About the corporate social responsibility beyond the framework of charity

Abstract

The pursuit of "sustainable development" in the 21st century requires from companies to be good corporate citizens. The practical approach to achieving this is related to integrating the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) into the overall corporate strategy. For companies in Bulgaria this is a relatively new practice. The lack of sufficient experience influences the understanding of some businesspersons on the scope of socially responsible behavior and, as a result, in some cases, limits it to charity events. Referring to the results of an empirical study on the carbonated soft drinks market in Bulgaria, this article aims to present CSR beyond the framework of charity. The collected data proves that in this market, both for producers/bottling companies and for consumers, charity is isolated and insufficient manifestation of socially responsible behavior. Recognizing a company as a good corporate citizen on the one hand and exercising such behavior on the other hand requires a much wider form of CSR engagement. The statistical affirmation of the latter assertion suggests that this understanding of the nature of CSR could be also relevant for representatives of the other sectors of the economy in Bulgaria.