The Age of Responsibility. CSR 2.0 and the New DNA of Business

Praise for The Age of Responsibility «Wayne Visser's The Age of Responsibility elegantly and persuasively demonstrates the limits and failures of traditional CSR and also the kinds of reforms needed to create conditions for genuine corporate responsibility. Rich with insight, information and analyses, and highly readable for its excellent writing and poignant stories, the book is a crucial contribution to understanding where we are with CSR and what we need to do to move forward.» —Joel Bakan, author of The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power (book and documentary film) «Amongst the advocates of CSR as an innovative management approach, Wayne Visser is a well-known voice. This new book states more clearly than most why CSR should not be dismissed, but would benefit from some serious rethinking.» —Michael Blowfied, Senior Research Fellow at Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, Oxford University and author of Corporate Responsibility «The Age of Responsibility by Wayne Visser is an important book that should be studied carefully by all those seriously interested in the past, present and future of CSR. For me, the most noteworthy contribution is his „ages and stages“ of CSR. Visser identifies five overlapping economic periods and classifies their stages of CSR, modus operandi, key enablers, and stakeholder targets. In forward-looking fashion, he crafts five insightful principles of CSR 2.0 and presents his DNA Model of CSR 2.0 which integrates knowledge and sets forth a more inclusive view of CSR. This book is a significant contribution to the theory and practice of CSR and it will be valued by academics and practitioners alike. I strongly recommend it.» —Archie B. Carroll, Professor of Management Emeritus, Terry College of Business and author of Business and Society «A challenging and thought provoking book. In an age when corporate responsibility is a must for most large businesses, Wayne Visser reminds us that global environmental and social pressures show little sign of receding. He asks: are we as practitioners complacent, or worse, part of the problem? There is hope and optimism but only if we are brave and bold enough to re-engineer corporate responsibility. Read on....» —Yogesh Chauhan, Chairman Corporate Responsibility Group and BBC Chief Adviser Corporate Responsibility «An authoritative tome on the CSR movement. It provides a comprehensive framework to understand the various stages of (and motivations for) CSR in organizations and the economy to date, and a clear vision of what a truly sustainable and responsible tomorrow entails. This is an eminently well-researched and well-structured book that flows coherently with deep insights and valuable vignettes.» —Willie Cheng, author of Doing Good Well: What does (and does not) make sense in the nonprofit world «The Age of Responsibility provides a much-needed wake up call for the corporate responsibility movement. This highly readable account of where CSR has gone wrong and where it needs to go next is essential reading for anyone interested in the role business can play in creating a just and sustainable society. This is the best CSR book you'll read all year.» —Andrew Crane, George R. Gardiner Professor of Business Ethics, Schulich School of Business, York University and author of Business Ethics "The Age of Responsibility breathes new life into CSR, both by redefining it as Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility and by highlighting why CSR has so far failed to make much difference in the way companies respond to pressing global challenges. In his inimitable style, using clear frameworks and illustrative case studies, Wayne Visser brings