<p>During the last years, the moral and ethics in companies has been a growing subject in media. Large multinational companies are to a bigger extent using workforce in developing countries and the working conditions at the workplaces in those countries, are more or less controlled. Even if a company carefully controls its own business, it can be using subcontractors that for instance use child labour or forced labour, or in some other way makes human rights abuses. When the world gets more globalized and the market where the companies act gets bigger, there will be new issues for companies to handle. The companies have to satisfy not only the interests of the costumers and the shareholders, but also the environment around it, containing many different stakeholders. Many companies do this by implementing "Codes of Conduct" and by working with what is often named <em>Corporate Social Responsibility</em> (CSR).</p><p>The purpose of this thesis is to interrogate how a company can adapt its work with CSR towards its stakeholders. The company chosen is Electrolux, since they have been praised by Globe Forum for their work with CSR in the category <em>Business Operation</em> and <em>Reporting. </em>To evaluate the performance of Electrolux, we have used the ten principles of the UN Global Compact. The ten principles states what can be done by companies in four different areas: human rights; working conditions; environment and anticorruption.</p><p>To do the evaluation we have been studying theories that explain a company's relations to its stakeholders (stakeholder theory) as well as a theory of CSR (Carrols four step pyramid). The data collection has been made mainly from reports from Electrolux, but also other documents and newspaper articles have been used.</p><p>The results indicate that Electrolux have managed to do such a successful job with CSR because they listen to all of its stakeholders and also shows them that they actually implement specific operations to take responsibility.</p>

During the last years, the moral and ethics in companies has been a growing subject in media. Large multinational companies are to a bigger extent using workforce in developing countries and the working conditions at the workplaces in those countries, are more or less controlled. Even if a company carefully controls its own business, it can be using subcontractors that for instance use child labour or forced labour, or in some other way makes human rights abuses. When the world gets more globalized and the market where the companies act gets bigger, there will be new issues for companies to handle. The companies have to satisfy not only the interests of the costumers and the shareholders, but also the environment around it, containing many different stakeholders. Many companies do this by implementing "Codes of Conduct" and by working with what is often named Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The purpose of this thesis is to interrogate how a company can adapt its work with CSR towards its stakeholders. The company chosen is Electrolux, since they have been praised by Globe Forum for their work with CSR in the category Business Operation and Reporting. To evaluate the performance of Electrolux, we have used the ten principles of the UN Global Compact. The ten principles states what can be done by companies in four different areas: human rights; working conditions; environment and anticorruption. To do the evaluation we have been studying theories that explain a company's relations to its stakeholders (stakeholder theory) as well as a theory of CSR (Carrols four step pyramid). The data collection has been made mainly from reports from Electrolux, but also other documents and newspaper articles have been used. The results indicate that Electrolux have managed to do such a successful job with CSR because they listen to all of its stakeholders and also shows them that they actually implement specific operations to take responsibility.

This paper is focusing on the responsibility corporations have toward society and what role stakeholders play in this responsibility. By providing a historical background of how corporations have used their responsibility toward society, it is clear that corporations have been responsible. Before, this responsibility was focused toward the shareholders of the corporation but with time it changed to include more actors within the society. By focusing on what kind of responsibility the corporation has towards the society it is active in, this paper will explain the notion of a corporation that has a social responsibility in terms of being morally responsibility for its actions. This is why the concentration of the this paper will be on the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR). The notion of CSR has became more significant with time. In today's society corporations are expected to take more responsibility. A reason for this increased expectations from society on corporations could have to do with the fact that stakeholders have gained greater transparency through technological development, mainly the development of information technology. The aim of this paper will be to show what role CSR plays for a corporation in today’s society and why a corporation should work more with its different stakeholders and not as before with almost solely its shareholders. To be able to conduct this aim, the notion of CSR will be described and put into perspective by the two main theories behind the concept of CSR: the monetary and ethical theories. This is done by first describing the development of CSR abroad and in Sweden, with a focus on “Den Svenska Modellen”. Second to show the different perspectives of the monetary and ethical approach in connection to the concept of CSR. Thereafter, the theories will be analyzed and discussed solely, in connection to each other and the development of CSR through time. The analysis and discussion about the concept of CSR indicates that the monetary and ethical theories can not be considered to have the only impact on the concept of CSR but they have affected each other. Another conclusion is that the corporation's actions can lead to a responsible behavior that would benefit the whole society which the corporation is active in.

