IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gig/chaktu/v43y2014i4p75-110.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Greening the Field? How NGOs Are Shaping Corporate Social Responsibility in China

Author

Listed:
  • Susannah M. Davis
  • Dirk C. Moosmayer

Abstract

China’s state-led model of corporate social responsibility (CSR) does not seem to present a promising environment for the participation of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Nevertheless, we observe recent examples of NGO involvement in CSR initiatives. Chinese NGOs are using the CSR platform to challenge the environmental practices of firms operating in China. We take a field-theoretical approach that focuses on the agency of actors. We show how an international NGO proposes a new standard and how Chinese NGOs use local environmental information disclosure laws to engage with firms in the textile supply chain. We find that NGOs leverage the power of brands to influence the practices of Chinese suppliers. However, we find differences in the framing and tactics employed by international NGOs versus their Chinese counterparts. Field analysis helps better understand the actors in the field of CSR, along with their motivations and their resources, and it offers a useful perspective on civil society development in China.

Suggested Citation

  • Susannah M. Davis & Dirk C. Moosmayer, 2014. "Greening the Field? How NGOs Are Shaping Corporate Social Responsibility in China," Journal of Current Chinese Affairs - China aktuell, Institute of Asian Studies, GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies, Hamburg, vol. 43(4), pages 75-110.
    • Handle: RePEc:gig:chaktu:v:43:y:2014:i:4:p:75-110
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://journals.sub.uni-hamburg.de/giga/jcca/article/view/800
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Maria Joutsenvirta, 2011. "Setting Boundaries for Corporate Social Responsibility: Firm–NGO Relationship as Discursive Legitimation Struggle," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 102(1), pages 57-75, August.
    2. Shangkun Xu & Rudai Yang, 2010. "Indigenous Characteristics of Chinese Corporate Social Responsibility Conceptual Paradigm," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 93(2), pages 321-333, May.
    3. Niamh M. Brennan & Doris M. Merkl-Davies, 2014. "Rhetoric and argument in social and environmental reporting: the Dirty Laundry case," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 27(4), pages 602-633, April.
    4. Jonathan P. Doh & Terrence R. Guay, 2006. "Corporate Social Responsibility, Public Policy, and NGO Activism in Europe and the United States: An Institutional‐Stakeholder Perspective," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(1), pages 47-73, January.
    5. Niamh Brennan & Doris Merkl-Davies & Annika Beelitz, 2013. "Dialogism in Corporate Social Responsibility Communications: Conceptualising Verbal Interaction Between Organisations and Their Audiences," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 115(4), pages 665-679, July.
    6. Fang Lee Cooke & Qiaoling He, 2010. "Corporate social responsibility and HRM in China: a study of textile and apparel enterprises," Asia Pacific Business Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(3), pages 355-376, July.
    7. Lei Wang & Heikki Juslin, 2009. "The Impact of Chinese Culture on Corporate Social Responsibility: The Harmony Approach," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 88(3), pages 433-451, October.
    8. Richard Louis Edmonds, 2011. "The Evolution of Environmental Policy in the People’s Republic of China," Journal of Current Chinese Affairs - China aktuell, Institute of Asian Studies, GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies, Hamburg, vol. 40(3), pages 13-35.
    9. Fligstein, Neil, 2001. "Social Skill and the Theory of Fields," Center for Culture, Organizations and Politics, Working Paper Series qt26m187b1, Center for Culture, Organizations and Politics of theInstitute for Research on Labor and Employment, UC Berkeley.
    10. Po Ip, 2009. "Is Confucianism Good for Business Ethics in China?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 88(3), pages 463-476, September.
    11. Eero Vaara & Jeanne Tienari, 2008. "A Discursive Perspective on Legitimation Strategies in Multinational Corporations," Post-Print hal-02276724, HAL.
    12. Weikert, Jochen, 2011. "Re-defining ‘good business’ in the face of Asian drivers of global change: China and the global corporate social responsibility discussion," IDOS Studies, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), volume 61, number 61.
    13. Daniel Arenas & Josep Lozano & Laura Albareda, 2009. "The Role of NGOs in CSR: Mutual Perceptions Among Stakeholders," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 88(1), pages 175-197, August.
    14. Arthur P. J. Mol & Guizhen He & Lei Zhang, 2011. "Information Disclosure in Environmental Risk Management: Developments in China," Journal of Current Chinese Affairs - China aktuell, Institute of Asian Studies, GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies, Hamburg, vol. 40(3), pages 163-192.
    15. Jeremy Moon & Xi Shen, 2010. "CSR in China Research: Salience, Focus and Nature," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 94(4), pages 613-629, July.
    16. Kourula, Arno, 2010. "Corporate engagement with non-governmental organizations in different institutional contexts--A case study of a forest products company," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 45(4), pages 395-404, October.
    17. Juelin Yin & Yuli Zhang, 2012. "Institutional Dynamics and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in an Emerging Country Context: Evidence from China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 111(2), pages 301-316, December.
    18. Ans Kolk & Pan Hong & Willemijn van Dolen, 2010. "Corporate social responsibility in china: an analysis of domestic and foreign retailers' sustainability dimensions," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 19(5), pages 289-303, July.
