The Proliferation of CSR from Two Professional Perspectives: Academic Researchers and Consultants

Despite the significant research in the field of CSR over the past few years, scarce attention has been paid to the recent popularization of CSR. Building on new-institutional arguments this chapter both contributes to a theoretical discussion about the role of actors that spread ideas about corporate behaviour as well as with empirical insights from academic researchers and consultants in the field of CSR. More specifically, the chapter explores how two groups of professionals – academic researchers and consultants – contribute to the proliferation of CSR. Three observations are made. First, CSR has constituted a new area of work for both consultants and academics. Secondly, consultants and academics contribute to the proliferation of CSR because of their status as experts. Thirdly, consultants and academics have created attention around CSR – albeit through different means. In conclusion, consultants and academics play prominent roles in creating CSR as a new area of expertise by drawing attention to CSR and thereby creating new opportunities for themselves as well as actors to get involved in CSR.