Conceptualizing the Behavioral Barriers to CSR and CS in Organizations: A Typology of HRD Interventions

A considerable body of research exists on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate sustainability (CS). However, there is significantly less on the influence of employees on the adoption of CSR and CS initiatives. Given the centrality of employees as stakeholders in CSR/CS adoption, it is important to understand how barriers at individual, organizational, and institutional levels of analysis influence the adoption of CSR/CS initiatives. An understanding of these barriers will illuminate the potential contribution of human resource development (HRD) to their removal. HRD has a major role to play in changing employee behavior and organizational values and there are significant affinities between HRD and CSR/CS concerning behavior and change. This article discusses a typology of HRD interventions that may be used to address barriers to the implementation of CSR/CS initiatives.