Social responsibility: Experts’ viewpoints on adoption of the ISO 26000 standard

The ISO 26000 guidance standard for social responsibility represents an important instrument in managing social responsibility in organizations. However, studies of the adoption of ISO 26000 have been conceptual so far, and little is known about future adoption patterns. In this study, we provide insights into the type of adopting organization, geographical adoption and adoption challenges at the firm level, as well as discussing the importance of ISO 26000 in the context of other voluntary standards for social responsibility. We gathered the data from experts who developed ISO 26000. We have also identified differences, especially related to adoption of ISO 26000 in the developing world and to specific challenges of firm level adoption. By drawing parallels with existing literature on voluntary standards, managers and policy makers will understand the areas of overlap with existing standards as well as challenges specific to ISO 26000.