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Corporate Social Responsibility as Obligated Internalisation of Social Costs

Author

Listed:
  • Andrew Johnston

    (University of Sheffield)

  • Kenneth Amaeshi

    (University of Edinburgh Business School
    Cranfield School of Management
    Pan-Atlantic University)

  • Emmanuel Adegbite

    (University of Nottingham
    James Cook University)

  • Onyeka Osuji

    (University of Essex)

Abstract

We propose that corporations should be subject to a legal obligation to identify and internalise their social costs or negative externalities. Our proposal reframes corporate social responsibility (CSR) as obligated internalisation of social costs, and relies on reflexive governance through mandated hybrid fora. We argue that our approach advances theory, as well as practice and policy, by building on and going beyond prior attempts to address social costs, such as prescriptive government regulation, Coasian bargaining and political CSR.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrew Johnston & Kenneth Amaeshi & Emmanuel Adegbite & Onyeka Osuji, 2021. "Corporate Social Responsibility as Obligated Internalisation of Social Costs," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 170(1), pages 39-52, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:170:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1007_s10551-019-04329-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-019-04329-y
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Manish Bansal, 2022. "Impact of mandatory CSR spending on strategic brand‐building levers: Evidence from a quasi‐natural experiment in India," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(8), pages 3620-3633, December.
    3. Benjamin Mueller, 2022. "Corporate Digital Responsibility," Business & Information Systems Engineering: The International Journal of WIRTSCHAFTSINFORMATIK, Springer;Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (GI), vol. 64(5), pages 689-700, October.
    4. Prince Amoah & Gabriel Eweje, 2023. "Organisational drivers and sustainability implementation in the mining industry: A holistic theoretical framework," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(8), pages 5602-5614, December.
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    6. Shih, Tommy & Garvi, Miriam, 2022. "East Asian business schools and challenges to introducing sustainability and SDG curricula," OSF Preprints dhucb, Center for Open Science.
    7. Sheehan, Norman T. & Vaidyanathan, Ganesh & Fox, Kenneth A. & Klassen, Mark, 2023. "Making the invisible, visible: Overcoming barriers to ESG performance with an ESG mindset," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 66(2), pages 265-276.

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