Abstract:

Using discourse analysis, this paper explores how academic research on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has influenced and helped shaped how businesses and stakeholders view the concept. The discourse analysis identified four main themes of CSR within the literature: definition, decision making, motivation, measurement. Throughout these themes, the assumption that CSR is primarily an economic strategy to improve profits is perpetuated. This hegemonic perspective is forwarded as a potentially limiting the field’s ability to meaningfully impact the elements of society for which it is intended.