Strategic corporate social responsibility is the attempt by companies to link those largely discretionary activities explicitly intended to improve some aspect of society or the natural environment with their strategies and core business activities. While corporate social responsibility has historically referred to a firm’s economic, legal, ethical, and discretionary responsibilities to society, strategic corporate social responsibility, in general, represents discretionary activities that form a company’s community relations function or foundation, including corporate philanthropy, volunteerism, and multisector collaborations. Corporate social responsibility can be compared with the mere general concept of corporate responsibility, which is a company’s complete set of responsibilities to its stakeholders, societies where it operates, and the natural environment, as manifested through its operating practices.

Corporate social responsibility represents the direct efforts by a company ...