Corporate Social Responsiveness:

The purpose of this paper is to improve our understanding of how a company can handle “bad episodes” related to corporate social responsibility (CSR). We introduce a conceptual model in which a CSR Critical Incident passes through three “regulators” which influence the significance of the episode. Depending on the significance of the episode, influenced by the regulators, three responsive strategies are outlined and discussed. The study is based on a case study methodology and focuses on three cases reflecting an environmental disaster, business ethics difficulties and human rights issues. The study contributes to managerial decision-making by identifying responsive strategies to counter corporate image threats and loss of public trust.