The influence of the consumers on ethics and the development of economy and CSR

Abstract

Connection between economics and ethics has become during recent years a very much discussed area. Global crisis was the evidence of the lack of ethics both in the corporate environment, public sector and among customers (consumers). In this article I will try to explain the concept of consumerist society and one of its key parts - the customer (consumer). The influence of this component is very important, especially on the development of the overall economy of each country, but also on the development and implementation of corporate social responsibility. For analysis part was chosen a fieldwork made by INCOMA GfK, Ltd. for Institute of Agricultural Economics and Information of the Czech Republic and was enriched by qualitative data pertaining specifically to issues of consumerist society and corporate social responsibility. The article points to a lack of awareness of end-customers on issues of corporate social responsibility and demonstrates the minimal impact of CSR concept on customers, which is one of the key stakeholders of any company.