Visible Hands

'You think government is irrelevant for corporate social responsibility? Think again! Based on penetrating case studies, Knudsen and Moon carefully unpick the ways in which national governments facilitate and shape corporate social responsibility to achieve their policy goals at home and abroad. In so doing, they shed new light on general debates about the interaction of public and private authority in global governance and the role of the state in a globalized world. Excellent book!' Philipp Genschel, European University Institute, Florence
'It has now been established that CSR, generally defined as companies' voluntary social and environmental initiatives that go beyond legal requirements is a core part of any company's competitive strategy. This book written by two political scientists examines a critical yet neglected piece of this complex puzzle, the role of governments in CSR. In particular, the authors effectively argue and show fascinating evidence that governments structure the opportunities for CSR and act as agents to encourage and exploit CSR for public policy purposes such as by directing public policies to support international CSR organizations. This book is relevant to anyone interested in stakeholder management, CSR, governance and sustainability.' Ruth V. Aguilera, Northeastern University, Massachusetts