Masahiko Aoki
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199218530
- eISBN:
- 9780191711510
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199218530.001.0001
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Corporate Governance and Accountability, Strategy
The 2008 financial crisis calls for a re-examination of the basic premise of the orthodox shareholder-oriented model of the corporate firm and its governance. This book tries to meet this challenge. ...
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The 2008 financial crisis calls for a re-examination of the basic premise of the orthodox shareholder-oriented model of the corporate firm and its governance. This book tries to meet this challenge. It posits that the primary raison d'être of business corporations is the organization of associative cognitive and physical actions to create corporate values broader than shareholders' values. It identifies five generic modes of organizational architecture distinguished by discrete combinations of human cognitive assets among management and workers, as well as their relationships to use-control rights of physical assets that are provided by the investors. For each of those architectural modes, a particular governance structure is associated as an essentially self-enforcing agreement among the three types of asset-holders. The selection of a corporate form from the possible varieties is evolutionarily conditioned and institutionally linked to stable outcomes of social and political games in which corporations are embedded and play. The book looks at the nature of the evolving diversity of the global corporate landscape and the rising importance of CSR, which contribute to the accumulation of corporate social capital. This evolving state appears to require the redefinition of the role of financial markets as informational, and governance infrastructures that are complimentary to diverse corporate organizations, rather than as dominant principals of corporations.Less
The 2008 financial crisis calls for a re-examination of the basic premise of the orthodox shareholder-oriented model of the corporate firm and its governance. This book tries to meet this challenge. It posits that the primary raison d'être of business corporations is the organization of associative cognitive and physical actions to create corporate values broader than shareholders' values. It identifies five generic modes of organizational architecture distinguished by discrete combinations of human cognitive assets among management and workers, as well as their relationships to use-control rights of physical assets that are provided by the investors. For each of those architectural modes, a particular governance structure is associated as an essentially self-enforcing agreement among the three types of asset-holders. The selection of a corporate form from the possible varieties is evolutionarily conditioned and institutionally linked to stable outcomes of social and political games in which corporations are embedded and play. The book looks at the nature of the evolving diversity of the global corporate landscape and the rising importance of CSR, which contribute to the accumulation of corporate social capital. This evolving state appears to require the redefinition of the role of financial markets as informational, and governance infrastructures that are complimentary to diverse corporate organizations, rather than as dominant principals of corporations.
John D. Martin, J. William Petty, and James S. Wallace
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195340389
- eISBN:
- 9780199867257
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195340389.001.0001
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Macro- and Monetary Economics, Financial Economics
The current financial crisis has caused many of us to question the motives and actions that drive the business world. Even the basic notion that firms should be run so as to maximize shareholder ...
More
The current financial crisis has caused many of us to question the motives and actions that drive the business world. Even the basic notion that firms should be run so as to maximize shareholder value has come under increasing scrutiny. Simply put, the failures of some of our nation's most venerable financial institutions have called into question the very premise of value-based management (VBM). Moreover, by being paid out at a time when rank-and-file employees, suppliers, and other corporate stakeholders are suffering, excessive CEO compensation has produced public outrage. This book provides an up-to-date look at value-based management and finds that the underlying concept is as sound today as ever. One finding, however, is that, as initially practiced, VBM was often short sighted and thus needs to evolve if it is to continue to flourish. In particular, this book promotes a marriage of traditional VBM with the growing trend toward corporate social responsibility (CSR), a combination termed value(s)-based management. The case is made that CSR is much more than a feel-good concept; rather, it can make good business sense if practiced in a strategic manner. Ultimately, the book concludes that evidence supports the finding that, by embracing a program of corporate social responsibility, a firm can make the pie bigger, thus providing a win-win situation in which both the shareholders and other stakeholders benefit.Less
The current financial crisis has caused many of us to question the motives and actions that drive the business world. Even the basic notion that firms should be run so as to maximize shareholder value has come under increasing scrutiny. Simply put, the failures of some of our nation's most venerable financial institutions have called into question the very premise of value-based management (VBM). Moreover, by being paid out at a time when rank-and-file employees, suppliers, and other corporate stakeholders are suffering, excessive CEO compensation has produced public outrage. This book provides an up-to-date look at value-based management and finds that the underlying concept is as sound today as ever. One finding, however, is that, as initially practiced, VBM was often short sighted and thus needs to evolve if it is to continue to flourish. In particular, this book promotes a marriage of traditional VBM with the growing trend toward corporate social responsibility (CSR), a combination termed value(s)-based management. The case is made that CSR is much more than a feel-good concept; rather, it can make good business sense if practiced in a strategic manner. Ultimately, the book concludes that evidence supports the finding that, by embracing a program of corporate social responsibility, a firm can make the pie bigger, thus providing a win-win situation in which both the shareholders and other stakeholders benefit.
