Corporate humanistic responsibility: towards a new conception of socially responsible management at the individual level of analysis

The aim of the paper is to demonstrate how a humanistic style of management may lead to the achievement of social goals and development of a sense of responsibility. These two elements are attached to one of the three principles of corporate social responsibility (CSR): the managerial discretion. Applying the humanist philosophy to the management level of a business organization creates an autonomy supportive work environment - as defined by the self-determination theory - which in turns, facilitates internalisation of social values, citizenship behaviours, and cooperation. Promoting self-determination at work (i.e., the core of a humanist management) fits well with the ontology of CSR since autonomy and consideration of individuals as moral actors are central. We show that applying humanistic management philosophy to the discretion of managers can lead to socially responsible outcomes.