Speaker
Description
The evolution of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) represents a central trajectory in the redefinition of the role of business in contemporary economic systems. Beginning in the second half of the twentieth century, CSR ushered in a shift away from an exclusively profit-oriented vision, promoting the integration of social, ethical, and environmental considerations into corporate decision-making processes. In its initial phase, however, CSR was configured as a set of predominantly voluntary and discretionary practices, often limited to reputational or philanthropic initiatives, with limited capacity to structurally impact corporate strategies. Starting from these premises, this paper aims to answer the following research question: what was the transformation path of CSR from a voluntary practice to a strategic lever capable of guiding governance and long-term value creation?
The turning point in managerial terms was represented by R. Edward Freeman's stakeholder theory, which redefines the firm as a system of relationships between multiple stakeholders. From this perspective, management is called upon to balance and integrate the expectations of heterogeneous stakeholders, transcending the exclusive focus of shareholders and orienting corporate action toward the creation of shared value. The theoretical contributions of Carroll and Elkington fit into this evolutionary path, providing a systematization of corporate responsibilities and introducing an integrated view of performance across economic, social, and environmental dimensions. The paper continues its analysis of the evolution of CSR with an illustration of ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) criteria, which translate the stakeholder approach into measurement systems, performance indicators, and reporting tools, promoting the integration of sustainability into decision-making processes and governance models.
The final section of the paper presents hybrid business models, in which stakeholder orientation is incorporated into the organizational structure and management logic. These models represent the outcome of the path proposed in the paper and introduce an innovative managerial approach capable of combining economic objectives and social impact within a long-term corporate strategy.