Masahiko Aoki
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199218530
- eISBN:
- 9780191711510
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199218530.003.0003
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Corporate Governance and Accountability, Strategy
This chapter formulates political-exchange and social-exchange games that corporations and their stakeholders play along with other agents in society. Multiple equilibria of the political exchange ...
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This chapter formulates political-exchange and social-exchange games that corporations and their stakeholders play along with other agents in society. Multiple equilibria of the political exchange game are identified as discrete forms of political states, and institutional complementarity of each of them with a particular corporate governance form is discussed. Agents, including corporations, also engage in social-exchange games using social symbols to derive social payoffs, and strategically calculate tradeoffs between social and materialistic payoffs. CSR is understood as a means for corporations to accumulate their own social capital in this game. The chapter then inquires why the value of corporate social capital is partially internalized by share markets and what its implications are to stakeholders' interests, corporate governance, and social welfare.Less
This chapter formulates political-exchange and social-exchange games that corporations and their stakeholders play along with other agents in society. Multiple equilibria of the political exchange game are identified as discrete forms of political states, and institutional complementarity of each of them with a particular corporate governance form is discussed. Agents, including corporations, also engage in social-exchange games using social symbols to derive social payoffs, and strategically calculate tradeoffs between social and materialistic payoffs. CSR is understood as a means for corporations to accumulate their own social capital in this game. The chapter then inquires why the value of corporate social capital is partially internalized by share markets and what its implications are to stakeholders' interests, corporate governance, and social welfare.
Paul Younger
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195391640
- eISBN:
- 9780199866649
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195391640.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Hinduism
A Council of Chiefs ceded the Fiji Islands to the British in 1874. Governor Farquhar immediately arranged for sugarcane plantations and Indian workers, but he insisted that Native‐Fijians should ...
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A Council of Chiefs ceded the Fiji Islands to the British in 1874. Governor Farquhar immediately arranged for sugarcane plantations and Indian workers, but he insisted that Native‐Fijians should remain segregated from the Indians. All the plantations and sugar refineries were owned by the Colonial Sugar Refining Company of Australia, but Indian farmers were leased land on which they grew cane for the Company. Indians had to develop their own school systems, and these became the central pillars of their culture. Although South Indians were a distinct minority among the workers, they were all settled together near Nadi on the west coast and were able to build the grand Subrahmanya temple there in 1994. Tensions between the indigenous people and the Indians developed in the political realm after independence, and in spite of two coups nothing is resolved.Less
A Council of Chiefs ceded the Fiji Islands to the British in 1874. Governor Farquhar immediately arranged for sugarcane plantations and Indian workers, but he insisted that Native‐Fijians should remain segregated from the Indians. All the plantations and sugar refineries were owned by the Colonial Sugar Refining Company of Australia, but Indian farmers were leased land on which they grew cane for the Company. Indians had to develop their own school systems, and these became the central pillars of their culture. Although South Indians were a distinct minority among the workers, they were all settled together near Nadi on the west coast and were able to build the grand Subrahmanya temple there in 1994. Tensions between the indigenous people and the Indians developed in the political realm after independence, and in spite of two coups nothing is resolved.
Alyson Warhurst
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199592173
- eISBN:
- 9780191729058
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199592173.003.0003
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Corporate Governance and Accountability
This chapter describes the evolutionary phases and stages of CSR, as well as sets out the business case for being a responsible corporation in the twenty‐first century. The four ‘phases’ of CSR are ...
