CSR Beyond Economy and Society: A Post-capitalist Approach

Roth, Steffen; Valentinov, Vladislav; Heidingsfelder, Markus; Pérez-Valls, Miguel

doi:10.1007/s10551-018-4068-y

Cited by 54 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 82 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…The dangers are illuminated by a perspective on scientific production that situates science as part of society, rather than standing apart from it. It is argued that approaches such as the Quadruple Helix include society or civil society within existing models as an afterthought, in a way that Roth et al (, p. 5) describe as desultory. It may be better to conceptualise scientific production and the universities, industry R&D, and government that produce such knowledge, not as standing alongside society as separable forces but rather as themselves embedded from the beginning in society itself.…”

Section: The Need For a Sociological Perspectivementioning

confidence: 99%

Open Science and Open Innovation in a socio‐political context: knowledge production for societal impact in an age of post‐truth populism

Smart

Holmes

Lettice³

et al. 2019

R & D Management

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This conceptual paper traces the origins and progress of Open Science and proposes its generative coupling to Open Innovation in the contemporary socio-political context; where universities are re-imaging their civic missions in the face of anti-establishment populist politics. This setting is one of changing knowledge production regimes and institutional pressures that create contradictions identifiable through the prism of the series of scientific norms conceptualised by Robert K. Merton. This paper privileges a sociological perspective to proffer scientific knowledge production as a societally embedded process, which is well illustrated by scholarship in the Science and Technology Studies (STS) and Science in Society fields. In doing so, it identifies the co-evolution, co-existence and co-production of Open Science with Open Innovation; and notes how it shares the attributes of other recent diagnoses of changing knowledge production regimes; in particular Mode 2, postnormal science and the Quadruple Helix. It also argues that Open Science can be coupled with Open Innovation to catalyse positive societal change, but that the rise of a populist post-truth era opposed to objectivity, expertise and technocratic political solutions gives the demand for openness and participation a different complexion. Merton's norms provide a useful lens to observe recent shifts in the delivery of science, knowledge and innovation in society towards more inclusive, ethical and sustainable outcomes; and expose the limited reflection on how the appropriation and exploitation of open scientific knowledge encounters industrial R&D and Open Innovation.

show abstract

Section: The Need For a Sociological Perspectivementioning

confidence: 99%

Open Science and Open Innovation in a socio‐political context: knowledge production for societal impact in an age of post‐truth populism

Smart

Holmes

Lettice³

et al. 2019

R & D Management

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Roth et al (, p. 195) argue that functional differentiation multiplies horizons of organizational decision‐making, thereby making organizations smarter and more flexible (cf. Roth, Valentinov, Heidingsfelder, & Perez‐Valls, ). Will, Roth, and Valentinov () show that organizations develop “multifunctional profiles” that are supposed to correspond to their dependencies on specific function systems.…”

Section: A Sociology Of Knowledge Perspectivementioning

confidence: 99%

The limits of transparency: A systems theory view

2019

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The paper explores the implications of Ludwig von Bertalanffy's general systems theory for the current debates on the nature of organizational transparency as an element of good governance. If transparency implies the exchange of information, then it may be taken, at a metaphorical level, to constitute a dimension of metabolism theorized by Bertalanffy's open systems model. Yet, the model likewise lays bare some of the limits of transparency idea. Bertalanffy's work on the nature of emergent properties, his critique of the stimulus-response scheme, and his perspectivistic account of the systemic perception of the environment all point in the direction of the impossibility of full transparency.Later systems-theoretic work on operational closure and selfreferentiality has reinforced and even radicalized these insights, which are shown to resonate with some of the key arguments in the contemporary economics, sociology of knowledge, and business ethics.KEYWORDS corporate social responsibility, information, knowledge, operational closure, transparency This sort of controversial debate is probably not unique to transparency. Hielscher, Beckmann, and Pies

show abstract

“…Roth (), among other authors, recognized the use and associations traditionally identified between functional differentiation and the divisions and subdivisions of labour and organizations, respectively (i.e., departmentation or departmentalization; Moon, ; Young, Hougland, & Shepard, ). Thus, applying this idea of organizational multifunctionality to corporations (and considering their departments as organizational subsystems), we might overcome some of the problems of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in a capitalistic environment (Roth et al, ).…”

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the management of sustainability has been ill addressed in many organizations, considering the impact of all organizational activities only with economical metrics (Roth et al, ). These limitations reduce the scope of business sustainability and CSR‐related activities.…”

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This gap has been addressed by the functional differentiation approach (Roth, Valentinov, Heidingsfelder, & Pérez‐Valls, ), which distinguishes incommensurable function systems that are binary‐coded communicative systems, such as the economy, law, politics, and science (Will, Roth, & Valentinov, ). The application of the Luhmann concept of functional differentiation explains how each function system is associated with a set of dominant theories that have contributed to a better society and environment (Roth, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The contribution of systems theory to sustainability in degrowth contexts: The role of subsystems

2019

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The earth and the natural world have physical limits. Thus, industries or firm systems operating on this planet have limits as well. Infinite growth is intrinsically impossible. Some firms have integrated these principles into their management methods while struggling to survive in a traditional competitive environment with short‐term economic constraints. This paper explores the managerial practices that help firm systems address these paradoxical tensions of being responsible for the environment and having a long‐term degrowth orientation while also successfully competing in traditional capitalistic markets. Using a social system approach, the paper applies functional differentiation focusing on the internal aspects of the management of the firm. The paper highlights that the role of each subsystem can be crucial for integrating the survival of the firm system and the natural system';; limits. Each subsystem has a potential effect on the natural system that can be analysed and managed in a specific way.

show abstract

CSR Beyond Economy and Society: A Post-capitalist Approach

Cited by 54 publications

References 82 publications

Open Science and Open Innovation in a socio‐political context: knowledge production for societal impact in an age of post‐truth populism

Open Science and Open Innovation in a socio‐political context: knowledge production for societal impact in an age of post‐truth populism

The limits of transparency: A systems theory view

The contribution of systems theory to sustainability in degrowth contexts: The role of subsystems

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About