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Description

Business is doing more than ever before to tackle issues like climate change, poverty, human rights and corruption. So why are things are getting worse, not better? Why are environmental and social trends still headed in the wrong direction? Wayne Visser argues that traditional approaches have failed, leaving business stuck in the Ages of Greed, Philanthropy, Marketing and Management. Using Web 2.0 as a metaphor, he shows how business needs to radically transform if we are to ever reach a true Age of Responsibility.

The required systemic approach is dubbed CSR 2.0 and characterised by five key principles: creativity, scalability, responsiveness, glocality and circularity. Citing more than 300 cases to illustrate ‘the good, the bad and the ugly’ of corporate sustainability and responsibility, the book describes how the new DNA of business is fast being decoded in the areas of value creation, good governance, societal contribution and environmental integrity.

Having set out a compelling vision of the future, The Age of Responsibility sets about describing how to get there by exploring change at the societal, organisational and individual level. Readers are left not only informed, but also inspired to make a difference. This book is the most challenging and exciting account of the future of business that you’re likely to read all year.

Endorsements

Philip Kotler, S. C. Johnson and Son Distinguished Professor of International Marketing, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University and author of Corporate Social Responsibility:

Deserves to become an instant classic. I will recommend it to every company to figure out why they are practicing CSR and how to really practice it to make a difference to their profits, people, and the planet.

John Elkington, Co-Founder and Director of Volans Ventures and co-author of The Power of Unreasonable People:

We are seeing a massive reboot going in the CSR industry – and Wayne Visser is a consistently reliable guide to (and champion of) the emerging CSR 2.0 mindsets and practices.

Archie B. Carroll, Professor of Management Emeritus, Terry College of Business and author of Business and Society:

The Age of Responsibility is an important book that should be studied carefully by all those seriously interested in the past, present and future of CSR. I strongly recommend it.

L. Hunter Lovins, President of Natural Capitalism Solutions and author of Natural Capitalism:

Shows that reinventing our industrial model is not only imperative – socially, environmentally, economically and morally – but also a great opportunity for those pioneers that blaze the trail.

Andrew Crane, George R. Gardiner Professor of Business Ethics, Schulich School of Business, York University and author of Business Ethics:

The Age of Responsibility provides a much-needed wake up call for the corporate responsibility movement. This is the best CSR book you’ll read all year.

Yogesh Chauhan, Chairman of the Corporate Responsibility Group and BBC Chief Adviser Corporate Responsibility:

A challenging and thought provoking book. He asks: are we as practitioners complacent, or worse, part of the problem? There is hope and optimism but only if we are brave and bold enough to re-engineer corporate responsibility. Read on…

Ed Freeman, Director of the Business Roundtable Institute for Corporate Ethics at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business and author of Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach:

Responsibility is one of the defining issues of our time. Executives, students and citizens should read this book, and make it an integral part of our conversation about business.

Vandana Shiva, PhD, author of Earth Democracy and Soil Not Oil:

A world based on rights without responsibility can only lead to destruction. The book calls for a vital shift from rights to responsibility. It is a must read for all.

Polly Courtice, Director of the University of Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership:

Breathes new life into CSR. In his inimitable style, using clear frameworks and illustrative case studies, Wayne Visser brings real insight to a complex set of ideas at a time when they are needed most. Bring on CSR 2.0!

Joel Bakan, author of The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power (book and documentary film):

Rich with insight, information and analyses, and highly readable for its excellent writing and poignant stories, the book is a crucial contribution to understanding where we are with CSR and what we need to do to move forward.

Brad Googins, Associate Professor in Organisation Studies at the Carroll School of Management, and former Director of the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship:

There are few books that can cut to the chase and provide a thoughtful analysis of the current state of CSR while at the same time opening up a vision for tomorrow. This is a contribution to the CSR world that is long overdue and most welcome.

Deborah Leipziger, author of The Corporate Responsibility Code Book and SA8000: The Definitive Guide to the New Social Standard:

The Age of Responsibility will change the way you think about CSR, allowing you to discard myths and to work towards a systemic view of CSR. The Age of Responsibility is a call to arms: inspiring, engaging and visionary.

Information and Ordering

To view the contents, sample chapters, more detailed reviews and to order copies, please visit the Wiley website (EU or US), or Amazon (UK, US or other).

Downloads

Chapter 1 (Pdf, free for Members)

Podcasts (MP3s, free for Members)

 

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