STATE OF BUSINESS SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: A STAKEHOLDER’S PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

The stages of the evolution of the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) have been examined, and the main approaches to its formation have been considered, namely: corporate egoism, corporate altruism, compliance with social demands, stakeholder satisfaction, and the ethical approach. The international regulatory framework in the field of CSR has been summarised. It has been identified that national standards and legislative acts on social responsibility have been developed on the basis of the international standard ISO 26000:2010 “Guidance on Social Responsibility”. The state of corporate social responsibility in the Rivne region during martial law has been analysed, along with its impact on public perception of companies and their products (works, services). It has been found that compared to 2024, in 2022–2023 there were significantly fewer violations of respondents’ rights by businesses, both as employees and as consumers. Survey results indicated that during the war, more than half of the respondents received some form of support from their employer. This support was mainly manifested in the arrangement of shelters at workplaces, the provision of professional psychological assistance, food, and essential goods. Furthermore, it has been revealed that the majority of companies in the Rivne region implement various forms of external CSR, including charitable donations, support for corporate volunteering, and other. Unfortunately, the trend in this area is declining, which affects consumer behaviour towards such companies. The war in Ukraine has become a challenge for many companies in terms of implementing the previously declared principles of corporate social responsibility (CSR). Today, CSR must be integrated into a company’s culture and business operations; otherwise, employees and customers are likely to recognise corporate hypocrisy and disengage from such a company.