Social-ecological responsibility of business: essence, factors of formation, manifestation characteristics

As a result of studying the nature of socio environmental responsibility of business (SER) and associated concepts, the transformation of its content with the experience gained and also with the evolution of society and its expectations during the investigation of different SER levels being formed successively and urgent at the given moment, it is stated that business responsibility falls outside the scope of duties set by society and formalized minimum requirements, it voluntarily (to some extent) accepts rather high obligations in order to cut negative impacts of the decisions and actions on nature and as a result on society. These motives are not in conflict with the main business function - profit maximization because it is defined by necessary strategic vision of risks resulted from business activity and from the transformation of social goals and values as well as of the development of the environment for sustainable functioning and stable profit in future (“reasonable selfishness” concept). The classification and grouping of Russian business entities based on the motive of social responsibility are suggested. Institutional, economic and organizational factors as well as conditions for SER of business growth are defined and the instruments of state and public effect on business SER development processes are defined.