“There is one and only one social responsibility of business,”wrote Milton Friedman,a Nobel prize-winning economist“That is,to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits.”But even if you accept Fiedman’s premise and regard corporate social responsibility（CSR）policies as a waste of shareholders money,things may not be absolutely clear-cut.New research suggests that CSR may create monetary value for companies–at least when they are prosecuted for corruption.
The largest firms is America and Britain together spend more than$15 billion a year on CSR,according to an estimate by EPG,a consulting firm,This could add value to their businesses in three ways.First,consumers may take CSR spending as a“signal”that a company’s products are of high quality.Second,customers may be willing to buy a company’s products as an indirect way to donate to the good causes is helps.And third,through a more diffuse“halo effect,”whereby its good deeds earn it greater consideration from consumers and others.
Previous studies on CSR have had trouble differentiating these effects because consumers can be affected by all three.A recent study attempts to separate them by looking at bribery prosecutions under America’s Foreign Corrupt Practices Act（FCPA）.It argues that since prosecutors do not consume a company's products as part of their investigations,they could be influenced only by the halo effect.
The study found that,among prosecuted firms,those with the most comprehensiveCSR programmes tendedto getmore lenient penalties.Their analysis ruled out the possibility that it was firms'political influence,rather than their CSR stand,that accounted for the leniency:Companies that contributed more to political campaigns did not receive lower fines.
In all,the study concludes that whereas prosecutors should only evaluate a case based on its merits,they do seen to influenced by a company’s record in CSR."We estimate that either eliminating a substantial labour-rights concern,such as child labour,or increasing corporate giving by about 20%results in fines that generally are 40%lower than the typical punishment for bribing foreign officials,"says one researcher.
Researchers admit that their study does not answer the question of how much businesses ought to spend on CSR.Nor does it reveal how much companies are banking on the halo effect,rather than the other possible benefits,when they decide their do-gooding policies.But at least have demonstrated that whencompanies get into trouble with the law,evidence of good character can win In all,the study concludes that whereas prosecutors should only evaluate a case based on its merits,they do seen to influenced by a company’s record in CSR."We estimate that either eliminating a substantial labour-rights concern,such as child labour,or increasing corporate giving by about 20%results in fines that generally are 40%lower than the typical punishment for bribing foreign officials,"says one researcher.
Researchers admit that their study does not answer the question of how much businesses ought to spend on CSR.Nor does it reveal how much companies are banking on the halo effect,rather than the other possible benefits,when they decide their do-gooding policies.But at least have demonstrated that whencompanies get into trouble with the law,evidence of good character can win them a less costly punishment.
Which of the following is true of CSR,according to the last paragraph?
细节题。根据题干回文定位到最后一段。该段首句指出，研究者们承认他们的研究没有解决的问题是：针对CSR各大企业到底该支出多少费用。故正确答案为选项A，其中the necessary amount of companies spending on it（it指代CRS）是原文how much businesses ought to spend on CRS的同义替换，表达的核心都是“公司到底该支出多少费用”;unknown对应原文中的does not answer the question，对这个问题并没有做