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This chapter describes the evolutionary phases and stages of CSR, as well as sets out the business case for being a responsible corporation in the twenty‐first century. The four ‘phases’ of CSR are presented as a description of the evolutionary phases of the concept's historic development, as well as representing the possible learning stages of a corporation; the current stage in today's global economy is a ‘re‐set’ phase. The responsible corporation engages in CSR because responsible corporate behaviours are the very ones that will promote long‐term owner financial value. In this perspective, government partnership is a means to inform a corporation's long range strategy, to create new markets, to gain a competitive advantage, and to improve organizational effectiveness, which is best achieved within a stakeholder framework.Less
This chapter describes the evolutionary phases and stages of CSR, as well as sets out the business case for being a responsible corporation in the twenty‐first century. The four ‘phases’ of CSR are presented as a description of the evolutionary phases of the concept's historic development, as well as representing the possible learning stages of a corporation; the current stage in today's global economy is a ‘re‐set’ phase. The responsible corporation engages in CSR because responsible corporate behaviours are the very ones that will promote long‐term owner financial value. In this perspective, government partnership is a means to inform a corporation's long range strategy, to create new markets, to gain a competitive advantage, and to improve organizational effectiveness, which is best achieved within a stakeholder framework.
John D. Martin, J. William Petty, and James S. Wallace
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195340389
- eISBN:
- 9780199867257
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195340389.003.0001
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Macro- and Monetary Economics, Financial Economics
Value-based management sets as a goal the transformation of the cultural mindset within a firm to one of maximizing the firm's value. Corporate social responsibility has most often been presented as ...
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Value-based management sets as a goal the transformation of the cultural mindset within a firm to one of maximizing the firm's value. Corporate social responsibility has most often been presented as the firm's responsibility to do good or to give back to society. This chapter makes the case that CSR is not primarily about an obligation but, what is more important, provides a process for structuring win-win agreements between the different constituencies (stakeholders) in sharing the value. Seen this way, CSR attempts to create a cultural mindset that considers how to operate in order to create firm value. Value(s)-based management, as defined here, represents a marriage between the shareholdercentric orientation of traditional VBM and the societycentric orientation of the CSR movement.Less
Value-based management sets as a goal the transformation of the cultural mindset within a firm to one of maximizing the firm's value. Corporate social responsibility has most often been presented as the firm's responsibility to do good or to give back to society. This chapter makes the case that CSR is not primarily about an obligation but, what is more important, provides a process for structuring win-win agreements between the different constituencies (stakeholders) in sharing the value. Seen this way, CSR attempts to create a cultural mindset that considers how to operate in order to create firm value. Value(s)-based management, as defined here, represents a marriage between the shareholdercentric orientation of traditional VBM and the societycentric orientation of the CSR movement.
Colin Crouch and Camilla Maclean (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199592173
- eISBN:
- 9780191729058
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199592173.001.0001
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Corporate Governance and Accountability
Once just a slogan used by corporate PR departments, the idea of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has now become a serious business for many firms and a major object of academic research. It is ...
More
Once just a slogan used by corporate PR departments, the idea of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has now become a serious business for many firms and a major object of academic research. It is also a field replete with disagreement and diversity of opinion. Some corporations try to solve these dilemmas by projecting an image that is ‘responsible’ in specific and often isolated ways. This volume, based on a conference organized jointly by the Social Trends Institute and the University of Warwick Business School, takes the debate a stage further by examining the place of CSR in the role played by major corporations within global economic governance. One of the principal tasks in this volume is to bring the study of CSR into political science debate. Accordingly, authors from varied and even opposed perspectives consider what defines a ‘responsible’ corporation in today's global economy whilst a few authors discuss the limits to CSR and asks whether this approach is an appropriate means to address issues in the global ‘public’ domain in the first instance.Less
Once just a slogan used by corporate PR departments, the idea of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has now become a serious business for many firms and a major object of academic research. It is also a field replete with disagreement and diversity of opinion. Some corporations try to solve these dilemmas by projecting an image that is ‘responsible’ in specific and often isolated ways. This volume, based on a conference organized jointly by the Social Trends Institute and the University of Warwick Business School, takes the debate a stage further by examining the place of CSR in the role played by major corporations within global economic governance. One of the principal tasks in this volume is to bring the study of CSR into political science debate. Accordingly, authors from varied and even opposed perspectives consider what defines a ‘responsible’ corporation in today's global economy whilst a few authors discuss the limits to CSR and asks whether this approach is an appropriate means to address issues in the global ‘public’ domain in the first instance.
