From Gift to Commodity: The Social Construction of Corporate Social Responsibility in East Asia

Abstract

This study explores how corporate social responsibility (CSR) is socially constructed in East Asia, its conceptualization, and the guiding rationale and factors influencing its formation. Using sociological perspectives, this study explains the nature of CSR in Japan, Korea, and China regarding gift relations, moral economy, conspicuous consumption, and fictitious commodities. A comparison of institutional arrangements and CSR in these three countries reveals that although they may share similar historical and industrial backgrounds, the form and function of their CSR institutional arrangements may differ concerning how governments, businesses, and consumers adopt and respond to such arrangements.