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Corporate Responsibility and Identity: from a Stakeholder to an Awareness Approach

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  • Pasi Heikkurinen
  • Tarja Ketola

Abstract

Firms are encouraged to manage their corporate responsibility and identity in accordance with the popular stakeholder theory. Managers are, however, confronted with the complexity of the praxis and related ethical dilemmas, as the expectations of their external stakeholders may be myriad, ambiguous and self‐contradictory, or even non‐existent in the global and dynamic business contexts. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to (a) review and critically discuss the stakeholder approach in striving for a responsible identity and (b) introduce an alternative approach that can address its inadequacies and shortcomings. The study outlines an alternative theorem, the awareness approach to responsible identity. In the conclusions, the article proposes how firms can adopt a responsible identity that leads to a desired image and reputation, and maps out further research opportunities. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment

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  • Pasi Heikkurinen & Tarja Ketola, 2012. "Corporate Responsibility and Identity: from a Stakeholder to an Awareness Approach," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(5), pages 326-337, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:21:y:2012:i:5:p:326-337
    DOI: 10.1002/bse.744
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    6. Pasi Heikkurinen & Jukka Mäkinen, 2018. "Synthesising Corporate Responsibility on Organisational and Societal Levels of Analysis: An Integrative Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 149(3), pages 589-607, May.
    7. Heikkurinen, Pasi & Jalkanen, Lotta & Jarvela, Katja & Jarvinen, Maija & Katajajuuri, Juha-Matti & Koistinen, Laura & Kotro, Jaana & Makela, Johanna & Pesonen, Hanna-Leena & Riipi, Inkeri & Ulvila, Ku, 2012. "Corporate Responsibility in the Food Chain: The Criteria and Indicators," 2012 International European Forum, February 13-17, 2012, Innsbruck-Igls, Austria 144988, International European Forum on System Dynamics and Innovation in Food Networks.
    8. Jeremy Morrow & Simon Mowatt, 2015. "The Implementation of Authentic Sustainable Strategies: i‐SITE Middle Managers, Employees and the Delivery of 100% Pure New Zealand," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(7), pages 656-666, November.
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    11. Anne Bridget Lane & Bree Devin, 2018. "Operationalizing Stakeholder Engagement in CSR: A Process Approach," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 25(3), pages 267-280, May.
    12. H. L. Zou & R. C. Zeng & S. X. Zeng & Jonathan J. Shi, 2015. "How Do Environmental Violation Events Harm Corporate Reputation?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(8), pages 836-854, December.
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    16. Scott J. Callan & Janet M. Thomas, 2014. "Relating CEO Compensation to Social Performance and Financial Performance: Does the Measure of Compensation Matter?," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 21(4), pages 202-227, July.
    17. Alfredo Flores-Hernández & Ana Olavarría-Jaraba & Guadalupe Valera-Blanes & Rosario Vázquez-Carrasco, 2020. "Sustainability and Branding in Retail: A Model of Chain of Effects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-15, July.
    18. Anne Michaels & Michael Grüning, 2016. "Glaubwürdigkeit von CSR-Konzepten – Die Einflüsse von CSR-Publizität und Corporate Identity auf CSR-Reputation," NachhaltigkeitsManagementForum | Sustainability Management Forum, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 179-193, November.
    19. Hee‐Yong Lee & Dong‐Wook Kwak & Jeong‐Yang Park, 2017. "Corporate Social Responsibility in Supply Chains of Small and Medium‐Sized Enterprises," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 24(6), pages 634-647, November.
    20. Ángela González-Moreno & Pablo Ruiz-Palomino & Francisco J. Sáez-Martínez, 2019. "Can CEOs’ Corporate Social Responsibility Orientation Improve Firms’ Cooperation in International Scenarios?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-14, December.
    21. Dingzu Zhang & Lijuan Pan & Luqi Liu & Huixiang Zeng, 2023. "Impact of executive pay gap on environmental, social, and governance disclosure in China: Is there a strategic choice?," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(5), pages 2574-2589, September.
    22. Anne Michaels & Michael Grüning, 2018. "The impact of corporate identity on corporate social responsibility disclosure," International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 1-13, December.
    23. Natalia Ortiz‐de‐Mandojana & Juan Alberto Aragon‐Correa, 2015. "Boards and Sustainability: the Contingent Influence of Director Interlocks on Corporate Environmental Performance," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(6), pages 499-517, September.
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