Peter Lund-Thomsen considers how CSR is often framed and promoted by key actors in the Global North, the home of many large retailers and brands, in ways that overlook the unique challenges and broader circumstances faced by suppliers and countries in the Global South. He instead proposes that CSR must be understood as an evolving, context-dependent, and contested term that can best be viewed through multiple perspectives. Developing an integrated analytical model of buyer, supplier, and worker perspectives on CSR in global value chains, the book draws out future research and policy implications of this analysis in the areas of governance, human rights, the circular economy, and climate change.

This book will be a critical resource for scholars and students with an interest in corporate social responsibility, critical management studies, management and sustainability, and responsible consumption and production. Practitioners and policy makers in business, government, international organizations, and NGOs will also benefit from the book’s re-evaluation of CSR in global value chains.

‘Given the growing complexity of contemporary supply chains and new disruptive forces such as the global Covid-19 pandemic and accelerating technological changes in the digital era, there is no simple ‘sweet spot’ where the interests of industry lead firms, top suppliers and workers converge. The Lund-Thomsen book on Rethinking Global Value Chains and Corporate Social Responsibility offers concrete suggestions for navigating this contested terrain where neither the “business case” for social upgrading nor CSR alone are enough. Highly recommended for policy makers, practitioners, and students alike.’ -- Gary Gereffi, Duke University, US

Peter Lund-Thomsen, Professor of Global Value Chains and Corporate Responsibility, Center for Business and Development Studies, Department of Management, Communication and Society, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark