Corporate social responsibility orientation: an alternative construct and its application

While the process by which organisations adapt to their task environment has received much attention from managers and researchers, the non-task, or social environment has received relatively little attention. This paper examines social strategy-environment co-alignment with respect to an organisation's social environment. Based upon a critical examination of the concept of corporate social responsibility orientation (CSRO) as a descriptor of the mode of adaptation to the social environment sought by an organisation, it is argued that a new, theoretical construct of CSRO is required, which is based on an organisation's goals, goal-related behaviour and goal-related transactions with the social environment. Propositions are advanced relating an organisation's social adaptation to its level of exposure to the social environment, its philosophy and values, and its ability to derive competitive advantage from stakeholder relationships. Finally, ways in which the new construct can advance theory and practice are offered.

尽管学界与管理者已对组织适配任务环境的过程展开了大量研究，但非任务环境（或称社会环境）所获关注却相对匮乏。本文围绕组织的社会环境，探讨战略与社会环境的协同适配问题。在批判性审视企业社会责任导向（CSRO）作为组织适配社会环境模式的描述性概念的基础上，本文提出：亟需构建一套全新的CSRO理论框架，该框架应基于组织的目标、与目标相关的行为，以及组织与社会环境间的目标导向性交易活动。本文提出若干命题，将组织的社会适配行为与其社会环境接触程度、自身哲学与价值观，以及从利益相关者关系中获取竞争优势的能力三者相关联。最后，本文还探讨了这一全新理论框架如何推动理论研究与实践发展的具体路径。