Camilla Maclean and Colin Crouch
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199592173
- eISBN:
- 9780191729058
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199592173.003.0001
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Corporate Governance and Accountability
This introduction provides a broad historical overview of how different institutions (religious, political, civil) have claimed responsibility for collective and public goals and how corporations are ...
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This introduction provides a broad historical overview of how different institutions (religious, political, civil) have claimed responsibility for collective and public goals and how corporations are now increasingly seen as a social location for the assertion of value claims. The combination of the business case for CSR with this new interest in the social value of corporations on the part of civil society means that both economy and polity have become shot through with concerns about values and ethics. This development is a paradoxical consequence of the neo‐liberal turn in political economy with its commensurate insistence on the autonomy of the market from any critique other than that based on shareholder value maximization. The state is now being challenged as the leading location for debates over values. The potential ambiguities of different corporate positions on issues of social responsibility are also mapped out, depicting the range of potential approaches.Less
This introduction provides a broad historical overview of how different institutions (religious, political, civil) have claimed responsibility for collective and public goals and how corporations are now increasingly seen as a social location for the assertion of value claims. The combination of the business case for CSR with this new interest in the social value of corporations on the part of civil society means that both economy and polity have become shot through with concerns about values and ethics. This development is a paradoxical consequence of the neo‐liberal turn in political economy with its commensurate insistence on the autonomy of the market from any critique other than that based on shareholder value maximization. The state is now being challenged as the leading location for debates over values. The potential ambiguities of different corporate positions on issues of social responsibility are also mapped out, depicting the range of potential approaches.
Elaine Sternberg
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199592173
- eISBN:
- 9780191729058
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199592173.003.0002
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Corporate Governance and Accountability
Corporate social responsibility is criticized on a number of fronts: for its vagueness; for the ‘stakeholder approach’; and primarily for its attempts to obligate business people to subvert business ...
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Corporate social responsibility is criticized on a number of fronts: for its vagueness; for the ‘stakeholder approach’; and primarily for its attempts to obligate business people to subvert business resources towards other, non‐business, purposes. Thus, CSR reflects the failure of its advocates to understand the proper role of business in society, i.e. to make long‐term financial gain for the owners through provision of a good or service. Within this perspective, conventional CSR is deemed irresponsible because it encourages employees and managers to divert owner funds towards socially responsible behaviours and actions and, as such, CSR is unethical and impedes ‘realist business ethics’. Instead, business actions are ethical when they are conducted in accordance with principles of ‘Ordinary Decency’ and ‘Distributive Justice’. CSR actions that are strategic for promoting organizational success are not criticized however; these are understood to be just good (business) practice.Less
Corporate social responsibility is criticized on a number of fronts: for its vagueness; for the ‘stakeholder approach’; and primarily for its attempts to obligate business people to subvert business resources towards other, non‐business, purposes. Thus, CSR reflects the failure of its advocates to understand the proper role of business in society, i.e. to make long‐term financial gain for the owners through provision of a good or service. Within this perspective, conventional CSR is deemed irresponsible because it encourages employees and managers to divert owner funds towards socially responsible behaviours and actions and, as such, CSR is unethical and impedes ‘realist business ethics’. Instead, business actions are ethical when they are conducted in accordance with principles of ‘Ordinary Decency’ and ‘Distributive Justice’. CSR actions that are strategic for promoting organizational success are not criticized however; these are understood to be just good (business) practice.
Celia Moore
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199592173
- eISBN:
- 9780191729058
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199592173.003.0004
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Corporate Governance and Accountability
This chapter describes the IBM corporate perspective on CSR and the company's efforts to inculcate value‐based ideals within the corporation. For IBM, CSR plays a strategic role that takes it beyond ...
