Purpose This study aims to explore the interplay between business and government around corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities in China. Design/methodology/approach The authors develop a field study using Foucault’s biopolitics as a conceptual lens. This study explores how governments influence motivations for CSR practices by shaping the sociocultural milieu. This study unpacks the way in which individuals through their actions draw on but also constitute widely shared cultural resources as they consider what is responsible behaviour. Findings This analysis draws out the reciprocal aspects of control, often complementing the disciplinary analysis of the role of the Chinese government. This study finds that the government shapes social consensus and secures political legitimacy through the management of the sociocultural milieu. Within this milieu, post-disciplinary power guides companies to self-initiate engagement in CSR activities. Originality/value Compared to state-owned enterprises in China, private enterprises in China exhibit greater flexibility and autonomy in undertaking CSR activities, offering a rich empirical context for this study. This study displays the benefits of Foucault’s biopolitics in understanding the impact of culture on CSR and its disclosure, and the possibilities for corporate agency.
Xia et al. (Sat,) studied this question.