Adoption of social responsibility through the expansion of existing management systems
| Pages | 297-309 |
| Published date | 21 March 2008 |
| Date | 21 March 2008 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/02635570810858732 |
| Author | Pavel Castka,Michaela A. Balzarova |
| Subject Matter | Economics,Information & knowledge management,Management science & operations |
Adoption of social responsibility
through the expansion of existing
management systems
Pavel Castka
University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand, and
Michaela A. Balzarova
Lincoln University, Lincoln, New Zealand
Abstract
Purpose – The paper’s aims are: to scrutinize International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
26000 international guidance standard for social responsibility; to discuss the role of this standard in
the adoption of social responsibility in organisations with existing quality management systems
in line with ISO 9000.
Design/methodology/approach – Building on academic literature and recent resolutions and
working documents from ISO, the paper discusses ISO 9000 and ISO 26000 in five areas: general
description; scope; approach to supply chain management; principles and content.
Findings – Provides a comparison between ISO 9000 and ISO 26000 in each area listed above.
Argues for ISO 9000 to provide a structural and infrastructural platform for organisations to develop
and adopt corporate social responsibility (CSR) and for ISO 26000 to facilitate a shift from customer
focus to stakeholder focus hence creating a business-to-society orientation in organisations.
Practical implications – A very useful source for those who work in the arena of CSR and those
wanting to stay at the cutting edge of the latest developments in CSR and international
standardization. Advocates an approach for managers to utilize ISO 26000 to review strategy and
management systems in organisations.
Originality/value – Provides an analysis of future trends in CSR and ISO standards. Sets areas for
future research.
Keywords ISO 9000 series, Corporate social responsibility, Quality management, Standardization
Paper type Conceptual paper
Introduction
Recent activism in academic, business, governmental and non-governmental circles has
witnessed a mounting debate centred around global social and environmental issues
(Doh and Guay, 2006). The keyword in these debates is corporate social responsibility
(CSR – also referred to as social responsibility). In a broader sense, CSR means that
organisations should take responsibility for their impact on society and the environment
(International Organization for Standardization (ISO/WD26000, 2006)) that goes beyo nd
their legal obligations (EC, 2001)[1]. Given the importance and proliferation of this
matter, what can managers do and how can organisations adopt CSR?
The literature on this topic is growing and many prolific management thinkers
(McIntosh, 2004; McWilliams and Siegel, 2001; Porter and Kramer, 2006; Waddock and
Bodwell, 2004) and influential organisations such as British Standards Institution
(Castka et al., 2004a; Rosam and Peddle, 2004), Social Accountability International
(SA8000, 2001) and Global Reporting Initiative (GRI, 2002) provided their viewpoints
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0263-5577.htm
Adoption
of social
responsibility
297
Received 17 June 2007
Revised 25 October 2007
Accepted 7 November 2007
Industrial Management & Data
Systems
Vol. 108 No. 3, 2008
pp. 297-309
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0263-5577
DOI 10.1108/02635570810858732
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