Corporate social responsibility and social sustainability: A role for local government

Corporations and government are each interested, in making communities better places in which to live, work and play. To determine areas where both sectors can achieve social objectives resulted in a "common ground" model. Government's sustainability goals overlap with corporations' social responsibility goals. The area of overlap or "common ground" presents opportunities for greater government intervention. This paper explores the scope for enhancing and expanding common ground between governments and the private sector. It demonstrates that increased government involvement in corporate social responsibility (CSR) results in heightened achievement of social objectives. In investigating relevance of CSR at a municipal level, the study shows that by providing clear targets and measurable outcomes, municipalities harness the efforts of business to achieve social sustainability goals. In doing so, municipalities will become effective mechanisms for change. From a public policy perspective, governments must demonstrate tlexibility and innovation to address change at institutional levels.