The influence of managers and organisational profiles in CSR decision-making. Ideas for implementation in the maritime sector

The principles that promote corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate philosophy should be translated into concrete action and promoted by decision-makers at corporations. After conducting a meta-analysis of research conducted on the performance of socially responsible businesses, Wood and Jones (1995) argued that people in leadership positions are the most important social agents in this area. Therefore, this article focuses on several variables in the personal characteristics and the organisational contexts in the maritime sector that appear to determine the decision-making processes of managers who are responsible for CSR. We believe that a better understanding of the factors that influence the decision-making process of those who promote, articulate and/or implement CSR may illuminate ways to facilitate the conditions for socially responsible management in effective maritime organisations. The main objective of this paper is to understand how these personal and organisational variables affect decisions about socially responsible actions at the corporate level and to propose ways in which maritime companies can improve their CSR performance.