IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/corsem/v16y2009i4p217-227.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Against corporate responsibility: critical reflections on thinking, practice, content and consequences

Author

Listed:
  • Martin Fougère
  • Nikodemus Solitander

Abstract

This article critically reflects on today's dominant articulation of corporate responsibility (CR) in terms of thinking, practice, content and consequences. We examine what has and has not changed since a seminal critique of the notion of business social responsibility put forward by Theodore Levitt 50 years ago. We illustrate our argument with the case of Botnia in Uruguay, which has recently generated much discussion in international media, and other examples that are illuminating on the problematic nature of contemporary CR. We find that little in fact has changed between the 1958 and 2008 versions of CR except for the context of (global) business, especially the threat posed by sustainability questions and the more systematic ideological rejection of regulation. As opposed to these contemporary evolutions, we call for alternative, regulation‐based articulations of CR, which would improve corporate accountability on social and environmental questions. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

Suggested Citation

  • Martin Fougère & Nikodemus Solitander, 2009. "Against corporate responsibility: critical reflections on thinking, practice, content and consequences," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 16(4), pages 217-227, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:corsem:v:16:y:2009:i:4:p:217-227
    DOI: 10.1002/csr.204
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.204
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/csr.204?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jouni Korhonen, 2002. "The dominant economics paradigm and corporate social responsibility," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 9(1), pages 66-79, March.
    2. Pontus Cerin, 2003. "Sustainability hijacked by the sociological wall of self‐evidence," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 10(4), pages 175-185, December.
    3. Alexander Dahlsrud, 2008. "How corporate social responsibility is defined: an analysis of 37 definitions," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, January.
    4. Rowe, James, 2005. "Corporate Social Responsibility as Business Strategy," Center for Global, International and Regional Studies, Working Paper Series qt5dq43315, Center for Global, International and Regional Studies, UC Santa Cruz.
    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. Anna Zueva & Jenny Fairbrass, 2021. "Politicising Government Engagement with Corporate Social Responsibility: “CSR” as an Empty Signifier," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 170(4), pages 635-655, May.
    2. Caroline D. Ditlev‐Simonsen & Atle Midttun, 2011. "What motivates managers to pursue corporate responsibility? a survey among key stakeholders," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 18(1), pages 25-38, January.
    3. Satyajit Majumdar & Gordhan K. Saini, 2016. "CSR in India: Critical Review and Exploring Entrepreneurial Opportunities," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, vol. 2(1), pages 56-79, January.
    4. Atle Blomgren, 2011. "Does corporate social responsibility influence profit margins? a case study of executive perceptions," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 18(5), pages 263-274, September.
    5. 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.
    6. Louise Ellis & Claire Bastin, 2011. "Corporate social responsibility in times of recession: Changing discourses and implications for policy and practice," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 18(5), pages 294-305, September.
    7. Erwin Eding & Bert Scholtens, 2017. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Shareholder Proposals," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 24(6), pages 648-660, November.
    8. Wójcik Piotr, 2016. "How Creating Shared Value Differs From Corporate Social Responsibility," Journal of Management and Business Administration. Central Europe, Sciendo, vol. 24(2), pages 32-55, June.
    9. Sandra Moog & André Spicer & Steffen Böhm, 2015. "The Politics of Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives: The Crisis of the Forest Stewardship Council," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 128(3), pages 469-493, May.
    10. Vincent Amooti Bagire & Immaculate Tusiime & Grace Nalweyiso & John Bosco Kakooza, 2011. "Contextual environment and stakeholder perception of corporate social responsibility practices in uganda," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 18(2), pages 102-109, March.
    11. Victor Oltra & Jaime Bonache & Chris Brewster, 2013. "A New Framework for Understanding Inequalities Between Expatriates and Host Country Nationals," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 115(2), pages 291-310, June.
    12. Peter Dobers, 2009. "Corporate social responsibility: management and methods," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 16(4), pages 185-191, July.
    13. Chiara Mio, 2010. "Corporate social reporting in Italian multi‐utility companies: an empirical analysis," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 17(5), pages 247-271, September.
    14. Martin Fougère & Nikodemus Solitander, 2020. "Dissent in Consensusland: An Agonistic Problematization of Multi-stakeholder Governance," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 164(4), pages 683-699, July.
    15. Monowar Mahmood & Janet Humphrey, 2013. "Stakeholder Expectation of Corporate Social Responsibility Practices: A Study on Local and Multinational Corporations in Kazakhstan," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 20(3), pages 168-181, May.
    16. Jeffrey, Stephen & Diller, Heike & Fiedler, Marina, 2016. "Closing the strategy-performance gap: The role of communication fit and distraction," Passauer Diskussionspapiere, Betriebswirtschaftliche Reihe B-25-16, University of Passau, Faculty of Business and Economics.

