Definition
Given that processes and products are different in different industrial sectors, corporations operating in different sectors are likely to have different priorities regarding their engagement in CSR. Compared to other sectors, banking has a different set of contextual circumstances, and this is likely to lead to different sets of CSR practices. While some practices are expected to differ greatly, such as those pertaining to environmental aspects or those pertaining to the fight against corruption, namely, countering bribery and anti-money laundering, other practices may be more similar.
Although banks have lower direct social and environmental impact than firms in other sectors, they share responsibility because they lend to firms that pollute, produce unsafe products, violate human rights, and are agents of corruption, among other things equally detrimental to the society and the environment....
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References and Readings
Branco, M. C., & Rodrigues, L. L. (2008). Social responsibility disclosure: A study of proxies for the public visibility of Portuguese banks. The British Accounting Review, 40(2), 161–181.
Griffiths, M. (2007). Consumer debt in Australia: Why banks will not turn their backs on profit. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 31(3), 230–236.
Jeucken, M. H. A. (2004). Sustainability in finance. Banking on the planet. Delft, The Netherlands: Eburon.
Miles, R. H. (1987). Managing the corporate social environment. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.
Scholtens, B. (2009). Corporate social responsibility in the international banking industry. Journal of Business Ethics, 86, 159–175.
Simpson, W. G., & Kohers, T. (2002). The link between corporate social and financial performance: Evidence from the banking industry. Journal of Business Ethics, 35(2), 97–109.
Thompson, P., & Cowton, C. J. (2004). Bringing the environment into bank lending: Implications for environmental reporting. The British Accounting Review, 36, 197–218.
Viganò, F., & Nicolai, D. (2009). CSR in the European banking sector: Evidence from a sector survey. In R. Barth & F. Wolff (Eds.), Corporate social responsibility in Europe: Rhetoric and realities (pp. 95–108). Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar.
Wilkinson, P. (2009). Banking on integrity: CSR helps counter bribery and money laundering in two banks. In R. Barth & F. Wolff (Eds.), Corporate social responsibility in Europe: Rhetoric and realities (pp. 215–238). Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar.
Yamak, S., & Süer, O. (2005). State as a stakeholder. Corporate Governance, 5(2), 111–120.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this entry
Cite this entry
Castelo, B.M. (2013). Banks and CSR. In: Idowu, S.O., Capaldi, N., Zu, L., Gupta, A.D. (eds) Encyclopedia of Corporate Social Responsibility. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28036-8_703
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28036-8_703
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-28035-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-28036-8
eBook Packages: Business and Economics