Value-Centric Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility

Abstract

Value-centric Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) can mean different things to different people. Much can depend upon the context in which discussion or consideration of them arises, attitudes towards them, and whether and how they are adopted and deployed. What people, organisations and leaders do, and the consequences of their individual and collective decisions, behaviours and lifestyles, may or may not link to or reflect the values they espouse or which they claim are important to them. Given the extent of negative externalities and irresponsible behaviour, and their consequences, values, ethics and morality are sometimes difficult to discern in the conduct of businesses, driven primarily by core corporate interests and legal, regulatory or power-based imperatives. Values associated with solvency and immediate requirements often take priority over those related to longer-term issues and a wider public good. Despite CSR policies and statements of values, most board decisions reflect perceived realities such as capabilities, opportunity, constraints and relative power, self and influential vested interests, and costs and benefits from the perspective of what is thought to be in the best interests of an entity and its stakeholders.