'If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.' Henry Ford Firms that want to be successful now and in future have to integrate Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) due to the increasingly competitive business environment, more and more conscious consumers and increasing price of resources. For achieving a positive impact on othe organizations' outcomes as well as on economy, society and environment, CSR has to be fully embedded in organizations and everybody has to be committed to it. Purpose: How is it possible to continuously motivate managers for CSR by using transformational leadership in CSR meetings? Results: Transformational leadership clearly motivates managers for CSR in meetings, because it enhances trust and understanding. Leaders can increase motivation by applying transformational leadership behaviors.

1. How to motivate
managers for CSR?

2. “If everyone is moving forward
together, then success takes
care of itself.
Henry Ford

3. Current state
Knowledge
Gap
C2
Challenges &
Change
Lack of
motivation
for CSR
Unpopularity
of meetings

4. Current state
◍ Global societal and environmental problems lead to changing consumer
demands and a competitive business environment.
◍ Successful business have to engage in CSR. However, there is often a
lack of motivation and commitment of managers to CSR.
◍ Strong leadership and continuous communication such as meetings
are essential. The problem is that meetings are perceived as boring and
unpopular amongst a lot of managers.
Currently, there is a knowledge gap in the area leadership of CSR
meetings. There is no studies at all in this area. There is only little
theoretical and empirical research on the interlink between CSR and
leadership; and no research on CSR meetings or leadership of meetings.

5. HOW IS IT POSSIBLE
TO MOTIVATE
MANAGERS FOR
CSR?

6. Methodology
A theoretical and empirical study at University of Sydney and
ISCTE Business School Lisbon
◍ ‘Transformational leadership in
CSR meetings’ is a completely new
research area.
◍ Therefore, theoretical research
of existing academic and practical
studies is necessary for evaluating
the current state.
◍ For unexplored areas such as
CSR- meeting and leadership of
meetings academic and practical
studies are correlated.
◍ The result is proven by empirical
research by interviewing 12 CSR
experts including questionnaires
and semi-structured talks in
Australia.
CSR
LeadershipMeetings

7. CSR
CSR is ‘the responsibility of
enterprises for their impacts on
society. To fully meet their corporate
social responsibility, enterprises
should have in place a process to
integrate social, environmental,
ethical and human rights concerns
into their business operations and
core strategy in close collaboration
with their stakeholders.’
(EuropeanCommission, 2011).

8. Implementation of CSR
◍ Implementation of CSR
commitments refers to the
processes, practices and activities
that ensure that the firm meets the
spirit of CSR and thereby carries out
its CSR strategy.
◍ Sharp & Zaidman (2009) found
that organizations that moved
forward with their CSR programs run
significant communication efforts
such as training sessions and
meetings.

9. CSR & Leadership
How should leaders act for
implementing CSR successfully?
◍ There are leadership styles that have
linkages to successful leadership of
sustainable practices.
◍ Several studies have found that
transformational leaders are more
effective in socially responsible
organizations than transactional leaders.

10. Transformational Leadership
Transformational leaders transform and
motivate people to accomplish more
than what is usually expected of them by
behavior such as
I. Idealized Influence (II)
II. Inspirational Motivation (IM)
III. Intellectual Stimulation (IS)
IV. Individualized Consideration (IC)

11. Transformational Leadership in CSR
Meetings
Is it possible to motivate managers for CSR by transformational
leadership in meetings?
?
CSR
Transforma-
tional
Leadership
Meetings

12. CSR Meetings
Motiva-
tion for
CSR
CSR
Transforma
tional
Leadership
Meetings
◍ For communicating CSR practices in
an organization, meetings provide a
common internal communication tool
that is widely used.
◍ Participation and interaction is crucial.
◍ Commitment and trust is established
on a dyadic level of leader and follower.
 Meetings are a very suitable tool to
continuously communicate a CSR
vision.
Challenge: meetings are not wanted
amongst attendees, because they are
boring and unproductive

13. CSR and transformational leadership
Motiva-
tion for
CSR
CSR
Transforma
tional
Leadership
Meetings
How to motivate long-term for CSR?
◍ Transformational leadership is
associated and enhances CSR practices
in an organization. It facilitates
commitment and trust to CSR.
◍ Transformational leadership increases
motivation amongst followers.
◍ Transformational leadership motivates
people to go beyond expectations.

14. Transformational leadership and meetings
Motiva-
tion for
CSR
CSR
Transforma
tional
Leadership
Meetings
◍ Most of the guidelines of good meetings are similar to aspects of
transformational leadership (See next slide).
◍ There is a mutual connection between transformational
leadership and meetings.

15. Transformational leadership and meetings

16. Motiva-
tion for
CSR
CSR
Transforma
tional
Leadership
Meetings
◍ There is a connection between the
three elements CSR, transformational
leadership and meetings.
◍ CSR leaders can motivate
managers for CSR by using
transformational leadership in
meetings.
Transformational Leadership in CSR
Meetings

17. Practice of Transformational Leadership
in CSR Meetings
‘It really is all about passionate
people. Once you get
passionate people on, it just
naturally flows.’
(CSR leader, global luxury
hotel)

18. Practice of Transformational Leadership in
CSR Meetings
◍ Transformational leadership is
applied in practice.
◍It is implemented with a mean of
4,05 on a scale from 0 (not applied)
to 5 (definitely applied).
◍ CSR meetings are definitely
enhancing the understanding why
and how CSR has to be done.
◍ Transformational leadership has a
motivating effect. Importance of transformational leadership
components in CSR meetings in practice

19. Practice of Transformational Leadership in
CSR Meetings
◍ Transformational leadership is
important for motivating managers for
CSR in practice (mean of 4,25).
◍ Transformational leadership needs
to be enhanced in CSR meetings.
◍ CSR meetings should be hold
about once a month.
◍ Small sizes of CSR meetings are
ideal (from 3 up to 20 people
depending on the size of the
organisation).
Implementation of transformational leadership
components in CSR meetings in practice

20. CSR meetings
◍ Conduct CSR
meetings regularly
◍ Hold meetings of
small size
Transformational Leadership in CSR meetings
◍ Lead CSR meetings in Transformational leadership style
for a motivating effect.
◍ Enhance understanding trust and commitment by
transformational leadership in CSR meetings.
CSR
Transforma-
tional
Leadership
Meetings
Transformational
Leadership
Apply the 4 transformational
leadership components
◍ Idealized Influence
◍ Inspirational Motivation
◍ Intellectual Stimulation
◍ Individual Consideration
How to motivate managers for CSR?

21. Wondering how to enforce transformational
leadership in CSR meetings?
Read presentation “Steps to transformational
leadership in CSR meetings”.

22. Thank you!
Any questions?
Contact me via e-mail
vanessa.wabitsch@gmx.at
@vanessa5vivian
or Linkedin.

23. Bibliography
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155–169. doi:10.1007/s10551-012-1333-3

24. Bibliography
Sharp, Z., & Zaidman, N. (2009). Strategization of CSR. Journal of Business
Ethics, 93(1): 51–71.
Strand, R. (2011). Exploring the role of Leadership in corporate social
responsibility : A Review, Journal of Leadership, 8(4): 84–97.
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25. CREDITS
Special thanks to all the people who made and released
these awesome resources for free:
◍ Presentation template by SlidesCarnival
◍ Photographs by Unsplash