An analysis of studies in literature related to corporate social responsibility concept from a mainstream and critical perspective: A systematic literature review study

From the date it first described, the concept of "Corporate Social Responsibility" becomes a crucial term that both the academic and business world have studied on it.By the time, its importance and value increased exponentially.The process, which started with the intentions of the institutions to act philanthropically, has now converted a strategic action that needs to be standardized.There are many positive approaches in the development process of the concept as well as critical approaches.This thesis covers a comparative study of the concept of corporate social responsibility from the mainstream and critical perspective.First, the evolution that the concept has undergone over the years has given.In the scope of the research, it is examined the process between 1979 the first year, and 2017 the last year.In these years, the changes in the descriptions of the concept of corporate social responsibility, in the perspective of social, economic events, have been invested.As the second variable of the study, how the concept is perceived, what are the expectations and the main points of criticism within the frame of corporate social responsibility, according to the countries are listed.The countries are categorized by its continents, and findings are explained according to similarities of cultures, the level of economic prosperity and governance.Moreover, in the research part of this thesis, the theories which created in order to explain and develop the concept of corporate social responsibility are examined, and how the theories relate the term with the other subjects are revealed.Since this thesis structured as three chapters: Literature analysis results are in the first chapter of the thesis, the research done according to the thesis and its analysis are in the second chapter, and assessment of the findings in both perspectives of mainstream and critical are in the third chapter.As a result of the study, 507 articles were analyzed, and findings are listed according to the questions that formed the research.