Description :

This publication analyses both the conceptual as well as the practical aspects of CSR, including corporate governance, from an international and national perspective. The publication constituted the principal source material for the Symposium of The Employers’ Federation of Ceylon held in 2004, on “Corporate Social Responsibility”.

Content :

Chapter 1        Conceptual and Definition Issues
Chapter 2        Key Considerations affecting Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Governance

• Competitiveness and Globalisation
• National Conditions, Culture and Legal Systems
• Universality versus Non-Universality
• Regulation and Self-Regulation

Chapter 3        The Sources and Nature of Pressures for Ethical Corporate Conduct

• The Context
• The Actors and Sources of Pressure
• Introduction
• NGOs and consumer groups
• Trade unions
• International and regional organisations
• Investors
• Governments
• Potential employees
• Academics and researchers
• Litigation, the desire to avoid regulation and the value to business

Chapter 4        Issues of Corporate Governance

• The Rationale for Good Corporate Governance
• Executive Pay
• Golden Parachutes and Retirement Packages
• Share Options
• Implications of Executive Compensation for Corporate Governance
• Corruption
• Accounting and Audit Standards and Mutual Funds
• Business, Politics and Government

Chapter 5        Solving the Problems of  Corporate Governance

• General Approach to Solutions
• Human Resource Management and Development
• Independent Directors and Boards
• Shareholder Activism
• Assessing the Performance of Boards
• Accounting and Audit Standards
• Self Regulation and Codes for Good Corporate Governance
• Pressures from Society

Chapter 6        Issues Relating to Corporate Social Responsibility and Key Factors for Success

• The Basis and Content of Corporate Social Responsibility
• Fundamental premises of corporate social responsibility
• Content of corporate social responsibility
• Some Key Factors for Success in Corporate Social Responsibility
• The Corporate Ethics Crusade
• Introduction
• Non-governmental organisations
• Solving society’s social and political problems
• The problem of indicators

Chapter 7        Reconciling Business Interests and Corporate Social Responsibility

• Lack of Analysis
• Reconciling Business Growth and Corporate Social Responsibility
• The magnitude of the issue
• Harnessing business efforts to promote sustainable development and competitiveness
• Case studies

Chapter 8        Conclusions: Addressing some Fundamental Issues
Endnotes         Chapters 1- 8
Chapter 9        Corporate Social Responsibility: Sri Lanka

• Background and Context
• Regulatory Authorities
• Board of Investment
• Central Environmental Authority
• National Environmental Act
• Consumer Affairs Authority
• Some Relevant Judicial Decisions and Rulings
• External Pressures on Business in Sri Lanka
• The Sri Lanka Institute of Directors
• The Code of Best Practice: Corporate Governance
• The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants
• The Employers’ Federation of Ceylon
• CSR Initiatives in Local Business Enterprises
• Employment Issues
• Case Book of Best Practice
• The Issue of Globalisation
• Conclusions
• Endnotes: chapter 9