Which of the following most accurately describes corporate social responsibility at an organization?

Question

Options

• AAn organizational locus on improving the overall environment, even it is to the detriment of the
• BA philosophy driven by employees that flows up to senior management and the board of directors.
• CAn overall commitment of the organization to improve the quality of life for not only the
• DA policy of ensuring that the organization is socially responsible, even if it leads to unprofitability

• A
  2% (1)
• B
  12% (6)
• C
  81% (42)
• D
  6% (3)

Explanation

Option C is correct because Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is defined as a broad, voluntary organizational commitment to balance profit-making with positive contributions to stakeholders - employees, communities, and society - not just shareholders. The key phrase implied in C is that quality of life improvement extends beyond the organization itself to the wider community and society.

Why the distractors fail:

• A is wrong because CSR does not accept harm to the environment as a trade-off; environmental stewardship is a core pillar of CSR, not something sacrificed for other goals.
• B is wrong because CSR is typically a top-down philosophy - driven by leadership, board mandates, and organizational strategy - not a bottom-up employee movement.
• D is wrong because CSR does not require accepting unprofitability; the dominant view (e.g., Porter & Kramer's "shared value") holds that CSR and long-term profitability are complementary, not opposing.

Memory tip: Think of CSR as the "triple bottom line" - People, Planet, Profit. Any answer that sacrifices one pillar entirely (harms the environment in A, ignores profit in D) or misidentifies the driver of CSR (employees in B rather than leadership) is wrong. CSR is always holistic and organization-wide.

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