Corporate social responsibility as an organizational and managerial challenge: the forgotten legacy of the Corporate Social Responsiveness movement

Abstract

Copies of this article can be made free of charge and without securing permission, for purposes of teaching, research, or library reserve. Consent to other kinds of copying, such as that for creating new works, or for resale, must be obtained from both the journal editor(s) and the author(s). M@n@gement is a double-blind refereed journal where articles are published in their original language as soon as they have been accepted. For a free subscription to M@n@gement, and more information: http://www.management-aims.com

Reconsidering the ‘Symmetry’ Between Institutionalization and Professionalization: The Case of Corporate Social Responsibility Managers

“…This finding reflects the idea that organizational professionals are ‘weaker’ than more traditional occupational professionals, as previous research suggests (Caldwell, ; Reed, ). It also theoretically supports previous observations that as the institutionalization of CSR advances, the importance of the CSR manager diminishes (Acquier et al, ; Strand, ).…”

“…Third, we contribute to the CSR literature by examining the role of CSR managers, who have been described as the driving force for institutionalizing CSR within firms (e.g., Chandler, ; Strand, ). Our work complements previous research on the organizational implementation of CSR (e.g., Acquier et al, ; Bondy et al, ; Wickert et al, ) by providing empirical support for the argument that the declining importance of the CSR manager may indicate that CSR itself has been successfully embedded in the firm (Strand, ).…”

“…However, organizational professionals can actively counter marginalization by expanding their firm‐specific and local knowledge (Reed, ). This strategy allows CSR managers to maintain ‘the haziness surrounding [their] mission and focus‐points, and […] to reel in and embrace emerging issues that had originated from within the organization’ (Acquier et al, , p. 238). It is critical for CSR managers to perpetuate their role ambiguity, because CSR is a highly dynamic phenomenon (Matten and Moon, ) characterized by ‘ebbs and flows over time’ (Chandler, , p. 3).…”

“…CSR managers are described as ‘social issue sellers’ (Wickert and de Bakker, ) who build relationships with other functional managers within their organizational contexts in order to create momentum for CSR‐related change initiatives. As specialists for these issues, CSR managers mediate ‘between top management, the company's external environment, and middle managers from the operating divisions’ (Acquier et al, , p. 233).…”

“…However, the literature does not explain why the gradual institutionalization of CSR in MNCs does not necessarily reinforce the function of CSR managers and, counterintuitively, may even lead to their marginalization. For example, the corporate social responsiveness literature, which emerged in the 1970s, considered how external pressures translate into internal strategies and procedures that make organizations more or less responsive to social issues (e.g., Ackerman, ; Ackerman and Bauer, ; for a recent overview see Acquier et al, ). Interestingly, and in line with our empirical observations, Ackerman and Bauer () propose that full institutionalization of CSR might require CSR managers ‘to agree to relinquish their position as driver and take a more back‐seat role supporting division‐level action’ (Acquier et al, , p. 233).…”