The chapter examines the social and cultural factors influencing CSR in India, the key drivers shaping the legislation mandating CSR in India, and the impact of this legislation on corporate social performance. It underscores the influence of culture, values, religion, traditions, and the role of ‘Dharma’ for CSR in India. It sheds light on the dynamics of CSR over time by examining how its nature evolved from the Ghandian trusteeship model into a more strategic version of CSR in the face of increasing FDI and growth of MNCs in India. The chapter suggests that such a shift in CSR has impacted the social contributions of firms necessitating formal legislation of CSR in India. Furthermore, it highlights that the lack of a binding code at the global level along with the voluntariness of CSR has compelled the Indian government to reshape CSR to prioritise local needs. It examines the impact of this mandatory CSR legislation on CSR activities along with its limitations. The chapter concludes by discussing the role of legal transplant theory, inventive interventionism and reflexive law for the development of a global CSR policy framework.

The research evidence is unmistakable: deep learning is most powerful, and often necessary, in social discourse. Learning in the presence of others allows us to understand the world as others see it, and to try on perspectives that we would not have known about otherwise. Learning with others is perilous, often leading to the hardening of beliefs and attitudes, and so the chapter also includes a discussion of how social discourse can be most productive, focusing on four facilitators: empathy, social capital, participatory forms of engagement and learning, and minimal power differentials and shared responsibility.

Aesthetic experience is a compelling tool for social change. The arts can serve to create constructive disorientation in ways that probe our innermost values and bring them to the surface. The arts offer paths that are closed to logic and argument, and as such have enormous potential for promoting deep learning. The chapter includes examples from both visual and performing arts to show how, by inviting a vision of how things could be different, one is empowered to imagine how things might be different.

An integration is offered of the book’s previous chapters, shifting from a review of prevailing theories and empirical evidence to a more practical set of recommendations. How might I become a better deep learner? And, how might I encourage deep learning in others? Principles for cultivating a deep learning mindset include: (1) pay attention; (2) confront your biases; (3) engage the tensions; (4) maintain a humble curiosity; (5) see complexity everywhere and don’t let it scare you; (6) learn how to learn with others; (7) harness the power of politics; (8) invite disorientation through aesthetic experience; (9) engage in thought leadership.