Corporate Social Responsibility in Europe, North America and Asia

TLDR

This paper builds on prior work assessing CSR policies based on 20 elements derived from international conventions, codes of conduct, and industry best practice. The study surveys written CSR policies of large listed companies in 15 countries across Europe, North America, and Asia to examine current priorities. The survey shows increased emphasis on ethics, bribery, corruption, and child‑labour policies, a growing CSR trend in Japan, a link between CSR development and economic development, localized policy bases, and rising importance of supply‑chain aspects, especially in trading‑heavy nations. Corporate social responsibility.

Abstract

This paper builds on previous work of the author in assessing policies on corporate social responsibility (CSR) based on 20 elements. The elements are based on international conventions, codes of conduct and industry best practice. In a second survey of current priorities for CSR among large listed companies, the paper examines the written policies of companies in 15 countries in Europe, North America and Asia. The second survey demonstrates an increased emphasis on ethics, bribery and corruption and increased policies among companies on child labour compared with the first survey. It shows that one cannot assume that Asian countries are less developed than their Western counterparts and points to a growing trend of CSR in Japan, in particular. Nevertheless, it is demonstrated that there is a link between the development of CSR and the economic development of countries and that many CSR policies are based on localised issues and cultural traditions at a country level. Supply chain aspects of CSR are growing in importance, particularly among countries with a strong trading tradition. l Corporate social responsibility