Retailing public goods: The economics of corporate social responsibility

• 成果类型: Article; Proceedings Paper
• 署名作者: Besley, Timothy; Ghatak, Maitreesh
• 署名单位: University of London; London School Economics & Political Science
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0047-2727
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2007.07.006
• 发表日期: 2007
• 页码: 1645-1663
• 关键词: CSR; public goods

摘要

This paper explores the feasibility and desirability of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). We identify CSR with creation of public goods or curtailment of public bads. Using a model with profit-maximizing firms, the paper shows that there is it direct parallel between CSR and traditional models of private provision of public goods. Indeed, firms that use CSR will produce public goods at exactly the same level as predicted by the standard voluntary contribution equilibrium for public goods. We compare CSR with government provision and charitable provision, discussing when CSR by private for-profit firms could have a comparative advantage in dealing with public goods provision. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.