The ICCA Handbook on Corporate Social Responsibility

The world's leading companies have realized that success in the long term requires them not only to make an economic profit, but also to contribute to the societies in which they operate. As a result Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has moved to the top of the business agenda. Yet questions remain. Sceptics ask whether, provided an organization's activities conform to legislation, there is a business case for going beyond this. This unique Handbook from the Institute for Corporate Culture Affairs (ICCA) offers an invaluable combination of lessons learned and best practice for the future. It explores the general concept of CSR, investigates approaches to implementation and provides first-hand insights from well-known CEOs, academics and organizations. Above all it stresses the fact that CSR must spring from a corporate culture, implying values and norms which in themselves endorse sustainable ways of doing business. Without this shift of emphasis from shareholder returns to sustainable value, CSR can never be more than a diversion. Featuring contributions from Ben Verwaayen (CEO, BT Group), Fujio Mitarai (President and CEO, Canon), Sir Geoffrey Chandler (Founder, Amnesty International Business Group) and Yoshio Shirai (Managing Director, Toyota), as well as experiences from inside leading organizations like Volkswagen, Credit Suisse, The Body Shop and the UK Government, The ICCA Handbook of Corporate Social Responsibility showcases CEOs and companies that have seized the opportunities offered by CSR. It is intended to stimulate further exchange and development in the field. For now, it captures the state of the CSR art.

JUDITH HENNIGFELD is Managing Director of the Institute for Corporate Culture Affairs (ICCA), which she joined in June 2004. Previously she was a consultant in the area of development work, advising, amongst others, the United Nations and the European Commission. From 1995 to 1999 Judith served at the UN Development Programme in New York, where she was Programme Advisor for the Bureau for Development Policy.

MANFRED POHL is Founder and CEO of the Institute for Corporate Culture Affairs. He is also Founder of the European Association for Banking and Financial History, the Institute for Business History and several other institutions in his native Germany, where he is a well-known and respected author. He is Honorary Professor at the University of Frankfurt, and in 2001 received the European Award for Culture at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

NICK TOLHURST joined the Institute for Corporate Culture Affairs as Director in 2004, prior to which he worked for the British Foreign Ministry in Germany, advising British companies in Germany and German companies investing in the UK. Previously he served at the European Commission at DG II (Economics and Financial Affairs), preparing for the introduction of the Euro across differing cultures and economic systems.