    19. Finnemore, Martha & Sikkink, Kathryn, 1998. "International Norm Dynamics and Political Change," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 52(4), pages 887-917, October.
    20. Christopher Marquis & Cuili Qian, 2014. "Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting in China: Symbol or Substance?," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 25(1), pages 127-148, February.
    21. Zhilong Tian & Rui Wang & Wen Yang, 2011. "Consumer Responses to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 101(2), pages 197-212, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Mihaela Păceşilă & Sofia Elena Colesca, 2020. "Insights on Social Responsibility of NGOS," Systemic Practice and Action Research, Springer, vol. 33(3), pages 311-339, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lee, Jihyun & Lee, Yuri, 2015. "The interactions of CSR, self-congruity and purchase intention among Chinese consumers," Australasian marketing journal, Elsevier, vol. 23(1), pages 19-26.
    2. Irina Ervits, 2021. "CSR reporting by Chinese and Western MNEs: patterns combining formal homogenization and substantive differences," International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility, Springer, vol. 6(1), pages 1-24, December.
    3. Shu-Yun Du & Xiao-Chen Shao & Alfredo Jiménez & Jeoung Yul Lee, 2022. "Corporate Social Responsibility of Chinese Multinational Enterprises: A Review and Future Research Agenda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-22, December.
    4. Figueira, Sandra & Gauthier, Caroline & Torres de Oliveira, Rui, 2023. "CSR and stakeholder salience in MNE subsidiaries in emerging markets," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(5).
    5. Dirk C. Moosmayer & Yanyan Chen & Susannah M. Davis, 2019. "Deeds Not Words: A Cosmopolitan Perspective on the Influences of Corporate Sustainability and NGO Engagement on the Adoption of Sustainable Products in China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 158(1), pages 135-154, August.
    6. Douglas Cumming & Wenxuan Hou & Edward Lee, 2016. "Business Ethics and Finance in Greater China: Synthesis and Future Directions in Sustainability, CSR, and Fraud," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 138(4), pages 601-626, November.
    7. Juelin Yin & Ali Quazi, 2018. "Business Ethics in the Greater China Region: Past, Present, and Future Research," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 150(3), pages 815-835, July.
    8. Juelin Yin & Anusorn Singhapakdi & Yunzhou Du, 2016. "Causes and moderators of corporate social responsibility in China: The influence of personal values and institutional logics," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 15(3), pages 226-254, July.
    9. Irina Ervits, 2023. "CSR reporting in China’s private and state-owned enterprises: A mixed methods comparative analysis," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 22(1), pages 55-83, February.
    10. WANG Jifu & GUPTA Vipin & LYBOLT Liza & WANG Xiuli, 2022. "Corrected Game Model In Csr: Mnc Strategies And Chinese Practice," Studies in Business and Economics, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Faculty of Economic Sciences, vol. 17(3), pages 269-287, December.
    11. Dirk C. Moosmayer & Susannah M. Davis, 2016. "Staking Cosmopolitan Claims: How Firms and NGOs Talk About Supply Chain Responsibility," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 135(3), pages 403-417, May.
    12. Sora Kim & Yingru Ji, 2017. "Chinese Consumers' Expectations of Corporate Communication on CSR and Sustainability," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 24(6), pages 570-588, November.
    13. Bargstädt, Dorothee, 2017. "Freiwillige Selbstverpflichtung von Unternehmen in Antikorruptionsinitiativen: Der Einfluss des nationalen Kontextes auf internationales Engagement am Beispiel chinesischer und indischer Unternehmen," PIPE - Papers on International Political Economy 28/2017, Free University Berlin, Center for International Political Economy.
    14. Yanhong Tang & Yanling Ma & Christina W.Y. Wong & Xin Miao, 2018. "Evolution of Government Policies on Guiding Corporate Social Responsibility in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-20, March.
    15. Jamali, Dima & Karam, Charlotte & Yin, Juelin & Soundararajan, Vivek, 2017. "CSR logics in developing countries: Translation, adaptation and stalled development," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 52(3), pages 343-359.
    16. Haina Shi & Xin Zhang & Jing Zhou, 2018. "Cross-listing and CSR performance: evidence from AH shares," Frontiers of Business Research in China, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 1-15, December.
    17. Mihaela Păceşilă & Sofia Elena Colesca, 2020. "Insights on Social Responsibility of NGOS," Systemic Practice and Action Research, Springer, vol. 33(3), pages 311-339, June.
    18. Min Zhang & Biying Jin & G. Alan Wang & Thong Ngee Goh & Zhen He, 2016. "A Study of Key Success Factors of Service Enterprises in China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 134(1), pages 1-14, March.
    19. Garanina, Tatiana & Kim, Oksana, 2023. "The relationship between CSR disclosure and accounting conservatism: The role of state ownership," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
    20. Charles H. Cho & Matias Laine & Robin W. Roberts & Michelle Rodrigue, 2018. "The Frontstage and Backstage of Corporate Sustainability Reporting: Evidence from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Bill," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 152(3), pages 865-886, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gig:chaktu:v:43:y:2014:i:4:p:75-110. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Karsten Giese or Heike Holbig (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/dueiide.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.