| This dissertation demonstrates that the corporate social performance field of inquiry houses a central theoretical problem: An inability to reconcile its economic-focused and duty-aligned perspectives.;The two perspectives' lack of reconciliation is identified by an analysis of an authoritative, well-received corporate social performance taxonomy. This analysis, and a scrutiny of other relevant research, indicate that the economic-focused and duty-aligned perspectives display several theoretical difficulties which render them not only irreconcilable but also inadequate for comprehensive theory development of the corporate social performance field.;Based on a specified research strategy, the two research perspectives are reinterpreted and reformulated so that theory-building difficulties are remedied. The corporate social performance field's dominant taxonomy is reoriented accordingly. The dissertation's theoretical contributions are presented and implications for public policy, research agendas, management practice, and management education are discussed. |