Corporate Social Responsibility is particularly relevant in the mining industry globally given the industry’s extractive nature. In the mining industry, significant pressure comes from interest groups and nonprofit organizations that have a tendency to target mining companies for their alleged lack of consideration and accountability to the environment and in the communities in which they operate. A push for CSR in the mining industry is especially prevalent in South Africa where mining has dominated the country’s economy for so long. CSR can help rid South Africa’s mining industry of its long history of instability and conflict that characterized class and race relations in the country. While historically neither the profits nor the costs of the mining industry have been equitably distributed among stakeholders, CSR programs can be a powerful mechanism in restoring social justice in South Africa, as seen by the mining company Anglo American.

In recent years, many firms have voluntarily taken actions to gradually increase the transparency of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts. Using data on a sample of U.S. firms, this paper empirically examines the factors that encourage firms to choose different levels of CSR transparency. This adds to the previous literature that has focused only on the binary decision to engage or not to engage in CSR, as opposed to the extent and comprehensiveness of voluntary CSR reporting. Environmental transparency data are collected from the Roberts Environmental Center (REC) at Claremont McKenna College, while data for firm characteristics and toxic releases are collected from Standard & Poor’s Compustat North American and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Robust regression analysis of environmental transparency shows that consumer, investor, and community stakeholders significantly increase the level of environmental transparency. In addition, environmental transparency is higher among firms that compete internationally relative to those with only a domestic presence.

SAMMANFATTNING                                                                                       Titel: Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, som del av företagens varumärke – Påverkar CSR kundernas val vid butik? Nivå: C-uppsats i ämnet företagsekonomi Författare: Emmelie Ahlin och Sandra Skog Handledare: Agneta Sundström Datum: 2013 – Maj Syfte: Syftet är att beskriva och analysera hur företag arbetar med CSR som del av varumärket och hur det inverkar på konsumenter vid val av butik. Metod: Studien har tillämpat kvantitativ metod och som stöd för datainsamling har en enkätundersökning genomförts. Data som samlats in har bearbetas och presenteras i arbetet med hjälp av cirkel- och stapeldiagram. Vi har utgått från kvalitativ metod genom att genomföra två e-mail intervjuer med Coop och ICA. Sekundär data har samlats in genom Internet och företagens hemsida. För att få teoretiskt stöd i analysen har vi använt vetenskapliga artiklar och böcker. Resultatet har analyserats genom att sammanställa och koda insamlat material. Resultat &amp; slutsats: Resultatet visar att företagen i studien presenterar sig som mycket ansvarsfulla på respektive hemsida. Intervjuerna visar att båda företagen, som representeras av Coop och ICA, anser att de lägger ner mycket arbete inom CSR. De har ett nära samarbete med olika organisationer samt har miljömärka produkter som konsumenterna genom köp kan bidra till en bättre miljö och ett bättre samhälle. Från analysen framgår att företagen arbetar på ett liknande sätt när det gäller CSR. Skillnaden är att Coop arbetar mer med kommunikationen i relation till kunderna än vad ICA gör. När det gäller konsumenterna anser de att Coop är mer ansvarstagande än ICA. En slutsats är att kunderna anser att CSR är viktigt men att när de kommer till faktiska val väljer de utifrån andra kriterier.  Förslag till fortsatt forskning: Det vi ser som intressant att forska vidare om är hur konsumenter prioriterar och väljer butiker i andra branscher. Ett annat förslag är att studera hur företagen i vår studie kan påverka konsumenterna att göra mer ansvarsfulla val. Uppsatsens bidrag: Studiens bidrag är att vi kunnat visa att majoriteten av konsumenterna anser det viktigt att den butik de handlar i tar ett socialt och miljömässigt ansvar för de produkter de säljer. Vi har sett att de trots att de säger att det är viktigt med socialt och miljömässigt ansvarstagande så har det låg betydelse när de väljer butik. Konsumenterna säger att det är viktigt med socialt och miljömässigt ansvar men att när de sedan ska välja själva så är det närhet som är det viktigaste. / ABSTRACT Title: Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, as part of the corporate brand – Affects CSR costumers´choice at the store? Level: Final assignment for Bachelor Degree in Business Administration Author: Emmelie Ahlin &amp; Sandra Skog Supervisor: Agneta Sundström Date: 2013 – May Aim: The aim is to describe and analyze how companies work with CSR as part of the brand and how it affects consumers when choosing store. Method: The study applied quantitative methodology and supporting data collection is survey carried out. The data collected is processed and presented in the report by the use of pie charts and bar charts. We have also used qualitative method by carrying out two e-mail interviews with Coop and ICA. Secondary data was collected through the Internet and from corporate websites. To obtain theoretical support, we have used scientific articles and books. The results were analyzed by compiling and encoding the material that we collected.  esult &amp; Conclusions: The results show that companies in the study present itself as very responsible on the website. The interviews show that both companies, represented by Coop and ICA, that they put a lot of work in CSR. They work closely with various organizations and the environmental label products as consumers through to purchase can contribute to a better environment and a better society. From analysis shows that firms operating in a similar way when it comes to CSR. The difference is that Coop is working more with communication in relation to customers than what ICA does. With regard to consumers, they believe that Coop is more responsible than ICA. One conclusion is that customers believe that CSR is important but when they get to the actual choices they choose based on other criteria.  Suggestions for future research: What we see as interesting to further research is how consumers prioritize and select retailers in other industries. Another proposal is to study how the companies in our study may influence consumers to make more responsible choices. Contribution of the thesis: The study grant is that we have been able to show that the majority of consumers believe it is important that the store they shop in taking social and environmental responsibility for the products they sell. We have seen that even though they say that it is essential to social and environmental responsibility, it has low importance when choosing store. Consumers say it's important to social and environmental responsibility, but then when they choose themselves, it's proximity to the most important thing.

