Conscience or Commerce: Analyzing the Dichotomy of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Execution for Strategic Brand Building versus Intentional Social Impact.

corporate, social, responsibility, marketing, Company’s act

The Company’s Act of 2013 has made CSR activities mandatory for the corporates. With that India became the first country in the world to make corporate social responsibility though with certain conditions based on profit/net worth/turnover. Hence companies started spending on corporate social responsibility. It was not that companies earlier did not spend for different social welfare activities. However after the implementation of the act, companies stated spending for CSR but more than genuine concern it happens to be marketing tool to create a brand image which has societal concern. But the findings of the study show that CSR activities carried by the companies are merely done to follow the company’s act compliances, create a brand image and consider it as an obligation. Hence genuine concern for the society is questioned. The researcher has taken samples size of 250 respondents mostly senior executives with BSE/NSE listed companies.