Corporate social investment in modern Russia: between economic efficiency and social justice

The paper considers the dilemma faced by modern enterprises competing in the global market. Modern competitive environment provides for the participation of business in social programs. However, this requires enterprises to incur significant additional costs, yielding profits only in the long term. The author asks the question whether modern companies are ready to create systems of corporate social investments to ensure social justice or they can only imitate corporate social responsibility. The author analizes the results of empirical sociological researchs that has been carried out in Russian State Social University in 2011-2016. Base upon these studies the author concludes that corporate social investments give enterprises significant competitive advantages and increase their social reputation. However, if these investments are chaotic and unsystematic it lacks a financial efficiency of the company. So, the purposeful choice of the object of social investment in accordance with the economic interests of the company in the long term are essential. The article will be of interest to company executives, specialists of ministries and departments involved in the development of policies in the field of social entrepreneurship, entrepreneurs, researchers, graduate students and students of higher education institutions, as well as a wide range of readers.