Ecological Systems Theory Approach to CSR: Contextual perspectives from meeting planners

Business reputation, competitive advantage, differentiation and regulatory adherence are all factors that are pushing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) centre-stage within the international meetings industry. However, attempts to simplify what is essentially a complex and contextual driven movement through certification and guides has created an incomplete understanding of the salient issues; contemporaneously ignoring contextual variables rather than acknowledging these and the impact these variables have on CSR practice and acceptance. The purpose of this paper is to explore the contextual debate of CSR adaptation and practice within the meetings sector within a framework of an ecological systems theory. The authors applied a constant comparison process across 90 interview transcripts in order to establish a rigorous audit trail of analysis. 8 practices were identified– Green Technology, Legislation, Transparency and Reliability, Non-Financial Donations, Workforce, Community Engagement, Supply Chain Management and Volunteer Labour. These 8 practices were then applied to the constructs of an ecological systems model and an exploration of contextual factors was considered. In recognising a systems approach to CSR there is an acceptance that there isn’t one best method and that different values, implementation approaches and evaluation mechanisms of CSR can lead to similar results.