This paper argues that the view of CSR as advanced in management theory and practice is flawed due to its theoretical underpinnings in individualism, a position which upholds the primacy of the individual and provides legitimacy to individuals’ active pursuit of self-interest to the detriment of society. This view, however, significantly diverges from CSR perspectives which prescribe the duty and obligation inherent in every member of society to contribute to the promotion of the common good. This paper therefore suggests the need for an alternative model and presents the view of CSR advanced by Catholic Social Teaching (CST) as a more comprehensive and coherent framework to correctly articulate the relations between business and society, and the consequent duties and responsibilities that business have to contribute to the common good which is the essence of CSR. The paper also offered a critique of some common CSR practices and provided the reasons as to why these practices are considered unacceptable from the perspective of CST.

Everyone today is sensitive to the “three dimensions” (economic, societal and environmental) that should be considered in any business. However we have come to the conclusion that these three structural dimensions can only make sense when oriented around the “human person”. We strongly believe therefore that the internal and external objectives (economic, societal and environmental) and their respective programs and business activities must be considered with a view to their impact on the development of the persons involved (the different stakeholders). The first part of this document (“Foundation and Inspiration”, found in the Development) is an attempt to appreciate the subject as it may be experienced by a Christian business leader. What is the specific call of a Christian who is a business leader? And as a Christian executive, what is the distinct way of addressing the economic, societal and environmental spheres of an enterprise? The second part of the current document (“Our Vision of CSR”) presents CSR as an interesting concept for addressing current issues. Firstly, what are the universal principles on which a sustainable economy should be based? What would be a comprehensive vision of an enterprise, its objectives and its responsibilities? What is the specific role of the business leader and what are the principal strategic lines of action? The third section deals with the implementation of the lines of action, guidelines, if you like, on how to change ways of conducting business. How can we progress and make the theory work? How can we implement a culture that respects the human person? Finally, once implemented, is there a way to measure its effectiveness?

Unethical business practices are gaining wide attention in the business circles, academia and government. Various measures are adopted to control these unethical business practices. However despite of the known fact that spiritual values have positive effe fact that spiritually oriented people act in Godly ways, Spirituality as a control measure for unethical behavior and business have not been sufficiently explored. This paper argues that socially responsible organizati organizational culture based on spiritual values. This is seen to be accomplished through the development of unspoken assumptions embedded in organization culture wh accomplishing what is good for the long term sustainability and success of organization can be obtained by striving for the larger social good. Copyright©2016, Sarah Javed and Mohammad Suhaib permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Religion in the contemporary times has potentials from which conventional models and theories could leverage for public wellbeing. Considering the moral and ethical dimensions of corporate social responsibility (CSR), understanding this nebulous concept from the religious lenses could help strengthen CSR compliance and reporting in the industrial societies, where religions play direct and indirect role in corporate governance and people's lifestyle. This paper explores eclectic sources to provide answer to the questions: Does CSR have theological foundation in Islam Christianity and Judaism? Can religions strengthen CSR and fortify compliance and reporting? The authors sourced the required qualitative data from journal articles, Islamic jurisprudence, Judaic sources and Biblical texts as well as relevant online resources on the subject. The extractions from eclectic sources were critically analysed using hermeneutic from which answers to the two questions were established. The f...

Guest Editors: Harry Van Buren, Jawad Syed, Raza Mir This special issue of Business & Society aims to publish original theoretical and empirical insights on the role that religion as a social force plays in the context of business ethics, corporate societal responsibility (CSR) and corporate governance. Religion in society is a subject of great importance, cutting across all sectors of our social world, from national and international governments, organizations and policy makers, to local communities, individuals and employers. Religion, by virtue of its emphasis on philanthropy, social service, ethical conduct, and frugality may be a major source of inspiration for governmental, organizational and individual approaches to ethics, CSR and governance. However, religion or some of its interpretations or practices may also act as barriers to responsible business behavior, e.g., faith-based discrimination at work, or faith-based objections to employee benefits. Despite extensive research on business ethics and CSR, the macro-level impact of religion on business remains an underdeveloped area of research. Seeking to fill this important research gap, this special issue focuses on the intersections between religion, organizations, and society through the lens of history, business ethics and CSR. It aims to bring a variety of religion-based and secular theoretical perspectives to bear on business ethics, corporate governance and CSR research and practice.

The historic Christian church has three major elements that need sorting: An irrational Pauline Theology, an unsustainable church organization, and the absence of a strategic marketing program. The first issue is handled in the first half of the book; the second and third in the last half. For issues of organizational development and the marketing aspect, begin on page 73.