Corporate social responsibility and the welfare state : the historical and contemporary role of CSR in the mixed economy of welfare / Jeanette Brejning.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [171]-187) and index.

List of figures -- Acknowledgments -- List of abbreviations -- Introduction : examining the social dimension of corporate social responsibility -- Theory and concepts -- Theoretical framework : integrating historical institutionalism and the mixed economy of welfare approach -- Corporate social responsibility : making sense of a contested concept -- A history of corporate social responsibility in the mixed economy of welfare -- Connections to nineteenth century philanthropy : CSR in the commercial sector -- CSR as social policy : CSR in the public sector -- CSR, globalization and anti-globalization : CSR and the non-profit sector -- Case study : views from csr practitioners in England and Denmark -- Is there a "social case" for CSR? : views on the social impacts of CSR -- CSR and the changing welfare state : does CSR constitute a roll-back of the state? -- Conclusion: the welfare state, CSR, and the future -- References -- Index.

Over the past four decades many European welfare states have seen an increasing involvement of the commercial sector in their mixed economies of welfare. One aspect of this development that has yet to be fully understood in social policy analysis is the engagement of businesses to address social problems, such as social exclusion, through activities labelled as 'corporate social responsibility' ('CSR'). Although CSR has gained increasing currency on both national and international policy agendas since the 1990s, it remains a topic which is predominantly researched in business schools and from a business perspective. This book aims to redress this imbalance by focusing on the social aspect of CSR. It argues that when CSR is linked to social exclusion it is a way of renegotiating responsibilities in mixed economies of welfare.