    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. Massimo Costa & Patrizia Torrecchia, 2018. "The Concept of Value for CSR: A Debate Drawn from Italian Classical Accounting," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 25(2), pages 113-123, March.
    2. Debora Scarpato & Gennaro Civero & Vincenzo Rusciano & Marcello Risitano, 2020. "Sustainable strategies and corporate social responsibility in the Italian fisheries companies," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(6), pages 2983-2990, November.
    3. Sapanna Laysiriroj & Walter Wehrmeyer, 2020. "Intergenerational differences of CSR activities in family-run businesses in eastern Thailand," Asian Journal of Sustainability and Social Responsibility, Springer, vol. 5(1), pages 1-15, December.
    4. Ivan Hilliard, 2013. "Responsible Management, Incentive Systems, and Productivity," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 118(2), pages 365-377, December.
    5. Zhonghua Zhao & Fanchen Meng & Yin He & Zhouyang Gu, 2019. "The Influence of Corporate Social Responsibility on Competitive Advantage with Multiple Mediations from Social Capital and Dynamic Capabilities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-16, January.
    6. David Benjamin Billedeau & Jeffrey Wilson & Naima Samuel, 2022. "From Responsibility to Requirement: COVID, Cars, and the Future of Corporate Social Responsibility in Canada," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-16, May.
    7. Chris Hydock & Neeru Paharia & T. J. Weber, 2019. "The Consumer Response to Corporate Political Advocacy: a Review and Future Directions," Customer Needs and Solutions, Springer;Institute for Sustainable Innovation and Growth (iSIG), vol. 6(3), pages 76-83, December.
    8. Luger, Michaela & Hofer, Katharina Maria & Floh, Arne, 2022. "Support for corporate social responsibility among generation Y consumers in advanced versus emerging markets," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(2).
    9. Francesco Gangi & Antonio Meles & Eugenio D'Angelo & Lucia Michela Daniele, 2019. "Sustainable development and corporate governance in the financial system: Are environmentally friendly banks less risky?," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(3), pages 529-547, May.
    10. Maria del Mar Miras & Bernabe Escobar & Amalia Carrasco, 2014. "Are Spanish Listed Firms Betting on CSR during the Crisis? Evidence from the Agency Problem," Business and Management Research, Business and Management Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 3(1), pages 85-95, March.
    11. Francesco Gangi & Mario Mustilli & Nicola Varrone & Lucia Michela Daniele, 2018. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Banks’ Financial Performance," International Business Research, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 11(10), pages 42-58, October.
    12. Fernando Ubeda & Alvaro Mendez & Francisco Javier Forcadell, 2024. "Sustainable banking and trust in the global South," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 15(S1), pages 34-44, March.
    13. Hsueh, Che-Fu, 2014. "Improving corporate social responsibility in a supply chain through a new revenue sharing contract," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 214-222.
    14. Halit Gonenc & Bert Scholtens, 2019. "Responsibility and Performance Relationship in the Banking Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-49, June.
    15. Alena Kocmanová & Marie Pavláková Dočekalová & Tomáš Meluzín & Stanislav Škapa, 2020. "Sustainable Investing Model for Decision Makers (Based On Research of Manufacturing Industry in the Czech Republic)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-27, October.
    16. Veronica Devenin & Constanza Bianchi, 2018. "Soccer fields? What for? Effectiveness of corporate social responsibility initiatives in the mining industry," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 25(5), pages 866-879, September.
    17. Juan Carlos Bárcena‐Ruiz & Amagoia Sagasta, 2021. "Cross‐ownership and corporate social responsibility," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 89(4), pages 367-384, July.
    18. Francesco Aiello & Paola Cardamone & Lidia Mannarino & Valeria Pupo, 2021. "Green patenting and corporate social responsibility: Does family involvement in business matter?," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(4), pages 1386-1396, July.
    19. Ya-Fang Wang, 2021. "Corporate Social Responsibility, Environmental Pollution, and Stock Market Reaction," International Journal of Business and Economic Sciences Applied Research (IJBESAR), International Hellenic University (IHU), Kavala Campus, Greece (formerly Eastern Macedonia and Thrace Institute of Technology - EMaTTech), vol. 14(1), pages 40-47, June.
    20. Nathaniel P Springer & Kelly Garbach & Kathleen Guillozet & Van R Haden & Prashant Hedao & Allan D Hollander & Patrick R Huber & Christina Ingersoll & Megan Langner & Genevieve Lipari & Yaser Mohammad, 2015. "Sustainable Sourcing of Global Agricultural Raw Materials: Assessing Gaps in Key Impact and Vulnerability Issues and Indicators," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(6), pages 1-22, June.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:wly:corsem:v:16:y:2009:i:4:p:217-227. 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: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://doi.org/10.1002/(ISSN)1535-3966 .

    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.