Summary
Corporate social performance requires that (1) a firm's social responsibilities be assessed, (2) the social issues it must address be identified, and (3) a response philosophy be chosen. The model pre sented attempts to articulate these key aspects in a conceptual framework that will be useful to aca demics and managers alike. The conceptual model is intended to help clarify and integrate various defi nitional strands that have appeared in the literature. Also, it presents the notions of ethical and discre tionary responsibilities in a context that is perhaps more palatable to those who think economic con siderations have disappeared in discussions of so cial responsibility. The model can be used to help managers conceptualize the key issues in social performance, to systematize thinking about social issues, and to improve planning and diagnosis in the social performance realm. To whatever extent the model helps accomplish these objectives, it re mains but a modest step toward the refinement of the corporate social performance concept.