Toward a Multi-Dimensional Network Model of CSR Initiatives

This chapter proposes a multi-dimensional network model of corporate social responsibility (CSR) network initiatives to understand and assess the long-term sustainability of CSR networks. This model draws from recent research in CSR networks, interorganizational network ecology, and ecological research on Blau space to propose a new approach to conceptualize CSR initiative networks as operating and evolving in multi-dimensional spaces. This model asserts that resources, values, and interests co-shape the niche space in which CSR initiative ties can be created and sustained over time. The model assumes that longitudinal niche movement of interorganizational ties within Blau spaces can determine the efficacy and long-term impact of CSR initiatives among business, civil society, and others. The framework then suggests conditions that would introduce the different rates of tie formation and decay, as well as predict the likelihood for certain relationships to withstand environmental turbulence. The model offers empirically testable propositions to guide future research and provides practical suggestions to guide practice.