Corporate citizenship and the role of government: the public policy case

Good corporate citizenship integrates social, ethical, environmental, economic and philanthropic values in the core decision-making processes of a business. Until recently, the focus of the corporate citizenship debate has been on why being good is good for business. Today, however, the focus is on the relationship between public policy and corporate citizenship, and the increasing pressure on governments to regulate corporate social behaviour. This Research Paper explores the various potential policy options. It argues that, while there is a role for public policy in the area of corporate citizenship, that role is not necessarily a regulatory one. A short version of this paper is available as a Research Note