Editing Social responsibility (section)

==Corporate social responsibility==
{{Main|Corporate social responsibility}}

Ethical decision-making by businesses can prevent costly government intervention in those businesses.<ref name="Kaliski2001">{{cite book|editor-last=Kaliski|editor-first=B.|chapter=Ethics in Management|year=2001|title=Encyclopedia of Business and Finance|edition=2nd|volume=1|location=New York|publisher=Macmillan Reference|page=2}}</ref> For instance, if a company follows the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency]] (EPA) guidelines for emissions of dangerous pollutants and goes further to involve the community and address concerns the public might have, they might be less likely to have the EPA investigate them.<ref name="Kaliski2001" /> According to some experts, most rules and regulations are formed due to public outcry, which threatens [[profit maximization]] and therefore the well-being of shareholders; if there is no outcry, this limits regulation.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://marketing.wharton.upenn.edu/ideas/pdf/armstrong2/social.pdf |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051117061042/http://marketing.wharton.upenn.edu/ideas/pdf/armstrong2/social.pdf|archive-date=2005-11-17| title = Social Irresponsibility in Management | first = J. Scott |last=Armstrong | journal = Journal of Business Research | volume = 5 | pages = 185–213 | year = 1977 |issue=3 | publisher = Elsevier North-Holland Inc.|doi=10.1016/0148-2963(77)90011-X }}</ref>

Some critics argue that corporate social responsibility (CSR) distracts from the fundamental economic role of businesses; others argue that it is nothing more than superficial window-dressing, such as "[[greenwashing]]";<ref>{{cite journal|first1=Alejos|last1=Góngora|first2=Claudia|last2=Lucía|title=Greenwashing: Only the Appearance of Sustainability|journal=IESE Insight|date=2013|url=http://www.ieseinsight.com/doc.aspx?id=1714&ar=17&idioma=2|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200312013108/https://www.ieseinsight.com/doc.aspx?id=1714&ar=17&idioma=2|archive-date=2020-03-12|access-date=27 July 2015}}</ref> others argue that it is an attempt to pre-empt the role of governments as a watchdog over powerful corporations. A significant number of studies have shown no negative influence on shareholder results from CSR but rather a slightly positive correlation with improved shareholder returns.<ref>{{multiref2
|1={{cite book|last1=Carpenter|first1=Mason|last2=Bauer|first2=Talya|last3=Eiderdown|first3=Berin|year=2013|chapter=Integrating Economic, Social, and Environmental Performance|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/principlesofmana0000carp_q9w4/page/24/mode/2up?q=CSR|title=Principles of Management|edition=2.0|location=Arlington, N.Y.|publisher=Flat World Knowledge|isbn=9781453354452 |at=4.3}}
|2={{cite journal|last1=Margolis|first1=J.|last2=Elfenbein|first2=H.H.|year=2008|title=Doing Well by Doing Good? Don't Count on It|journal=Harvard Business Review|volume=86|pages=1–2}} }}</ref>

While many corporations include social responsibility in their operations, those procuring their goods and services may also independently ensure these products are [[Social sustainability|socially sustainable]]. Verification tools are available from many entities internationally,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sftool.gov/plan/541/strategies-ensure-successful-delivery-sustainable-products-services#resource|title=Resources for Verifying Sustainable Products|website=Sustainable Facilities Tool|access-date=2016-03-11|archive-date=2022-10-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221004111948/https://sftool.gov/plan/541/strategies-ensure-successful-delivery-sustainable-products-services#resource|url-status=live}}</ref> for example the [[UL (safety organization)|Underwriters Laboratories]] environmental standards, [[Biobased product|BioPreferred]], and [[Green Seal]]. A corporate reputation aligned with social responsibility is linked to higher profits, particularly when firms voluntarily report the positive and negative impacts of their social responsibility endeavors.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Johnson|first1=Z. |title= Self-Reporting CSR Activities: When Your Company Harms, Do You Self-Disclose? |journal=Corporate Reputation Review|date=January 2019|volume=21 |issue=4 |pages=153–164 |doi=10.1057/s41299-018-0051-x |s2cid=170000354 }}</ref>

Certification processes like these help corporations and their consumers identify potential risks associated with a product's [[Life Cycle Analysis|lifecycle]] and enable end users to confirm the corporation's practices adhere to social responsibility ideals. A reputation for social responsibility leads to more positive responses toward a brand's products by inducing a reciprocal desire to help companies that have helped others, an effect that is more prominent among consumers who value helping others and is reduced if consumers doubt a firm's intentions.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Johnson |first1=Z. |title=Good Guys Can Finish First: How Brand Reputation Affects Extension Evaluations |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jcpy.1109 |url-access=subscription |journal=Journal of Consumer Psychology |date=2019 |volume=29 |issue=4 |pages=565–583 |doi=10.1002/jcpy.1109 |s2cid=150973752 |access-date=2020-05-07 |archive-date=2020-08-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807095452/https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jcpy.1109 |url-status=live }}</ref>