Exploring the meaning of governance for Corporate Social Responsibility in EU toward social contribution activities of companies in Korea
Authors:   Asia-Europe Perspective Association, Lee Hyei Jung , Kim Min , Song Byung Kook 
Published: June 2018

This study explores the meaning of building the governance for social contribution activities of companies in Korea through the precedent in EU‘s governance for CSR. Based on the Social Learing theory and Goverment interplay for CSR, the process of building governance for CSR in EU is examined and the implications from the EU case to ocial contribution activities of companies in Korea is suggested.
Through the theory by Zadek and government intervention theory for CSR by Moon, CSR was the learning process and solution for social problem which was the result of company activities at the same time among the government, companies and civic organizations on the process which social･economical and enviromental problems changed to Social issues. Government has to initiate the governance, the forth agent for performing the new purpose like settlement through CSR while civic organization, company and government itself keeping their own original roles. And based on these theories, perspectives and relationship of three agents which deal with CSR grounded corporation was explained.
In case of EU, Issues about environment and labor which caused by activities of companies has been consolidated and some issues related to global management was institutionalized. EU Commission manage CSR issue through the overall system for CSR ‘the European Alliance for CSR’ and ‘European Multistakeholder Forum on CSR’. Even though civil organizations urge that Responsibility of Company has to be CSR has to be regulated but they weigh on companies to accept global standard for CSR. It means that EU Commission and civil organization regard CSR as strategy for solving social problems. While companies participate in the system for CSR initiated by EU Commission and established NGO for CSR. It shows that companies accept CSR as the strategy for sustainability.
In Korea social learning level of government, companies and civil organizations related to social contribution activities is managerial stage. Even though they include the plan for social contribution activities in their business mid-term plan but regard social contribution activities as something compulsory. Issue of Social welfare which is targeted in social contribution activities already consolidated. And governace initiated by government and civil organization’s changing attitude for participating in governace are suggested.
Building the governance through cooporation among the departments related social contribution activities needs for distributing resource by the public benefit not company’s. And it need for preventing privatization and marketablization of public area. Civic organizations experience the difficulties for finding balance between partnership with companies and government and keeping autonomy. Despite of it, civil organizations have to request companies to perform responsibility to the society through CSR and social contribution activities at the same time seek the collaboration with government and companies. It is not easy of companies in Korea to follow the institutionalized CSR like companies in EU. But companies have to perform the internaional CSR Standard for approaching the global market. Therefore it is the time that companies have to think about perform social contribution activities through governanceThe important thing is about role and function of new agent, governance. As it was explained in this study this forth agent has to perform the role and function for development of CSR and social contribution activities.