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This chapter describes the IBM corporate perspective on CSR and the company's efforts to inculcate value‐based ideals within the corporation. For IBM, CSR plays a strategic role that takes it beyond the personal values of the company's founder to include a number of wide‐ranging market and non‐market benefits. The operational significance of the changing organizational structure from being a multinational to a ‘globally integrated enterprise’ and corresponding employment surge in developing countries is discussed. CSR is one means to provide continuity in corporate governance and to find a more uniform, and unifying, base of values amongst a global work force. Moreover, global corporations are expected to fill a governance gap and to play an increasing role in the social and economic development of all nations. The alignment between IBM's perceived corporate needs and its philanthropic activities over several decades is also discussed with examples.Less
This chapter describes the IBM corporate perspective on CSR and the company's efforts to inculcate value‐based ideals within the corporation. For IBM, CSR plays a strategic role that takes it beyond the personal values of the company's founder to include a number of wide‐ranging market and non‐market benefits. The operational significance of the changing organizational structure from being a multinational to a ‘globally integrated enterprise’ and corresponding employment surge in developing countries is discussed. CSR is one means to provide continuity in corporate governance and to find a more uniform, and unifying, base of values amongst a global work force. Moreover, global corporations are expected to fill a governance gap and to play an increasing role in the social and economic development of all nations. The alignment between IBM's perceived corporate needs and its philanthropic activities over several decades is also discussed with examples.
Klaus M. Leisinger
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199592173
- eISBN:
- 9780191729058
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199592173.003.0005
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Corporate Governance and Accountability
This chapter considers the role and responsibilities of a responsible corporation from the perspective of a global pharmaceutical. Many examples are provided of how CSR process, practice, and ...
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This chapter considers the role and responsibilities of a responsible corporation from the perspective of a global pharmaceutical. Many examples are provided of how CSR process, practice, and perspective are inextricably interdependent and interwoven at two key levels of the institutional and the personal. The importance of how a corporation achieves its business objective of maximizing profits is discussed. The United Nations Global Compact (GC) as a frame of reference for corporate responsibility reflections is discussed, as well as its limitations. When talking about a responsible ‘corporation’, the significance of the personal level of the company's managers and employees is identified. Thus, the ethics of top managers is a key point that has further implications in understanding how moral norms, including corporate responsibility norms, are likely to be filled when they appear self‐evident to the agent expected to act within specific contexts.Less
This chapter considers the role and responsibilities of a responsible corporation from the perspective of a global pharmaceutical. Many examples are provided of how CSR process, practice, and perspective are inextricably interdependent and interwoven at two key levels of the institutional and the personal. The importance of how a corporation achieves its business objective of maximizing profits is discussed. The United Nations Global Compact (GC) as a frame of reference for corporate responsibility reflections is discussed, as well as its limitations. When talking about a responsible ‘corporation’, the significance of the personal level of the company's managers and employees is identified. Thus, the ethics of top managers is a key point that has further implications in understanding how moral norms, including corporate responsibility norms, are likely to be filled when they appear self‐evident to the agent expected to act within specific contexts.
Adrienne Héritier, Anna Kristin Müller‐Debus, and Christian R. Thauer
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199592173
- eISBN:
- 9780191729058
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199592173.003.0006
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Corporate Governance and Accountability
This chapter includes an empirical study examining the reasons why buyer firms will demonstrate a sense of corporate social responsibility in prescribing—and ensuring—socially responsible actions on ...
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This chapter includes an empirical study examining the reasons why buyer firms will demonstrate a sense of corporate social responsibility in prescribing—and ensuring—socially responsible actions on the part of their supplier firms. Suppliers' products and production processes are increasingly controlled by buyer firms to ensure that suppliers observe the necessary environmental and product quality regulation for quality control; a task traditionally performed by public authorities under a legislative mandate. A transaction cost economics argument within an existing institutional environment is used to explain why firms engage in regulation and control of their suppliers and how this ‘private governance’ is affected by the existence of institutionalized political and legal regulations. This empirical study finds firms acting in a regulatory, and, thus overtly political, manner towards their supplier firms.Less
This chapter includes an empirical study examining the reasons why buyer firms will demonstrate a sense of corporate social responsibility in prescribing—and ensuring—socially responsible actions on the part of their supplier firms. Suppliers' products and production processes are increasingly controlled by buyer firms to ensure that suppliers observe the necessary environmental and product quality regulation for quality control; a task traditionally performed by public authorities under a legislative mandate. A transaction cost economics argument within an existing institutional environment is used to explain why firms engage in regulation and control of their suppliers and how this ‘private governance’ is affected by the existence of institutionalized political and legal regulations. This empirical study finds firms acting in a regulatory, and, thus overtly political, manner towards their supplier firms.
