Editorial

Citation

Crowther, D. (2014), "Editorial", Social Responsibility Journal, Vol. 10 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/SRJ-01-2014-0002

Editorial

Article Type: Editorial From: Social Responsibility Journal, Volume 10, Issue 1

As we follow recent news and topics in the business environment, we will notice that sustainability, governance and corporate social responsibility (CSR) are getting to be the leading corporate interests and becoming a necessity. After the recent financial crisis corporate managers seem to have realised that one key element of a long lived and sustainable company must be a focus on stakeholders. Stakeholders are carrying the company away from any financial distress and crisis. It is for this reason that CSR is not any more an optional extra for companies – it is an essential component of success. Socially responsible activities and socially responsible management is inevitable for companies to protect from themselves unexpected result and conditions. Moreover, the business environment is getting more fragmented and fragile than before and market competition is increasing rapidly. Companies need to find ways to survive and to be durable in these competitive market conditions. Now we all believe that financial performance and company growth are not the only performance indicators any more. Business managers have learned that social performance is also important to keep long term relationships healthy between stakeholders and the company.

Social responsibility has, of course, always been also a global concern. However, the latest financial crisis has raised, again, and to an even greater extent, a concern with socially responsible behaviour – not just for corporations but also for governments and other organisations and for citizens as individuals. This has always been the concern of this journal – reflected in this issue just as much as in all the preceding issues. Nevertheless we welcome the raising of the profile of socially responsible activity and confidently expect that it will be a crucial part of the recovery from the economic crisis.

Social Responsibility Journal is, of course, interdisciplinary in its focus and international in its outlook – and this is always reflected in the papers published in this volume, and others. In this issue of the Social Responsibility Journal we have a special section focusing upon CSR in the BRIC countries – Brazil, Russia, India and China. These are all important countries with a big effect on social responsibility and so this special section is timely. The section is guest edited by Jo Crotty and Sarah Hall and I thank them for their efforts in achieving this.

Social Responsibility Journal is, of course, the official journal of the Social Responsibility Research Network (SRRNet) – www.socialresponsibility.biz. Producing it is one of the main activities that the Network undertakes. Our aim in the production of this journal therefore is to further the discourse of social responsibility. In doing so, however, it is also one of changing this global village into a global community. And in a community everyone has a voice, even those dissenting – again one of the aims of this journal. There is nothing further to say at this point, from an editorial perspective, except to read the content and more particularly contribute to the debate. With that we leave you to read the papers, hoping that this will inspire you to contribute to a future edition.

David Crowther