ABSTRACT
It is important to recognize at the outset that the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is an essentially contested concept. Indeed, the contested nature of the concept of CSR – and more particularly the contested nature of the policies and practices which are conventionally subsumed under that name – constitutes both the starting point for, and the guiding thread of, this chapter. More specifically the chapter sets out to: (1) outline the contested nature of the concept of CSR and the variety of competing approaches to understanding CSR; (2) examine some of the possible outcomes for organizations which adopt CSR policies; (3) examine some of the possible outcomes for organizations within the wider society which are claimed to be beneficiaries of CSR; and (4) examine the socio-genesis of CSR, that is, the conditions under which organizations have developed CSR policies. Throughout this chapter, a central focus will be on the question “cui bono?” In other words, who benefits from CSR policies? The chapter will firstly draw on the general literature on CSR and will then apply the questions which have been raised in that context to the understanding of CSR within the sporting context.
