To what extent can 'the CSR framework' be adapted to meet the needs of BS 8900?: A qualitative study

The growing global interest in corporate responsibility (CR) and the pressure felt by organisations in all sectors to demonstrate commitment and progress in CR has led to demands for guidelines and standards that can help companies shape their response to CR in a measurable and consistent way. In recent years a number of models and guidance documents have been produced; however companies are still struggling to understand how to approach CR and what mechanisms to use to integrate it into their organisation’s systems. The link between Quality Management Systems and CR has been noted by many authors and a respected model was developed by Castka et al (2004) which combined the systems used in the ISO 9001 accreditation with the requirements of a CR process. Their CSR Framework however does not link to any accredited standards and lacks practical steps for organisations to follow. This study takes the underlying basis of The CSR Framework and combines it with the guidance and structure found in the British Standard for Sustainability, the BS 8900, to create a model for CR integration. Through qualitative case study research of four organisations, the benefits and development areas of this model are discussed in relation to the CR needs of the organisations concerned and the practicalities of using a model to shape the integration of CR.Research carried out for Enterprise