CSR Strategies in International Business. Concepts and theories for a competitive edge

For decades, multinational corporations benefited from developing countries mainly as a source of cheap labour and weak regulations. Even when corporate social responsibility (CSR) was embraced it has been tailored to customers in the developed world. With the rise of the middle class in emerging economies and social media driven scrutiny of corporate conduct around the globe, CSR increasingly requires an international outlook. Adopting strategic CSR in international business provides multinational corporations with a competitive edge. An emerging field of research around international CSR points to global, local and transnational strategies as viable options. Considering impacting variables such as cultural distance, industry features and brand visibility, recommendations are derived for managers that advance the concept of shared value for business and society. In addition, a set of future research questions is outlined to further the academic discussion around this important aspect of business in the 21th century.