André Sobczak
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199592173
- eISBN:
- 9780191729058
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199592173.003.0007
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Corporate Governance and Accountability
Labour relations have not been labelled as CSR research because the latter tends to focus on the voluntary initiatives of corporations, and little has been written about the articulation between ...
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Labour relations have not been labelled as CSR research because the latter tends to focus on the voluntary initiatives of corporations, and little has been written about the articulation between voluntary CSR initiatives and mandatory labour law regulations. CSR is presented in this chapter as a new form of social regulation for labour relations within transnational companies. The interaction between CSR and labour law norms is examined and the potential added‐value of voluntary CSR initiatives, as well as the risks they may create from a labour law perspective, are discussed. The analysis focuses on international companies and their CSR commitments towards the employees of their suppliers and subcontractors, in particular those in developing countries. The chapter also uses the case of international framework agreements (IFAs) to illustrate how employees' representatives may be involved in the definition and implementation of CSR strategies.Less
Labour relations have not been labelled as CSR research because the latter tends to focus on the voluntary initiatives of corporations, and little has been written about the articulation between voluntary CSR initiatives and mandatory labour law regulations. CSR is presented in this chapter as a new form of social regulation for labour relations within transnational companies. The interaction between CSR and labour law norms is examined and the potential added‐value of voluntary CSR initiatives, as well as the risks they may create from a labour law perspective, are discussed. The analysis focuses on international companies and their CSR commitments towards the employees of their suppliers and subcontractors, in particular those in developing countries. The chapter also uses the case of international framework agreements (IFAs) to illustrate how employees' representatives may be involved in the definition and implementation of CSR strategies.
Antonio Tencati
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199592173
- eISBN:
- 9780191729058
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199592173.003.0008
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Corporate Governance and Accountability
This chapter examines ethical issues in global supply chains in relation to how social responsibility expectations are being transferred from one actor to another along a ‘reverse’ supply chain. ...
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This chapter examines ethical issues in global supply chains in relation to how social responsibility expectations are being transferred from one actor to another along a ‘reverse’ supply chain. Supply chain processes are examined from the perspective of buyer firms imposing CSR expectations, as well as from the supplier firms responding to CSR business practice expectations. A process is described whereby, through several codes of conduct and international standards, CSR business practice expectations are entering the boundaries of developing country supplier firms, which paradoxically can act as technical barriers to trade for smaller firms. The chapter goes on to provide some examples of ‘values‐driven enterprises’ such as Coop Italia, illycaffè, and the Slow Food Movement, which demonstrate more ethical and collaborative forms of governance towards their supplier firms.Less
This chapter examines ethical issues in global supply chains in relation to how social responsibility expectations are being transferred from one actor to another along a ‘reverse’ supply chain. Supply chain processes are examined from the perspective of buyer firms imposing CSR expectations, as well as from the supplier firms responding to CSR business practice expectations. A process is described whereby, through several codes of conduct and international standards, CSR business practice expectations are entering the boundaries of developing country supplier firms, which paradoxically can act as technical barriers to trade for smaller firms. The chapter goes on to provide some examples of ‘values‐driven enterprises’ such as Coop Italia, illycaffè, and the Slow Food Movement, which demonstrate more ethical and collaborative forms of governance towards their supplier firms.
Peter Utting
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199592173
- eISBN:
- 9780191729058
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199592173.003.0009
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Corporate Governance and Accountability
This chapter has an explicitly political focus and thus places the large corporation directly in the political science sphere. First, UN thinking and policy on CSR is outlined within a broader ...
