Corporate Responsibility and Responsibility Leadership Systems : An Exploratory Study in German Multinational Corporations

The ongoing change in the perception of business, from a narrow view of profit making to a wider view of extended responsibilities towards a large set of stakeholders, is challenging enterprises globally. We base our research on the understanding that leadership is a key issue in making corporations face that challenge. We use an organisational leadership perspective and analyse corporate leadership systems with regard to the facilitation of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). We then use qualitative-exploratory research to upraise the current situation and the progress in some of the largest German Multinational Corporations (MNCs). The paper ends with a brief discussion on the research outcomes