Theories of Corporate Social Performance (CSP) have been criticized for lacking a clear normative theory of business in society capable of prescribing how management practice can reasonable move from ‘what is’ to ‘what should be’. This paper argues for a pragmatic approach to the role and responsibility of business in society in which the normative defi - ciencies of CPS theory can be strengthened through democratic iterations over some or the other ethical treatise, and thus come to constitute a justifi ed foundation for companies’ efforts in the societal arena. We illustrate our approach to a normative theory of business in society by reinterpreting the principles of corporate social responsibility (CSR) – constituting the normative foundation of CSP theory – from the vantage point of sustainable development. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
