Theoretical Foundations of CSR in Retailing

The development of the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is connected, among other things, ith the evolution of ideas that emerged in ancient times and was related to such issues as ownership, control, and wealth that divided society into two classes: the owners (or managers) of property who derived benefits from this position, and those who did not possess property. Moral concerns relating to the idea of ownership and the consequences of this fact for both owners and nonowners have been pondered by minent philosophers throughout the ages. More on this topic can be found in Harry Landreth and David C. Colander (1998). Thus in this chapter we will not focus on philosophical considerations or the religious ontext of CSR, since these aspects have already been extensively described in the literature. Instead, we ill focus on more contemporary activities, arising from management theory and practice. The origins of the current approach to CSR can be traced back to the charitable activities of some entrepreneurs as early as in the eighteenth and the nineteenth centuries. People such as Robert Owen, George Cadbury, and Titus Salt implemented social programs and introduced practices that were contrary to those commonly used at the time (for example, they did not employ children, and they provided education for children and workers).