Corporate social responsibility and engagement: Commitment, mapping of responsibilities, and closing the loop

This chapter explores engagement in relation to corporate social responsibility (CSR), and highlights why engagement is not only seen as a foundational concept to CSR, but is necessary for CSR to succeed. Specifically, this chapter draws on the existing literature to highlight three forms of engagement in relation to CSR—commitment, mapping of responsibilities, and closing the loop. Conceptualizations of engagement in relation to each of the forms are presented, whereby engagement is referred to as a state, process, and/or orientation. The chapter concludes by highlighting challenges associated with engagement in relation to CSR, as well as future agendas based on the forms of engagement presented in this chapter, and new directions in CSR research.