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This chapter has an explicitly political focus and thus places the large corporation directly in the political science sphere. First, UN thinking and policy on CSR is outlined within a broader context of progressive UN ideas in the fields of development and governance, identifying a trend towards convergence in CSR policy between UN organizations, the World Bank, and the IMF over the last few decades. This new approach culminated in 1999 with the UN's ‘Global Compact’ initiated by Kofi Annan. Second, a more critical view of CSR is taken with respect to its developmental effectiveness and the type of development model that it reinforces. Developmental contributions being defined here as those that support social inclusiveness, sustainability, and the human rights of people in developing economies and not solely economic growth.Less
This chapter has an explicitly political focus and thus places the large corporation directly in the political science sphere. First, UN thinking and policy on CSR is outlined within a broader context of progressive UN ideas in the fields of development and governance, identifying a trend towards convergence in CSR policy between UN organizations, the World Bank, and the IMF over the last few decades. This new approach culminated in 1999 with the UN's ‘Global Compact’ initiated by Kofi Annan. Second, a more critical view of CSR is taken with respect to its developmental effectiveness and the type of development model that it reinforces. Developmental contributions being defined here as those that support social inclusiveness, sustainability, and the human rights of people in developing economies and not solely economic growth.
Francisca Ninik Yudianti
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780823267309
- eISBN:
- 9780823272334
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Fordham University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5422/fordham/9780823267309.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Do the principles and frameworks provided by Catholic Social Teaching (CST) have any effect today on the processes of democratic practices and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Catholic-owned ...
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Do the principles and frameworks provided by Catholic Social Teaching (CST) have any effect today on the processes of democratic practices and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Catholic-owned businesses? The results of Yudianti’s economic analysis indicate that, in fact, yes, the democratic practices of Catholic Social Teaching (CST) do have a positive effect on the adoption of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a business practice in the corporate culture of the Yogyakarta Special Region in Indonesia. While this is particularly true for the Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SME) in the Yogyakarta Special Region whose owners identify as Catholic, it remains to be seen the extent to which such practices have an impact on the Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SME) in the Yogyakarta Special Region whose owners identify as Muslim. While more research needs to be conducted in these areas, Yudianti’s contribution to the conversation suggests that such research ought to be undertaken, given that her preliminary findings show positive results for the practice of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).Less
Do the principles and frameworks provided by Catholic Social Teaching (CST) have any effect today on the processes of democratic practices and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Catholic-owned businesses? The results of Yudianti’s economic analysis indicate that, in fact, yes, the democratic practices of Catholic Social Teaching (CST) do have a positive effect on the adoption of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a business practice in the corporate culture of the Yogyakarta Special Region in Indonesia. While this is particularly true for the Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SME) in the Yogyakarta Special Region whose owners identify as Catholic, it remains to be seen the extent to which such practices have an impact on the Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SME) in the Yogyakarta Special Region whose owners identify as Muslim. While more research needs to be conducted in these areas, Yudianti’s contribution to the conversation suggests that such research ought to be undertaken, given that her preliminary findings show positive results for the practice of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
Andreas Rühmkorf
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- September 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780197266472
- eISBN:
- 9780191884214
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197266472.003.0009
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Political Economy
Private commercial relationships constitute significant practical challenges for researchers analysing issues of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), such as forced labour in global supply chains. ...
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Private commercial relationships constitute significant practical challenges for researchers analysing issues of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), such as forced labour in global supply chains. The private nature of commercial relations means that freedom of information requests are not available. One way for researchers to study forced labour in global supply chains, therefore, is to use information made available by the corporations themselves. This Chapter draws on empirical legal research methods to explore the value of publicly available documents on how companies address CSR issues. It argues that, despite some limitations, it is possible to use data that is available on company websites such as codes of conduct, terms and conditions of purchase and nonfinancial reporting to assess business practices. These documents can complement both traditional doctrinal legal research of cases and statutes and research from other disciplines, thus providing new opportunities for research on forced labour in global supply chains.Less
Private commercial relationships constitute significant practical challenges for researchers analysing issues of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), such as forced labour in global supply chains. The private nature of commercial relations means that freedom of information requests are not available. One way for researchers to study forced labour in global supply chains, therefore, is to use information made available by the corporations themselves. This Chapter draws on empirical legal research methods to explore the value of publicly available documents on how companies address CSR issues. It argues that, despite some limitations, it is possible to use data that is available on company websites such as codes of conduct, terms and conditions of purchase and nonfinancial reporting to assess business practices. These documents can complement both traditional doctrinal legal research of cases and statutes and research from other disciplines, thus providing new opportunities for research on forced labour in global supply chains.
Junji Nakagawa
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199604661
- eISBN:
- 9780191731679
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199604661.003.0006
- Subject:
- Law, Public International Law
This chapter analyzes international harmonization of labour standards, tracing its history from early efforts in the late 19th century in Europe to developments under the ILO (International Labour ...
