Overview

The purpose of this handbook is to provide a series of chapter concerning the practice of governance and of social responsibility which have been written by experts from all over the world. In doing so it is our intention to both highlight examples of practice, good and bad, and to show international and cultural similarities and differences while at the same time intending to further the debate regarding the relationship between good governance and social responsibility. In doing this we recognize the different traditions alluded to earlier although we also recognize the international interest in this topic. Furthermore we recognize that different groups have different perspectives on the subject and that practitioner experience and academic theorizing do not always coincide. We have tried to take all of these into account in the development of this handbook as a truly international compendium with contributions from leading academics and leading practitioners. We have therefore structured the book into a logical sequence and represented here the latest in research together with case studies and practical applications in order to make the book accessible to researchers and practitioners. We have organized the book into 5 parts, each covering a different aspect of this topic: • Part 1 – Theoretical overview In this section we deal with a range of issues of general significance and look at some of the broader theoretical perspectives which underpin the governance and social responsibility concepts. • Part 2 – Applying Corporate Governance A number of particularly governance issues relating organizations are dealt with in this section, as well as a review of the state of understanding of this area. • Part 3 – Applying Corporate Social Responsibility There are an equally diverse range of issues concerned with social responsibility and in this part we focus upon a range of these issues. • Part 4 – Dealing with stakeholders One of the most important aspects of both governance and social responsibility is concerned with the relationship between the organization and a range of its stakeholders. This part therefore is devoted to a consideration of aspects of this relationship. • Part 5 – Experience in practice It is always helpful to consider practical applications of issues and this final section is devoted to just that. A variety of contexts are used to consider some of the issues discussed in the previous sections but in terms of actual organizations. In this book we do not claim to provide all of the answers. We do not even claim to have dealt with all of the issues connected to governance and social responsibility – corporate or organization. To deal with all of the issues would require a book at least twice as long while to provide the answers would require a lifetime’s work. We do believe however that we have provided, through the experts involved in contributing to this book, a number of theoretical and practical insights into important issues which will both be of assistance to practitioners and have theoretical benefit to researchers. If any issues are of particular interest which you want to pursue then either contact the publisher or make contact with the Social Responsibility Research Network