CSR as a political act: What is the relationship between firms’ CSR and political activities?

Abstract

Despite the political turn in the CSR literature based around the political CSR field of study, little focus has been placed on the interplay between the firm’s CSR and its corporate political strategies (CPS), or on the impact of this interplay on the firm’s relationship with its stakeholders. This article aims to shed light on the dynamic interaction between these two non-market strategies that have long been considered as distinct, and on its role in the interpretation of CSR as a political act. To do this, we review the main research exploring the different configurations of the interaction between CSR and CPS. We then point out the multi-level factors that may affect the alignment between firms' social and political activities. Finally, the contribution of this research to the political CSR literature, its limitations, and future prospects are discussed.