Sustainability Effort Acceleration as Measured by Increased Propensity of Corporate Social Responsibility

Abstract

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is the foundational bedrock for sustainability efforts. Corporate Social Responsibility is also becoming the norm rather than the exception due to social awareness created by curricula that highlights areas of both social and environmental inequality and has recently emerged as a bona fide strategic option globally. Howe and Straus predicted the growth of Corporate Social Responsibility in their seminal work, Millennials Rising. This paper extends and validates that earlier work through the illumination of recent causal factors and changes in society. The combination of proactive equality initiatives resulting in changes in leadership and value anchoring by college major illustrates that millennials’ ethos more strongly align with both social and environmental sustainability philosophies. The forthcoming millennial upheaval, as posited by Howe and Strauss, is evidenced by “strong belief statements” as interpreted by the raters in this study.