Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become an increasingly important sustainable development issue in U.K. The main contribution of this study is to examine how firm ownership structure impacts good corporate governance and CSR in U.K. during austerity conditions. Following the financial crisis of 2007–2008, the U.K. government introduced austerity conditions which impacted firm CSR activities. From the initial sample of more than 250 firms, 50 consistently remain listed on the FTSE4good index during 2008–2012 and are analysed. The definition of CSR distinguishes voluntary and mandatory CSR construct. Findings indicate Board ownership structure and satisfactory firm performance impact on the level of voluntary CSR. Board ownership results suggest increased institutional and non-CEO shareholdings support a higher level of voluntary CSR engagement, whilst increased CEO shareholdings lead to a lower level of investment in voluntary CSR. In terms of satisfactory firm performance, results suggest positive attainment discrepancy supports a higher level of voluntary CSR, whereas greater potential organisational slack leads to a lower level of voluntary CSR investment. Effective governance and voluntary CSR association is more pronounced under conditions of high attainment discrepancy and low organisational slack. The findings suggest implications for adapting firm decision-making latitude and government policy between austerity and prosperity conditions.

Natural science impact assessments of sustainability evidence more closely than social and business studies frameworks that the interdependent planetary boundary (PB) limits are being breached. This brings to attention environmental ecological assessments are better placed as the starting point to inform how human action or inaction as socio-economic behaviours can influence environmental management resilience, rather than the other way around. This study identifies food security as a grand challenge. A socio-ecological cosmopolitan resilience framework is conceptualised and applied to the commodity case of the avocado from Michoacán, Mexico. Social, economic and policy issues are identified and captured as multi-level influences. These impact environmental management as biodiversity, land usage and freshwater sustainability at individual, firm and governmental levels. A variety of recommended simultaneous changes that may advance system-wide sustainability are considered as cultural, moral and governance dimensions for socio-ecological resilience. Our framework is important as natural science and social norms must inform business practice at all levels for environmental sustainability.

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to investigate how values from within Abrahamic religions could be adopted to improve liberal market economies’ (LMEs’) corporate governance business practices.Design/methodology/approach: The concept of spiritual capitalism is explained from an Islamic perspective by adopting three universal Abrahamic values to critically analyse LMEs and offer an ethical alternative to current capitalism concerns.Findings: It is found that LMEs can be improved by considering all stakeholders, putting ethics before economics, and introducing shared risk/reward plus lower debt.Originality/value: The paper compares LMEs/Co‐ordinated market economies (CMEs)/Islamic countries economies (ICEs) within an ethical framework for LMEs.