CSRHISTORY AND PRACTICE
CSRHistory andPractice
To Nina andArthur
Knut-ErlandBerglund
CSR HISTORYAND PRACTICE:A
STUDYOF SWEDISH LARGE-SCALE
ENTREPRENEURSHIP AT THE COMPANYLEVEL CIRCA 1940 –2010
©2025Knut-ErlandBerglund
Korrekturläsning: Nina Zebergs, Knut-ErlandBerglund
Förlag:BoD ·Books on Demand,Östermalmstorg1,114 42 Stockholm, Sverige, bod@bod.se
Tryck: LibriPlureos GmbH,Friedensallee 273, 22763 Hamburg, Tyskland
ISBN:978-91-8080-863-7
Preface
Alreadyinthe mid-2000s,I became interested in issues relatedto economic-political intersections, as Ibegan to investigatemicrofinance in thethenIndianstateofAndhraPradesh.Microfinancewas large-scale when youlookedatthe number of practitionersinthe statebut smallscaleinthe microfinance bank with whichI wrotea thesis.Microfinance is aformofsociallyand economically oriented savingsgroupsthat borrowfromspecial microfinance banks, whichprovide relatively small loans. Aloancycle reviewsthe needsoflocal groups andanyonewho wantstoinvestisvettedbyother membersofthe group.
This type of strategy wasseen, amongother things,asa newform of inputintothe aiddebate, that smallloans from belowwould have a majorimpactonthe borrowers andthe greatereconomicdevelopment in developing countries. States were seen in thesecountries as less trustworthydue to corruptionand powerlessnessamong citizens. Microfinance wouldhelpreducepoverty worldwide. This movement also hasa normativecontent in termsofspreading knowledge about economicsand savingstovarious formations of different groups such as theuncaste people in India.
When Ilater visitedthe HumanRightsDaysinStockholm,a year later, Isaw that thebusinesscommunity wasthere anddiscussing how companiescould be abridgebetween thestate andsociety.Thisgave me an interest in humanrights, theenvironment andsocialissues becauseitwas on theagendaand “there andthen”.I came to investigatewhatthiswas more closely, andI begantorealize what CorporateSocialResponsibility(CSR) meant. Iwas then able to further my research within theframework of adoctoralprogram at Uppsala University andgraduated with alicentiatedegreein2013.
Over theyears,I hadaccumulateda largeamountofmaterial, empiricalevidence, whichI felt should notbediscarded butused. With this,a fewyears laterI beganworking on this script,which ledtothe production of this book.I thinkthatoverthe course of thejourney,it hasbecomeevenmorefun to deal with theseissues, andI hope that youtoo will come to realizethatCSR is importantnot only forthe business communitybut forsociety as such.CSR maynot be thewhole solution to amoresustainable society, socially,economicallyor environmentally, butitispartofpresent andfuturebusiness.
UppsalaMay2025
Knut-ErlandBerglund,
LicentiateofPhilosophyinEconomicHistory,
MasterofPhilosophyinEconomicHistory
BachelorofPhilosophyinGeography
CSRHistory andPractice: AStudy of SwedishLargeScaleEntrepreneurshipatthe CompanyLevel Circa1940
In this book Knut-ErlandBerglundnavigates between differentCSR-topics adressedbycorporate Sweden.A study whichcreates understanding of how the intersection of companies, economyand societytackle important societal needs. -2010 with Roland" andwhatwas Corporatedefense?
What constitutesthe CorporateSocialResponsibility (CSR)practicefor Swedishcorporations?Whatishidden in therichhistory of Ericsson, Trelleborgand Vattenfall? Whotowed theVasaship? Whycouldemployees "Flex
