THEORETICAL DESIGN OF THE MECHANISM OF REALIZATION OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AS A SOCIO-ECONOMIC PHENOMENON

Abstract

The paper contributes to the academic tradition of expanding the scope of economics to embrace some conspicuous sociological or socio-philosophical notions. The study addresses the specific problem of a lack of discourse on the theoretical consideration of social responsibility as an economic phenomenon beyond the conventional corporate and managerial range. In the paper, social responsibility is regarded as a multi-stakeholder phenomenon exercising complex socio-economic influence. This phenomenon involves broad spectrum of economic entities, such as individual and institutional entities (corporations, civil society and governments).

The paper presents a theoretical model of the mechanism for realization of social responsibility as a common commitment and common benefit valued by all economic entities. The general design of the mechanism under consideration schematically reproduces the famous «Mobius band» with two areas. These areas are specified as two equally important, interdependent and mutually operated sub-mechanisms (mental and communitarian) that target distinct aspects of social responsibility realization in socio-economic environment.

The mental sub-mechanism means a set of given instruments to nurture and regulate socially responsible economic behavior manifested by economic entities. Those instruments are education/self-education, socialization (as socialized human capital development) and labor activities (including volunteering). Considered instruments inherently appeal to will and consciousness of an individual entity but also require respective facilitating (non-directive) policies of institutional entities (civil society organizations, government agencies etc.).

The communitarian sub-mechanism stands for maintenance of the responsible socio-economic relations that are valuable on their own account, but also serve as a background and a prerequisite for the behavior molding and regulation. The core of the communitarian sub-mechanism is a transformed form of public-private partnership – multi-stakeholder social partnership as a continuous cooperation among government, civil society organizations and private for-profits.

The paper argues that socially responsible economic behavior resting and depending on such partnership is simultaneously a precondition and a vital support for the partnering activities. Therein lies and manifests itself the «Mobius band» effect