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This chapter analyzes international harmonization of labour standards, tracing its history from early efforts in the late 19th century in Europe to developments under the ILO (International Labour Organization) with a focus on the unique decision making procedure of the ILO and implementation mechanisms of the ILO Conventions and Recommendations. The chapter finally turns to efforts to include social clauses under the GATT, WTO and regional trade agreements, as well as to recent initiatives to raise labour standards by the private sector (Corporate Social Responsibility and the UN Global Compact).Less
This chapter analyzes international harmonization of labour standards, tracing its history from early efforts in the late 19th century in Europe to developments under the ILO (International Labour Organization) with a focus on the unique decision making procedure of the ILO and implementation mechanisms of the ILO Conventions and Recommendations. The chapter finally turns to efforts to include social clauses under the GATT, WTO and regional trade agreements, as well as to recent initiatives to raise labour standards by the private sector (Corporate Social Responsibility and the UN Global Compact).
Graham Bullock
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- May 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780262036429
- eISBN:
- 9780262340984
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262036429.003.0005
- Subject:
- Environmental Science, Environmental Studies
Chapter 5 begins with a vignette about a corporate executive tasked with turning round her firm’s sustainability reputation. She must develop a holistic strategy for communicating the company’s ...
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Chapter 5 begins with a vignette about a corporate executive tasked with turning round her firm’s sustainability reputation. She must develop a holistic strategy for communicating the company’s environmental goals, progress, and achievements to its diverse stakeholders. It introduces and provides examples of the different forms, interfaces, and architectures by which corporations, government agencies, non-profit organizations and individuals can use to effectively deliver environmental information to their intended audiences. Possible delivery mechanisms include labels on products, ratings in a press release, data on a website, awards on a billboard, or slogans on a boycott sign. Concepts such as prominence, intelligibility, and feasibility are introduced and used to evaluate these different communication strategies. The chapter concludes with a further discussion of the noteworthy communication practices being used by existing information-based environmental governance initiatives.Less
Chapter 5 begins with a vignette about a corporate executive tasked with turning round her firm’s sustainability reputation. She must develop a holistic strategy for communicating the company’s environmental goals, progress, and achievements to its diverse stakeholders. It introduces and provides examples of the different forms, interfaces, and architectures by which corporations, government agencies, non-profit organizations and individuals can use to effectively deliver environmental information to their intended audiences. Possible delivery mechanisms include labels on products, ratings in a press release, data on a website, awards on a billboard, or slogans on a boycott sign. Concepts such as prominence, intelligibility, and feasibility are introduced and used to evaluate these different communication strategies. The chapter concludes with a further discussion of the noteworthy communication practices being used by existing information-based environmental governance initiatives.
Alexa S. Dietrich
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- March 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780814724996
- eISBN:
- 9780814724644
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- NYU Press
- DOI:
- 10.18574/nyu/9780814724996.003.0006
- Subject:
- Anthropology, Medical Anthropology
This chapter examines the arrival of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) movement in Puerto Rico in the early 2000s. A number of ethnographic examples from working with and observing Puerto ...
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This chapter examines the arrival of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) movement in Puerto Rico in the early 2000s. A number of ethnographic examples from working with and observing Puerto Rico's only CSR NGO, as well as the CSR-related activities of the pharmaceuticals, demonstrate the social and economic complexities masked by simplistic, feel-good CSR phrases like “triple-bottom-line” (i.e., company, customers, and community all benefit from successful business). The chapter emphasizes the unique case of Puerto Rico, while at the same time expounding on the many possible consequences of the global CSR phenomenon for local communities, including the problem of “greenwashing.”Less
This chapter examines the arrival of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) movement in Puerto Rico in the early 2000s. A number of ethnographic examples from working with and observing Puerto Rico's only CSR NGO, as well as the CSR-related activities of the pharmaceuticals, demonstrate the social and economic complexities masked by simplistic, feel-good CSR phrases like “triple-bottom-line” (i.e., company, customers, and community all benefit from successful business). The chapter emphasizes the unique case of Puerto Rico, while at the same time expounding on the many possible consequences of the global CSR phenomenon for local communities, including the problem of “greenwashing.”
