Corporate social responsibility as a legitimate concern for Chinese enterprises: An analysis of media depictions

This study interprets rationales for greater corporate attention to societal needs, as outlined in the mediated public discourse in China. Findings suggest that (1) there are multiple lines of reasoning regarding the adoption of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and (2) social involvement is advocated because CSR constitutes an ideal topic for the articulation of faith in what means success in business ventures. This study offers a culturally informed explication of the instrumental and ethical arguments for CSR.

► The study examines newspaper-mediated rationales for greater corporate attention to societal needs.
► Three rationales were found prominent. Attending to the social sphere improves competitiveness.
► Access to the global market calls for socially responsible business practice.
► Businesses should simply do the right thing.
► These arguments displayed several parallel, yet tensioned archetypes of successful enterprises.