Efectividad de los códigos para el control social de la empresa

Recent concern regarding corporate social responsibility (CSR) has resulted in voluntary initiatives aimed at bringing companies closer to society, such as codes of conduct, reporting or environmental management systems. These voluntary initiatives present a number of flaws. Some authors and pressure groups argue that, although self-regulation may encourage CSR, it is insufficient to achieve the goal of corporate accountability. This paper focuses on this issue and attempts to answer the following research questions: Are codes of conduct an appropriate and adequate means of measuring CSR and improving environmental and social corporate performance? Are codes of conduct an effective tool for the true social control of companies? After critically analyzing some of the existing codes, those issued by intergovernmental organizations, coalitions of stakeholders and NGOs, this article examines the disadvantages of codes of conduct and suggests complementary policies that could help overcome their limitations.