Understanding CSR culture and subcultures : consensual and conflicting narratives

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is now considered a fundamentally important concept that must be embedded in an organisation’s strategies, policies and culture. Nevertheless, it is only recently that academic literature has begun to consider the links between CSR, organisational culture and subcultures, with many authors suggesting that this area of research is underdeveloped. Using recent qualitative case study research that examined CSR initiatives in an organisation operating within the cement industry, this paper explores the dynamics of CSR culture and the link to subcultures and suggests that this is a necessary, yet complex, aspect of contemporary CSR analysis and research. By analysing the perceptions and experiences of multiple internal stakeholders, this research offers insights into the role of CSR, organisational culture and subcultures. The paper argues that subcultures play a significant role in determining the level of internalisation of dominant CSR values, beliefs and principles, and as such have the potential to influence the level of commitment to CSR within an organisation. Therefore, this research can provide insights into the implications for fostering a CSR culture and the key role of internal stakeholders.