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Purpose – This chapter explores the m+eaning and significance of family business social responsibilities (FBSRs) using a metasystem approach, placing emphasis on the role of the family.

Design/Methodology/Approach – We employ a revelatory case study to investigate the complexity of family business (corporate) social responsibility. The main case, a German shoe retailer, is supplemented by other case illustrations that provide additional insights into FBSR.

Findings – To fully understand social responsibility in a family firm context, we need to include social initiatives that go beyond the actual family business as a unit. This FBSR connects family members outside and inside the business and across generations. As FBSR is formed through individual and family-level values, its character is idiosyncratic and contrasts the often standardized approaches in widely held firms.

Practical Implication – Family businesses need to go beyond the business as such when considering their engagement in social responsibility. Family ownership implies that all social initiatives conducted by family members, regardless if they are involved in the firm or not, are connected. This includes a shared responsibility for what family members do at present and have done in the past.

Dr. Gabriel Eweje is a senior lecturer in Management and Director, Sustainability & CSR Research Group, at the School of Management, College of Business, Massey University, Albany Campus, New Zealand. His background is mostly in teaching, research and consultancy in international business, corporate social responsibility and sustainability-related disciplines. Previously, he worked as a research fellow at the United Nations University, Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU/IAS), Tokyo, Japan, and taught for several years at Royal Holloway, University of London, England. His Ph.D. from University of London focused on Corporate Social Responsibility and Activities of Multinational Oil and Mining companies in Developing Countries. He also worked as a research fellow with International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), London on a project on how mining and minerals can contribute to sustainable development (MMSD). His research interest lies around the issues of business ethics, corporate social responsibility and sustainability-related disciplines. He has also published his work in international academic journals and presented his research findings at international conferences. He has experience working with international management consulting firms on corporate social responsibility and sustainability issues.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship of sustainable development in businesses with corporate social responsibility (CSR) and accounting, in 53 developed and emerging economies over the period 1997‐2008.

The authors test the relationship of sustainable development in businesses with CSR and accounting using ordinary least squares estimation technique for country‐level panel data.

The results of the analyses provide evidence that sustainable development is strongly related to CSR and accounting standards, even after controlling for a variety of macroeconomic variables such as inflation, foreign direct investment, and unemployment. Moreover, the authors find that sustainable development is strongly and positively associated with customer satisfaction and the availability of senior managers.

Conclusions that have been drawn are important for a large group of stakeholders such as investors, companies' managers, employees, customers, suppliers, governmental and private regulatory agencies, and the general public, indicating that socially responsible firms and good accounting standards are likely to contribute to sustainable development in businesses in developed and emerging countries.

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first country‐level study of its kind that attempts to explore the association of sustainable development in businesses with CSR and accounting standards.

Issues concerning society are everybody's business. Therefore, individuals, larger or smaller groups, formal or informal entities, public or private firms, governmental or non-governmental organisations who are key stakeholders of society must always aspire to champion societal concerns. Society's welfare should be everybody's business. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) in a broad sense can be viewed as the relationship of organisations with society as a whole, and the need for organisations to align their values with societal expectations (Atuguba & Dowuona-Hammond, 2006). In reality, it is a set of standards by which organisations can impact their environment with the potential of creating sustainable development (Helg, 2007). It is critical that society educates everyone to be responsible. From all societal actors, universities are the ones educating the future elites of a country. What they teach and do not teach may make or break a nation's future and well-being. As noted by Dashwood and Puplampu (2010), there is a greater need for crafting a sustainable, strategic and mutually beneficial set of responsible actions in embracing the right approaches to CSR. According to them, such actions should emanate from a genuine recognition of, and attention to, economic, traditional, historical, as well as business arguments from the perspectives of the stakeholders and interest groups.

The purpose of this study is to introduce the concept of social tourism and to find existing social tourism practices in South Korea. Social tourism is generally supported by governments to provide tourism opportunities to those who are otherwise not able to trip. Social tourism helps both people who use the programs and the tourism industry. In South Korea, unlike many other countries, the practice of social tourism is based on businesses’ corporate social responsibility. Businesses offer various cultural and recreational opportunities to various groups of people in the community. This study outlines the context of various approaches to social tourism in South Korea and highlights some challenges and proposed initiatives for the future integration of the social tourism sector.

The purpose of the paper is to analyse the relationship between corporate social responsibility and the concept of Black economic empowerment in South Africa. The paper examines whether government interventions in the area of corporate social responsibility post‐1994 have been successful. The paper also assesses critically the level of voluntary commitment that businesses in South Africa have displayed in the area of corporate social responsibility.

Corporate social responsibility in South Africa pre‐1994 and post‐1994 is examined and compared. The Broad‐Based Black Economic Empowerment Act (2003), the new South African Companies Act (2008) and the King Codes of Corporate Governance Principles in South Africa are critiqued. A distinction is made between government and business corporate social responsibility initiatives.

The paper principally concludes that meaningful corporate social responsibility in the area of human rights can be better achieved if it is based on commitment and collaborative partnership.

The paper provides a basis for empirical research on corporate social responsibility and socio‐economic development in South Africa.

This paper adds to the growing discourse of academic literature that supports a strategic partnership‐based approach to corporate social responsibility.

We are pleased to introduce this volume dedicated to International Business, Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility as part of the Advances in Sustainability and Environmental Justice Series. Within the context of International Business, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) might be considered a mechanism through which investments made can achieve the full economic benefits as long as there is an agreement to promote social and political stability. The control over political and social variables determines or helps to build a competitive advantage and insures a corporation's long-term running position on the market and the facilitation of capital accumulation.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the distinctive elements of CSR communications that characterize the communications models of family businesses in the Italian wine industry, and to compare them with nonfamily businesses.

Using a case study approach, a sample of large and medium companies practicing corporate social responsibility was identified. The content of their websites was examined using content analysis and text mining (correspondence analysis techniques and word association analysis using the T-Lab software).

The analysis indicates that the ownership structure nature makes a difference in the online CSR communications process. The cultural identity in both family and nonfamily businesses is founded on intangible factors such as tradition; however, being a family business is a fundamental driver in the online CSR communications process, no longer forming a bond among players in the wine industry, but rather linking with other wine family businesses.

One limitation of this work is the small size of the investigated sample. An added value it contributes is its focus on the Italian wine industry. The paper provides the essential elements that family and nonfamily wine businesses should consider in customizing their CSR communications with the brand’s specific details.

The authors highlighted the similarities and differences of family and nonfamily wine businesses in terms of their online CSR communications. The authors also observed how the family wine business identity, in its multidimensional construct, has common factors with what we call “familiness.” This research could establish a starting point for further work within this important sector.

This chapter discusses the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) within the context of the container liner shipping industry. It looks at the current practice of CSR in this industry and outlines the framework, the reasons and the drivers for companies to adopt and implement a CSR strategy. These include, among others, the increasing commitment to fostering CSR in the private sector at EU level, the changing expectations of customers — that is shippers — with regard to social and environmental standards of their contractors and suppliers, and the improving situation with regards to guidance and tools for adopting CSR and identifying and implementing the relevant measures (e.g. ISO 26000 and the European Commission's communication on CSR). The authors take the position that in an industry, which is as strongly consolidated as container liner shipping, the adoption and implementation of effective CSR strategies by a few companies at the top can have a profound impact on the industry as a whole. The Japanese NYK Group's CSR strategy is discussed in more detail to illustrate one of the best — if by no means perfect — examples in the current market. The chapter closes with a sector-specific definition of CSR for the container shipping industry.