Innovation in the Context of Corporate Social Responsibility

The purpose of the paper is to analyze the links between innovative activity and the concept of corporate social responsibility from the perspective of Polish enterprises. The implementation of the aim dictated the paper's arrangement. At the outset, the issues of innovativeness, innovation, corporate social responsibility were brought about, then the issues of innovativeness from the perspective of Polish socially responsible enterprises were presented, and good socially responsible practices in the field of innovation undertaken by Polish enterprises were presented. Design/methodology/approach:The subject matter of the considerations undertaken in the paper is innovativeness in the context of corporate social responsibility from the perspective of Polish enterprises. The paper was based on the subject literature, secondary data and case studies. Findings:The implementation of the CSR concept in enterprises is a motive for undertaking and implementing various types of innovations, especially sustainable innovations.It should also be noted that enterprises regarded as innovative start to see potential future opportunities in CSR and decide to implement it. Certainly -as confirmed by the results of research conducted among Polish socially responsible enterprises -innovativeness and CSR are interdependent categories. Research/practical implications:The considerations carried out in the paper allow concluding that in the corporate social responsibility the potential of the source of innovativeness for organizations atthe economic, social and environmental levels is not yet discovered.It would be recommended to conduct further research of innovativeness and corporate social responsibility on a nationwide scale and to expand the research sample. It is important to pay attention not only to large enterprises, but also to the SME sector. Originality/value:The content presented in the paper allows looking at the relationship existing between innovativeness and corporate social responsibility from the perspective of Polishsocially responsible enterprises. The analysis of many good practices of the analyzed entities showed (surprisingly) a small number of those related to innovations, compared to other activities undertaken by socially responsible enterprises. It can be expected that both business standards and the very concept of corporate social responsibility will change in the coming years, which should give basis and impulse for innovations