Islam and CSR: A Study of the Compatibility between the Tenets of Islam and the Un Global Compact

27 Pages Posted: 31 May 2006

See all articles by John Zinkin

John Zinkin

Nottingham University Business School (NUBS)

Geoffrey Williams

Academy of Responsible Management

Date Written: February 2006

Abstract

This paper looks at whether the tenets of Islam are consistent with the "Ten Principles" of responsible business outlined in the UN Global Compact. The paper concludes that with the possible exception of Islam's focus on personal responsibility and the non-recognition of the corporation as a legal person, which could undermine the concept of corporate responsibility, there is no divergence between the tenets of the religion and the principles of the UN Global Compact. Indeed Islam often goes further and has the advantage of clearer codification of ethical standards as well as a set of explicit enforcement mechanisms. Focusing on this convergence of values could be useful in the development of a new understanding of CSR in a global context and help avert the threatened "clash of civilizations".

Keywords: CSR, Islam, UN Global Compact, Environment, Human Rights, Labour Rights

JEL Classification: M14, M21, Z1, M10, M20

Suggested Citation

Zinkin, John and Williams, Geoffrey Alan, Islam and CSR: A Study of the Compatibility between the Tenets of Islam and the Un Global Compact (February 2006). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=905201 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.905201

John Zinkin

Nottingham University Business School (NUBS) ( email )

Jubilee Campus
Wollaton Road
Nottingham, NG8 1BB
United Kingdom

Geoffrey Alan Williams (Contact Author)

Academy of Responsible Management

Suite 2B-12-3, Block 2B, Plaza Sentra
2 Jalan Stesen Sentral 5
Kuala Lumpur, 50470
Malaysia

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