CSR professionalization in Germany

Abstract

In this thesis, we contribute to the topic of CSR from a professionalization perspective on a country base. Built on an empirical study, the paper attends to trace possible trends of CSR professionalization in Germany by examining the factors that predict the formation of a profession. We first develop a theoretical framework which consists of profession features based on trait model, process model and system of professions. Then an on-line survey based on this framework is developed and delivered among CSR practitioners in German companies. With the data collected from the survey, we analyze and interpret the current status of CSR professionalization in Germany and finally find that CSR in Germany indeed demonstrates several professionalized features to some extent.