UNIVERSITY PARK, PA – The modern practice of corporate social responsibility (CSR) started to emerge in the 1950s when the public began to expect companies to ‘give something back,’ according to Seoki Lee, associate professor of hospitality management at Penn State. In the early 20th century, this typically took the form of financial donations to independent charitable causes that were often the first thing cut from budgets when corporate profits dipped. Today, CSR often involves long-term, corporation-led efforts to address socioeconomic, social justice and/or environmental issues.