International understanding of corporate social responsibility (CSR)

``Corporate Social Responsibility'' (CSR) is an increasingly discussed topic in theory and practice. It represents highly relevant matter for managing global companies in the future. More importantly, the apparent intercultural dependency of corporate responsible behaviour that results from various interpretations in different regional contexts proves to be a rising problem in a globalised world. The book in hand assesses this issue and analyses multiple interpretations and concepts of CSR. Special emphasis is placed on the analysis and classification of existing standards and instruments, such as overarching principles, codes of conduct, management systems and reporting guidelines, which have been developed for supporting the implementation of CSR within companies. Furthermore, general problems and challenges of international CSR standards are examined with a focus on their ability to further an international understanding of CSR.