR is an ethical concept. Throughout this chapter three main groups of ethical theories classified by Garriga and Mele (2004) will be presented such as normative stakeholder theory, universal rights, the common good approach. Based on the relationship between common good approach and sustainable development, the author will discuss a requirement for global corporate citizenship approach in the third section.

International Quasi-Constitutionalism and Corporate Citizenship: Language, Troubles, Dilemmas

Why are companies increasingly adopting the language of ‘citizenship’ to describe themselves? This is the issue taken up in this article. It is suggested the claims and forms of address in respect to ‘global corporate citizenship’ are part of wider governance moves in the international system, associated with a certain constitutional terminology and moves to progressively juridicalize the international arena. The article explores the forms of these moves as regards company activity in particular, and illustrates the difficult consequences of the processes being described from the point of view of traditional international law and corporate governance.