Adoption of corporate social responsibility – incorporating a stakeholder perspective

Abstract

Purpose -The aim of the present paper is to study what effect CSR has had on the practice of organizations. Design/methodology/approach -Since the effects of CSR on practice are an understudied topic the paper adopts a single case study design and studies Swedbank. Theoretically the paper approaches the problematic from the perspective of neo institutional theory and stakeholder theory. Findings -If CSR approaches colonize organisational practice, a fundamental shift from a shareholder strategy, to a social harmony strategy may be experienced, i.e. that the current focus on shareholder needs in contemporary organizations is balanced with the needs of other stakeholders. CSR adoption is surprisingly high at Swedbank and the paper thus argues that CSR might change the practice of organizations toward social harmony.Research limitations/implications -The case study design does not make possible empirical generalizations. Therefore, further research should focus on generalizing the findings. Further research might also conduct case studies by using the adoption framework in other empirical settings. Originality/value -The paper offers new insight on of the adoption of CSR in organizations and connects this issue to stakeholder theory. Additionally, framing the adoption of CSR from an institutional perspective is also novel.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Management Control

“…On the other hand several studies note the absence of employee involvement in CSR planning and execution. Enquist et al (2006) find that only top managers are involved in CSR reporting and that most employees are only vaguely aware of what sustainability reporting entails and its impact on their day-today operations. Durden (2008) found no evidence of shared values or collective beliefs related to CSR.…”

“…This research tends to focus on the volume of CSR disclosure rather than the practices that generate results. Of the previously cited case studies, three were conducted within the financial services sector (Enquist et al, 2006;Humphreys and Brown, 2007;Keating et al, 2008). While these studies provide a partial view of CSR control practices, the evidence is far too limited to permit generalisation.…”

“…Pederson and Neergard (2008) reports that targets were set for a small range of CSR areas including employment of people with special needs, emissions, electricity and water consumption. Enquist et al (2006) speaks of targeting reductions in three environmental measures but no details are provided. Gates and Germain (2010) survey controllers in France and find that CSR metrics play only a minor role in organisational control.…”

La Gestión De Las Políticas De Responsabilidad Social Corporativa en Las Cajas De Ahorro Españolas

“…Por tanto los gestores de las empresas deberán "explorar activamente sus relaciones con todas las partes interesadas" con el fin de desarrollar sus estrategias de negocio También se analiza ampliamente la relación de la RS con las estrategias empresariales, de acuerdo con Enquist et al (2006), los valores relacionados con la RS (entendida como la integración voluntaria de los aspectos sociales y medioambientales en las operaciones empresariales y sus interacciones con los stakeholders) son utilizados en las estrategias de marketing para crear relaciones de larga duración y distintivas con los clientes y otros stakeholders.…”

“…Con el fin de evitar los impactos derivados tanto de sus acciones como de las acciones llevadas a cabo por las empresas a las que financian, las entidades financieras incluyen aspectos sociales, éticos y medioambientales a la hora de apoyar y estudiar proyectos de negocios, al tiempo que han incrementado las actividades que llevan a cabo relacionadas con el medio ambiente, el desarrollo sostenible y programas sociales (Coulson y Monks, 1999;Murdoch, 1999;Thompson y Cowton, 2004;Cuesta, 2006;Enquist et al, 2006).…”