Nike & Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a concept that has blossomed over the last fifteen years. Rather than being narrowly focused on the pursuit of profit at the expense of all else, businesses practicing CSR, should at least in theory, be behaving responsibly in the course of their profit-making, taking into account their economic, environmental and social impacts on society.
However, there is a lot of debate surrounding CSR practice, regarding both to what extent certain companies are living up to their responsibile promises and regarding some of the possible ulterior motives involved in practicing CSR.
Reasons why Nike might practice CSR other than just on moral grounds include:
- Defending their important public image
- Differentiate themselves from their competitors
- Helping to prevent financially damaging boycotts, strikes, lawsuits etc
- Appealing to the ethical consumer
- Appealing to the ethical investor
- Appealing to the ethical employee
- Pressure to do so from NGO's, Government or to combat public relations disasters
- Using CSR policies as evidence that they do not need to be regulated any further than at present
