The growing importance of the practical application of corporate social responsibility in the management of companies in the Czech Republic

Abstract

The paper is aimed at researching the issue of Corporate Social Responsibility (hereinafter “CSR”) in the Czech Republic (hereinafter “CR”). Social responsibility is now an integral part of integrated business management. It has a long tradition in the Czech Republic, because one of the most prominent businessmen of the 20th century – a Czech entrepreneur, Tomas Bata - began to apply CSR in his plants around the world in the first half of the last century. Currently, the issue of CSR becomes increasingly important. There is an integration of positive attitudes, practices or programs into company’s business strategy at the top management level. We follow a shift in management focus from the level of “profit only” to a wider view in the context of the three P’s - people - planet - profit. This involves the functioning of the organization with regard to the so called triple - bottom - line, when the company focuses not only on economic growth, but also on environmental and social aspects of its activities. The main objective of the paper is to analyze the current state of CSR in the Czech Republic on the basis of quantitative research (approx. 100 organizations were approached) and compare it with an analysis from 2004. The conclusion summarizes the approaches of managers to the issue of CSR in the CR, including some trends.