CSR 2.0

Corporate social responsibility has passed through several stages, and this book traces how the practice has developed and where it stands today. It sets out a five-level maturity scale that moves from defensive and charitable activity through promotional and strategic work to a transformative level. The first four levels, collectively labelled CSR 1.0, describe most of what companies currently do. The fifth level, known as CSR 2.0 or transformative or systemic CSR, covers emerging and future practice.

The book argues that the CSR 1.0 approaches have not made a meaningful difference to the most serious worldwide problems in society, the environment and ethics. It then examines the newer model in depth through five guiding principles: creativity, scalability, responsiveness, glocality and circularity.

A four-part DNA Model is introduced to cover value creation, good governance, societal contribution and ecological integrity. The model serves as the foundation for defining and measuring CSR 2.0. The book closes with a 70-question self-assessment diagnostic that the author developed, accompanied by sample data that shows how the tool can support future research and practical use by practitioners.