THE SOCIAL ROLE OF BUSINESS ENTERPRISE IN BRITAIN: AN AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE : PART I.

This article presents an examination of the social role of businesses. The author compares the differences between the British and American ideas of the concept, noting that both countries are in similar stages of economic development and share close historical and cultural ties. The author presents several factors that suggest that Great Britain has a less explicit and self-conscious concern with business social responsibility when compared to the United States. He shows that Great Britain has a greater reliance on publicly-owned enterprises and their public policy concerning the social role of business institutions has been focused here. Great Britain also maintains the tradition of according privacy to business and other social institutions.