Many corporations that have taken on socially responsible commitments, such as the Gap's efforts to reduce its use of sweatshop labor, have done so in response to consumer pressure. Vogel says corporate responsibility advocates should focus on gaining corporate support for progressive legislation. For example, rather than pressuring an oil company to invest more in alternatives to fossil fuels, he thinks consumers should get the company to support the Kyoto protocol. By leveraging power into the political realm, consumers can change the behavior of many companies.

McElhaney agrees that it will take more than CSR to reform the world, but like many in the business community, she is wary of inviting more regulation. "Market forces tend to be faster drivers than regulations," she says.

Neither scholar believes corporate social responsibility will go away. And while Vogel now analyzes European environmental laws, McElhaney works with executives and students to make incremental, profitable changes that improve the world and promote the market for virtue.

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