Title: Corporate social responsibility and the UK's leading internet service providers

Authors: Peter Jones; Daphne Comfort; David Hillier

Addresses: University of Gloucestershire, The Park, Cheltenham, GL50 2RH, UK. ' University of Gloucestershire, The Park, Cheltenham, GL50 2RH, UK. ' Centre for Police Studies, University of Glamorgan, Pontypridd, Glamorgan, Wales, UK

Abstract: This paper offers a review of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) agendas currently being publicly addressed by the UK's top ten internet service providers (ISPs). The paper begins with a brief outline of the problems associated with growing internet usage and this is followed by a discussion of the origins and characteristics of CSR. The empirical information for the paper is drawn from the CSR information posted on the internet by the UK's top ten ISPs. The findings revealed that while all the ISPs provided some information on a range of CSR commitments and achievements in the marketplace, the workplace and the community and on the environment there was considerable variation in the extent of that information. More generally the paper offers some reflections on the CSR agendas being pursued by the top ten ISPs.

Keywords: corporate social responsibility; CSR; United Kingdom; UK; internet service providers; ISPs; world wide web; internet usage; marketplace; workplace; communities; natural environment; BT Retail; Talk Talk Group; Virgin Media; Sky Broadband; Orange; France-Telecom; O2; KCOM Group; Kingston Communications; THUS Group; Entanet; Zen Internet; entrepreneurship; entrepreneurs; entrepreneurialism; management; sustainable development; sustainability.

DOI: 10.1504/WREMSD.2012.049392

World Review of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, 2012 Vol.8 No.3, pp.308 - 318

Published online: 18 Sep 2014 *

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