This paper is concerned with the empirical schema of corporate philanthropy research. Whilst significant pieces of work have been produced of late, I argue the field could expand its empirical range. Drawing on novel contemplations in management research, I suggest narrative methodology as a style for the discovery of meaning.

This paper outlines issues of corporate philanthropy research. Of significant value is that normative prescriptions and non-empirical conceptual models lack thesupport of rigorous empirical research. Moreover, dominant methodological approaches embedded in the positivist tradition lack the depth required inunderstanding managerial involvement in corporate philanthropic programmes. Accordingly, this paper argues for new methodological insights. The research agenda should question the capitalistic nature of corporations, delve deep into management thought and recognise the affect of corporate philanthropy on multiple corporate stakeholders.