Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) encourages an active and voluntary contribution to social, economic and environmental improvement. The term CSR became popular in the mid 19th century in the United and was introduced into Europe during the 1990s as a response to the anti-globalisation movement. But, what motivates companies to become socially responsible? Is CSR really the driving force behind the internal culture of companies? Is it integrated into their management or is it merely an excuse to improve the competitiveness and the added value of a company? In other words, is CSR a question of ethics or aesthetics? The economic crisis has put CSR on the line. Its voluntary application permits many companies to eliminate it from their strategies during times of financial difficulties. But, are socially responsible companies more or less competitive?

All these questions are discussed in the sixth edition of Quorum, which is dedicated to CSR. In this issue, various experts from the UPF Barcelona School of Management and the UPF-IDEC offer their opinions on CSR: taxes and the competitiveness of socially responsible companies, the integration of CSR into Human Resources management policies, how and how much consumers value the CSR policies of a brand, and social responsibility at universities, among others. It will also look at practical cases of the application of CSR policies: social responsibility at the Museo Nacional de Arte de Cataluña (MNAC), and the approximately five hundred companies and institutions that collaborate in blood donation campaigns. Diverse and multi-disciplinary points of view will be published, along with opinions from some of our students. We invite you to read Quorum and to share your opinions with us.