By Efa Aman
What happens when social behaviours become economic policy? According to a Harvard study, when social markets move into the economic realm, people stop acting altruistically and begin engaging in cost-benefit analysis. In one experiment, when parents were fined for picking up their children late from daycare, tardiness ironically increased — and remained high even after fines were discontinued. This phenomenon suggests that monetary incentives corrupt social motivations permanently, further turning genuine acts of goodwill into mechanical obligations. As Pakistan debates making Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) mandatory by law, it is worth asking: will mandating philanthropy eradicate its sincerity?
Proposed in February 2025, the CSR Bill emphasises the integration of social and environmental initiatives into corporate governance. It calls on the private sector to contribute to the welfare of the underprivileged and address environmental challenges — particularly urgent given Pak