First published in 1998

This is an examination of corporate social responsibility in Britain and Italy. There is a growing interest in businesses rendering themselves more socially active and becoming more involved in addressing social problems. A number of British companies have been adopting many of the community practices that have characterized corporate life in America since the early 1960s. Corporate responsibility is defined as a business engagement in the wider community in order to contribute towards the general well-being of society. This study employs a hybrid methodology using a variety of sources including historical texts, secondary studies and detailed case studies of corporate social programmes. Businesses studied include Shell, BT, Unilever, and BAT Industries in Britain, and Fiat, Olivetti, ENI, IRI and Dioguardi in Italy. The study aims to provide a qualitative explanation of why companies go beyond their commercial remit to become engaged in communitarian and philanthropic action. Ultimately, the book aims to present a socially and politically informed analysis placed in its historical and political context, taking into consideration economic forces.