Enterprise architecture as a tool for managing corporate social responsibility

Abstract

The need for acting sustainably is one of the most urgent, but challenging topics enterprises currently face. In order to implement corporate social responsibility (CSR) on each enterprise level, companies establish dedicated management structures. Notwithstanding that several tools are already available for managing CSR, there appears to be no tool which provides an integrated and transparent overview of CSR-relevant organizational units, processes and information systems within a company. In this paper, we propose enterprise architecture (EA) as a suitable tool to fill this gap and facilitate in turn CSR reporting. By drawing on the results of a literature review and an empirical study on CSR management, we first identify CSR management's information needs in this regard. In a second step, we map these needs using information provided by existing EA frameworks. In the outcome, we present a meta-model which provides a CSR-oriented EA view.