Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the COVID-19 pandemic: organizational and managerial implications

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is twofold: First, to provide an overview of the COVID-19 pandemic and its holistic impacts and implications for organizations and management. Second, to report what organizations have been doing via their corporate social responsibilities about the pandemic. Research implications for academics are offered. Design/methodology/approach - The approach taken in this article was to survey the literature and news reports about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and to summarize results. Further, the approach was to analyze these findings using my four-part CSR construct examining economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic impacts, implications, and responsibilities. Findings - It was found that the COVID-19 pandemic has had important impacts and implications for most spheres or sectors of the business world. Employees, consumers and communities have been the most significantly affected, but other stakeholder groups in societies are being impacted as well. The global pandemic is putting CSR to the test, and the emerging evidence supports the idea that many companies are striving to reset their CSR thinking and initiatives to accommodate this crisis and to meet what the public expects of them. Originality/value - Much of this paper involved reporting findings that have appeared in the literature and news. The originality involved interpreting and analyzing stakeholders affected, and how managers have been responding to these challenges. Strategic recommendations are offered.

Automated summary

This paper provides an overview of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on organizations and management, as well as how organizations are responding through corporate social responsibility efforts. The research highlights the significant impact on employees, consumers, and communities, and the evolving CSR strategies of companies to meet public expectations during this crisis. The study emphasizes the importance of rethinking CSR initiatives in light of the global pandemic.