Business Ethics and Social Responsibility | Four Approaches to Social Responsibility

Describe the four approaches to social responsibility.

Answer:  The approaches to social responsibility include the obstructionist stance, the accommodative stance, the defensive stance, and the proactive stance. With an obstructionist stance, an organization usually does as little as possible to solve social or environmental problems. When the organization crosses the ethical or legal line that separates acceptable from unacceptable practices, its typical response is to deny or cover up its actions. With an accommodative stance, a firm meets its legal and ethical requirements but will also go further in certain areas. Such firms voluntarily agree to participate in social programs, for example, but solicitors must convince them that given programs are worthy of their support. Firms assuming a defensive stance will do everything that is required of them legally but nothing more. This approach is most consistent with arguments against corporate social responsibility. In taking a proactive stance, a firm practices the highest degree of social responsibility. Firms of this nature take to heart the arguments in favor of social responsibility; they see themselves as citizens of society and proactively seek opportunities to contribute.

Source: Business Essentials, 8e (Ebert/Griffin) – Global Edition