This thesis introduces the idea of progressive autonomy, namely future-oriented self-governance, based on the pursuit of desired goals that one has established for oneself. As the thesis shows, focus on this sort of activity, as well as its value and importance, has been largely left out of the existing literature on autonomy. In contrast, this activity is central to progressive autonomy, which, as this thesis puts forth, enables the individual to actively determine the course of his life. Throughout the process, the individual is author of his own narrative, which, as the ongoing fulfillment of desired goals, he experiences as both meaningful and worthwhile. The thesis does not frame the narrative of the progressively autonomous individual as merely a story or an account of events. Rather, it does so as a sequence events the progressively autonomous individual is directly responsible for bringing about, as well as concretely situated in. He is, in other words, part and parcel of his narrative, as opposed to, say, a novelist who physically stands apart from the events he imagines and writes. Finally, the thesis demonstrates that, though the progressively autonomous individual is motivated by his own desires, he is more than just a pleasure seeker; he is strategically morally responsible. Such responsibility involves and is characterized by rejecting certain motives that undermine the actual achievement of desired goals, while affirming other motives that facilitate this achievement. This, as the thesis shows, renders the progressively autonomous individual more responsible than one who partakes in this rejection or affirmation, without regard to how either will impact one’s future.

As the modern world deals with an increasing number of environmental and social crises, corporate sustainability is becoming ever more imperative for business. There is broad agreement that profit maximization can no longer be the exclusive goal of a company, with firms working to align environmental, social, and financial performance. Companies have demonstrated a wide variety of experiences in regards to the financial crisis and its effects on corporate sustainability. While some firms experienced serious setbacks in achieving environmental and social goals others firms claimed to have been ramping up sustainability efforts during the recession. However, most firms report that their corporate sustainability strategies have not been significantly affected by the recession.

This thesis introduces the idea of progressive autonomy, namely future-oriented self-governance, based on the pursuit of desired goals that one has established for oneself. As the thesis shows, focus on this sort of activity, as well as its value and importance, has been largely left out of the existing literature on autonomy. In contrast, this activity is central to progressive autonomy, which, as this thesis puts forth, enables the individual to actively determine the course of his life. Throughout the process, the individual is author of his own narrative, which, as the ongoing fulfillment of desired goals, he experiences as both meaningful and worthwhile. The thesis does not frame the narrative of the progressively autonomous individual as merely a story or an account of events. Rather, it does so as a sequence events the progressively autonomous individual is directly responsible for bringing about, as well as concretely situated in. He is, in other words, part and parcel of his narrative, as opposed to, say, a novelist who physically stands apart from the events he imagines and writes. Finally, the thesis demonstrates that, though the progressively autonomous individual is motivated by his own desires, he is more than just a pleasure seeker; he is strategically morally responsible. Such responsibility involves and is characterized by rejecting certain motives that undermine the actual achievement of desired goals, while affirming other motives that facilitate this achievement. This, as the thesis shows, renders the progressively autonomous individual more responsible than one who partakes in this rejection or affirmation, without regard to how either will impact one’s future.

The purpose of this study was to investigate how Swedish retail companies work with CSR internationally.The study also sought to explore the opportunities and challenges that exist, and the stakeholders that motivate companies CSR commitment.The theoretical framework is composed of international CSR guidelines of the OECD and the UN, Carroll's CSR pyramid and three-stage model and Freeman's stakeholder theory. Furthermore a qualitative research approach was applied where four in-depth interviews were conducted with representatives from Axfood, Löfbergs Lila, Oriflame and CSR Sweden. Finally, the study demonstrated the conclusion that the companies CSR strategies are structured in a similar way regardless of the market. CSR attract and retain workers, create a good reputation for brands and results in working conditions, living standards and environmental improvements. Difficulties, however, are the complexity of being able to control each partner and manage differences in language, laws and culture between countries. Finally there are a number of stakeholders that motivate companies to work with CSR, of which shareholders are considered the most important.