Internal Motivators for Socially Responsive Decision Making: a Case Study

The paper contributes to the burgeoning literature on corporate social performance (CSP) by exploring the internal motivators driving socially responsive decision making in an organisation that publicly purports to follow principles of corporate social responsibility. A case study in a United Kingdom company that consistently publishes audited external social reports was undertaken. Interviews with 19 managers were supplemented with an examination of detailed internal documentation and a comprehensive site tour. The findings are framed within the control systems literature and indicate the overriding influence of informal controls such as social and self controls in instilling socially responsive decision making among managers. This influence persists despite widely perceived tensions between the informal and formal control systems. The findings highlight the successful influence on socially responsive decision making of an intense organisational culture focused on aligning personal and organisational values.