Lexington Books Contemporary Issues in Corporate Social Responsibility

As a result of the industrialization, urbanization, and population increase during the last two centuries, the global landscape has been irreversibly damaged. These anthropological pressures have create endless problems on the global level, and individuals and organizations are beginning to realize their own ever-increasing responsibility to consider the welfare and interests of all stakeholders as a whole. Although the improvements in the legal framework at the national and international level can be viewed as an important step to protect society and the natural environment, a legal course provides a reactive mode of control rather than a proactive approach. Considering its proactive approach and voluntarily basis, the concept of social responsibility can provide a significant tool of generating a sustainable future. During such a paradigm shift, Contemporary Issues in Corporate Social Responsibility presents the significant roles that universities must embrace in order to take charge of the future. In parallel to those movements, many institutions include a course on social responsibility, yet the studies on the education of social responsibility in the literature show that there is no commonly accepted teaching methods and guiding curriculum of CSR. This book was designed based on the outcomes of an Erasmus Intensive Project (IP) which was organized in Yasar University during June 2012 with the contribution of 9 European universities. Based on the interactive feedback of participants during the project, this book sheds light on the ongoing discussion of corporate social responsibility from a European perspective. Review H. R. Bowen's 1953 book marked the evolution of modern CSR, which was perhaps the genesis of the quest to globally re-write a new model for business operational practices of our time. It was the start of our realization that modern capitalism would lead to a series of unintended global disasters if the interests of stakeholders including the environment were excluded from the equation of corporate responsibilities. In Contemporary Issues in Corporate Social Responsibility, Türker, Toker, and Altuntaş have assembled several thought provoking issues in several aspects of CSR in the 21st century which I recommend unreservedly for reading by everyone involved in corporate social responsibility from all perspectives and backgrounds.--Samuel O. Idowu, editor-in-chief of the Encyclopedia of Corporate Social Responsibility Contemporary Issues in Corporate Social Responsibility brings together an interesting collective of European academics with a shared vision to understand CSR from a multidisciplinary context. As such, the book is an eclectic analysis tackled by a range of special interest academics who all have a focus on the responsibility debate. The outcome is a robust discussion from start to finish.All issues of CSR are tackled from a range of stakeholder and disciplinary perspectives. This diversity is its challenge and related strength. The book has emerged from an EU funded initiative so has the benefit of pan European engagement and support. It will make an interesting and rewarding read for a range of stakeholders who are wanting to increase their understanding of the EU and its constituent countries to understand how responsibility from a corporate and organizational perspective is being perceived, actioned, and in some parts delivered.--Ralph Tench, Leeds Metropolitan University About the Author Duygu Türker is assistant professor in the Department of Business Administration at Yasar University. She was previously a guest researcher at the University of Oslo with the support of the Research Council of Norway. Ceren Altuntas is a PhD student in the Department of Business Administration at Dokuz Eylul University. She is also a lecturer at Yasar University. Huriye Toker is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication at Yasar University. She