Keynote Paper: Experts’ Opinions on adoption of ISO 26000 Standard for Social Responsibility: an insight for the ICIT community

ISO 26000 represents a new type of voluntary standard. This paper discusses key aspects of the diffusion and adoption of this new standard. We have surveyed experts who developed ISO 26000 and collected data on their perceptions of macro and micro aspects of ISO 26000. We find similarities between our data on ISO 26000 and studies on the adoption and diffusion of other standards. We have also identified key differences – in the diffusion of ISO 26000 in the developing world and in specific organisational practices. Our study helps to set the direction for future longitudinal studies and research in this area. By drawing parallels with existing literature on voluntary standards, managers and policy makers will understand the areas of overlap with existing standards as well as challenges specific to ISO 26000. We also provide suggestions for the ICIT community to advance the research into voluntary standards.