Globalization, corporate social responsibility and human rights

Abstract In extending this journal to include issues of corporate social responsibility, we have come to recognize and reflect the fact that in order to move towards sustainable development we must examine social, environmental and economic issues. In this journal we have in the past demonstrated how companies can benefit from the use of environmental management tools and strategies. Now we extend the debate to social issues. However, corporate social responsibility tends to be much more controversial than improving environmental performance. Social responsibility requires us to look at ethics, stakeholder accountability and our own value systems. There will often be contradictory positions taken on some social issues and stakeholders will not always agree with each other. One starting point that seems productive however is to see corporate social responsibility in the context of human rights. This article therefore lays out how we can use the process of globalization to improve human rights through business activity and commitment. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment