Corporate social responsibility as competitive advantage and strategic necessity : loooking at firm vision and stakeholder perceptions
Master thesis
Permanent lenke
http://hdl.handle.net/11250/135332Utgivelsesdato
2009Metadata
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Sammendrag
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been an increased concept within the today’s
business and there are different perceptions regarding the means of the concept. The theories
in the area focus on CSR as a possible source of competitive advantage, but also as a strategic
necessity. There is a debate regarding the Stakeholders’ importance when it comes to a firm’s
CSR activities. Satisfying stakeholders may be useful to increase a firm’s competitiveness, as
well as it can be seen as a necessity. This study explores whether a CSR activity can be seen
as a source of competitive advantage, or as a strategic necessity. Different views from the
firms’ CSR manager and different stakeholders are used. Further, this paper will explore if
there are any differences between the stakeholders’ perception, as well as the perceptions in
comparison with the CSR managers’ intention. The study was carried out by using two
companies with a high CSR profile: Kaffehuset Friele and Stormberg, with relevant
stakeholders.
The main findings of this paper concern CSR as competitive advantage and as a strategic
necessity, as well as rooted in the firm’s values and beliefs. Further, the findings show a more
detailed categorisation of sources of competitive advantage and strategic necessity. In
addition, the findings show that the different stakeholder groups: latent, expectant and
definitive have different perceptions of a CSR activity. Lastly, the CSR managers’ intention
and the stakeholders’ perception differ in some areas.
Beskrivelse
Masteroppgave i økonomi og administrasjon - Universitetet i Agder 2009