Journal of Organizational Behavior Education 6. © 2013 NeilsonJournals Publishing. An Offer We Can Refuse? Corporate Social Responsibility and the Environmental Impact of Marcellus Shale Drilling Ray Jones, Audrey J. Murrell, and Elizabeth Smith 1 University of Pittsburgh, School of Business, USA Abstract. With natural gas companies offering to pay thousands of dollars an acre for the right to drill natural gas reserves within the Marcellus Shale, many landowners find themselves caught between new economic opportunity and environmental impact. The owners of a small size organic farm within Southwestern Pennsylvania, while dedicated to environmental sustainability, have found themselves debating these very issues after receiving a lucrative offer from a large energy company. This case provides a real example of the competing pressures that can exist between financial and corporate social responsibility concerns. The owners must balance their sense of stewardship with the economic incentives presented by the promise of natural gas drilling. This case presents the opportunity for students to identify, analyze, and prioritize stakeholders, as well as the opportunity to relate principles of corporate social responsibility, servant leadership and global environmental stewardship as they develop recommendations for the three owners of this organic farm. Keywords: corporate social responsibility, global stewardship, servant leadership. 1. The Offer at Hand It is an unusual time to be a farmer in Western Pennsylvania. While farmers still spend long hours preparing their fields and tending to their crops, many of these dedicated individuals now find themselves having to make important decisions on lucrative offers from natural gas companies. With Western Pennsylvania becoming one of the leading centers of new drilling, gas company officials have been approaching farmers with complex offers to lease portions of their farms for drilling, promising large royalty checks once functioning natural gas wells are established. 2 1. Funding for the writing of this case was provided by the David Berg Center for Ethics and Leadership and was used as the subject matter for the 2011 Berg Cup Undergraduate case study competition. The authors gratefully acknowledge the contribution and support of Greg Boulos, owner of Blackberry Meadows Farm. The case is based on an actual organization while specific names and details have been disguised. © 2013 NeilsonJournals Publishing. All rights reserved.