Responsible Corporate Society:Corporate Behaviour and National Security

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) as usually considered rarely touches on national security. It pressures corporate bodies to use their resources to pursue wider social concerns about workforce exploitation, women’s issues, child labour, the natural environment, etc. Corporate bodies generally already respect locally mandated demands. CSR expects more. It hopes to persuade corporations to be the champions of their cause in places beyond their own ambit or reach. Modern responsible corporate society (RCS) has a global reach far beyond that of states or local activists. Asking it to be used on behalf of others outside the corporation’s view of its own interest or the legitimate ambit set for its officers is unlikely to get a positive response. This is highly pertinent to current approaches to national security. The global reach of corporate society facilitates globally based insurgency. National security agencies want to access corporate society to effect their responsibilities. What may be considered reasonable in this in Washington may not be in Beijing or vice versa? What should be done?