Social performance: key lessons from recent experiences within Shell

Purpose – Seeks to summarize the findings of research undertaken by the Shell Group to better understand the business relevance, parameters, status and tools and approaches to manage social performance. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on four detailed case studies that combined qualitative and quantitative research methodologies and included distinct operational, business and socio‐economic contexts. The paper seeks to build theory around the concept of social performance. Findings – Key findings include that: there exists a strong business case for social performance; good social performance is fundamentally concerned with the identification and management of core business impacts; social issues can be identified and managed in a systematic manner; and The Shell Group is developing and implementing a range of tools and approaches to assist effective management of social issues. Research limitations/implications – The research is based on a limited number of cases from within Shell; further validation of findings could be achieved through similar research in other industrial sectors. Practical implications – Research has highlighted the business case for social performance, key “ingredients” of social performance and provides a specific framework and tools for more effective management of social issues. Originality/value – First time such research has been undertaken within the Shell Group and perhaps similar companies. Paper should be of potential interest value to practitioners (e.g. social performance and CSR managers), academics, policy makers and non‐governmental organizations.