An investigation into the nature and extent of corporate social responsibility within the top four banks in Ireland

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become a topical debate over the last decade. The \ud CSR concept has been evolving since 1953 and it is primarily concerned with organisations \ud acting responsibly and considering environmental and social concerns in their decision making \ud process. In Ireland, the debate on CSR emerged at a time when numerous scandals were \ud emerging in many industries, particularly within the banking industry. The Irish banking sector \ud has been criticized for its superficial approach to CSR and that CSR is not regarded as a priority \ud for many banks. \ud \ud This research shows that the top four banks in Ireland have recognised the role of CSR and that \ud they understand the important role CSR has within their corporate business objectives.. In \ud addition, this research found that the nature of CSR within the banking sector is diverse and \ud relatively consistent, ranging from charitable donations to environmental management systems. \ud Furthermore, this research reveals that the extent of CSR within the top four banks extends \ud beyond the surface and that it has been integrated to some extent. However, it was found that \ud CSR is still very much aligned with the public relations function in many of these banks. \ud \ud Additionally, this thesis discusses the implications of the alignment of CSR within the public \ud relations function and suggests recommendations on how an organisation can improve the value \ud of CSR within their organisations. The researcher also reviewed the need for government to \ud take proactive steps in encouraging CSR within the Irish banking sector and also anticipated \ud future areas of research in light of the findings in this research