What is the role of business in society?

What is the social responsibility of corporations, besides providing products and jobs?

These questions have been explored by European researchers for many years. A large body of studies and knowledge on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been generated across disciplines and research institutions in Europe.

Still the European research agenda on CSR remains fragmented and diffuse. And the knowledge and insights generated through research is not always effectively communicated and disseminated to those who need it.

The CSR Platform Project addresses this problem.

The CSR Platform Project is unique because it provides a platform for academic institutions, business, policy-makers and civil society actors with interest in CSR to come together and discuss and shape the European CSR research agenda.

The CSR Platform Project provides the opportunity to align and integrate research on CSR, and to achieve synergies between European research institutions. And, importantly, it is a platform for discovering the best ways to disseminate research findings so they are used - and can make an impact on society.

Over a period of three years a series of research workshops , multi-stakeholder meetings and colloquiums are carried out across Europe.

The focus areas of the CSR Platform project are: Research Colloquiums, Young Research Professionals, CSR Research Coordination Network, Multi-stakeholder meetings and CSR Knowledge Centre / European Reference Portal on CSR.

An important part of the CSR Platform Project is to make the knowledge and insights generated throughout the project period accessible for exploitation. This is done through a web portal (this site) and a knowledge centre administered by The European Academy of Business in Society.

In this way the CSR Platform Project will facilitate and strengthen European research collaboration beyond the initial project period and serve as a global reference point for the advancement and dissemination of knowledge on CSR. The CSR Platform Project is funded by the Sixth Framework Programme of the European Union.

Institutions involved in the CSR Platform Project:

• European Academy of Business in Society
• European Foundation for Management Development – EFMD, Belgium
• Ashridge, United Kingdom
• Copenhagen Business School, Denmark
• Cranfield University, United Kingdom
• INSEAD, France
• Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Germany
• Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School, Belgium
• Warwick Business School, United Kingdom
• The Copenhagen Centre, Denmark
• CSR Europe, Belgium
• Leon Kozminski Academy of Entrepreneurship and Management, Poland
• Szkola Glowna Handlowa / Warsaw School of Economics, Poland