Corporate social responsibility and the evolving standards regime: regulatory and political dynamics

Abstract

The United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) is an autonomous agency engaging in multidisciplinary research on the social dimensions of contemporary problems affecting development. Its work is guided by the conviction that, for effective development policies to be formulated, an understanding of the social and political context is crucial. The Institute attempts to provide governments, development agencies, grassroots organizations and scholars with a better understanding of how development policies and processes of economic, social and environmental change affect different social groups. Working through an extensive network of national research centres, UNRISD aims to promote original research and strengthen research capacity in developing countries.A list of UNRISD's free and priced publications can be obtained by contacting the Reference Centre. Copyright © United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD). Short extracts from this publication may be reproduced unaltered without authorization on condition that the source is indicated. For rights of reproduction or translation, application should be made to UNRISD, Palais des Nations, 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland. UNRISD welcomes such applications. The designations employed in UNRISD publications, which are in conformity with United Nations practice, and the presentation of material therein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNRISD concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The responsibility for opinions expressed in signed articles, studies and other contributions rests solely with their authors, and publication does not constitute an endorsement by UNRISD of the opinions expressed in them. United Nations Researchii u Contents The case study of the attempt to eliminate the use of child labour in the manufacture of soccer balls in Pakistan outlines the politics and processes of complex multi-stakeholder North-South partnerships to promote corporate social responsibility. An important lesson from this case is the fundamental importance of corporate transparency and a willingness to accept independent monitoring. The study reveals the tensions inherent in such projects. Serious questions remain concerning the future of children whose employment is affected, the effects of such projects on exports, and the sustainability and replicability of complex multistakeholder projects.The case studies are followed by a review of various typologies of business-NGO relations in the literature on conflict and partnership. None, it is argued, explains adequately the diversity of such relations and their implications for governance and global social change. Part 1 concludes with preliminary thoughts on the preconditions, interactive processes and outcomes of more collaborative relations between business and NGOs.Part 2 presents a theory to explain the expanding role of NGOs in the promotion of c...

The Global Diffusion of Supply Chain Codes of Conduct: Market, Nonmarket, and Time-Dependent Effects

“…Extensive earlier scholarship on SCCCs has established their key elements. The literature broadly encompasses codes of conduct developed or adopted by firms, industry groups, civil society organizations, multistakeholder coalitions, standard-setting organizations, and intergovernmental bodies such as the United Nations and its agencies (Gilbert & Rasche, 2008; Gilbert, Rasche, & Waddock, 2011; Jenkins, 2011; Pope, 2015; Sethi, 2011; Utting, 2015). An SCCC must be public, that is, a written document published on a firm’s website, released to the press or investors, or otherwise made transparent (Sethi, 2011; Sobczak, 2006).…”

“…For example, several industry coalitions—such as the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (later the Responsible Business Alliance) in the electronics industry (Raj-Reichert, 2011) and the Global e-Sustainability Initiative Supply Chain Working Group in the telecommunications industry (Appolloni, Risso, & Zhang, 2013)—formed to develop common standards and create joint processes for assessing, auditing, and certifying major suppliers. Multistakeholder initiatives, such as the Clean Clothes Campaign, the Better Cotton Initiative, and the Kimberley Process, brought together firms with civil society partners to develop common standards across industries and regions (Rasche, 2012; Utting, 2015). Peer pressure exerted through these types of industry-specific initiatives serve as an important mechanism through which responsible supply chain practices diffuse through various industry contexts.…”