Government Policies for Corporate Social Responsibility in Europe: Support and Institutionalization

Knudsen, Jette Steen; Moon, Jeremy; Slager, Rieneke

doi:10.2139/ssrn.2176347

Cited by 9 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…First, the focus of CSR has shifted from a local community orientation to the international level (Gjølberg, ; O'Rourke, ; Vogel, ). Second, whereas CSR traditionally has been defined as voluntary initiatives (McWilliams and Siegel, ), governments have become more involved in CSR programs either through traditional mandatory regulation of business or through soft law that encourages companies to pursue CSR initiatives (Knudsen et al., ).…”

Section: The Role Of Government In Csrmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The article distinguishes between two kinds of government drivers of CSR: (1) public regulation where governments regulate company behavior through mandatory policies (traditional coercive regulation enforced through the legal system); and (2) public regulation where governments attempt to support voluntary efforts by firms (i.e. softer voluntary regulation such as endorsement, facilitation and partnering (Knudsen et al., ). I ask if the UK government with its more consensus‐oriented approach to regulation promotes a different form of CSR compared to the US government, which is known for a more top down legalistic approach to government regulation.…”

Section: The Role Of Government In Csrmentioning

confidence: 99%

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How Do Domestic Regulatory Traditions Shape CSR in Large International US and UK Firms?

Knudsen

2017

Global Policy

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This article examines corporate social responsibility (CSR) pertaining to labor standards in apparel and tax transparency in extractives and explores how domestic regulatory traditions shape CSR in large international US and UK firms. Reflecting their more collaborative business‐government traditions, British firms are more willing to join international CSR multi‐stakeholder initiatives with business‐critical actors such as unions and civil society actors. The US has a more top‐down regulatory approach, which promotes hard law international CSR or encourages business‐driven voluntary CSR initiatives. This article makes three contributions. First, it argues that while corporations are the key actors in international CSR, their behavior reflects their respective national business systems. Second, focusing on a range of international CSR initiatives, this article finds that UK firms are more interested in adopting international (multi‐stakeholder) CSR initiatives than US firms. Finally, the article shows that the US and the UK governments play a key role in driving an international CSR agenda, and in doing this it highlights government agency more so than other research has.

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Section: The Role Of Government In Csrmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Role Of Government In Csrmentioning

confidence: 99%

How Do Domestic Regulatory Traditions Shape CSR in Large International US and UK Firms?

Knudsen

2017

Global Policy

Self Cite

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“…Others mention that there is not a 'one solution fits all' definition of CSR (European Commission, 2011;van Marrewijk, 2002). The argument of still existing diversity and path--dependency in the socio--economic context and cultural heritage and, therefore barrier to convergence of CSR approaches (Knudsen et al, 2015;Furrer et al, 2010;Antal and Sobczac, 2007) and its consequences on the meaningfulness of CSR strategies and activities in sport should not be dismissed too lightly or even ignored. The problem can be exemplified along the difference between traditionally more liberal market oriented regions like North America and traditionally more centrally--organised integrative national systems like the central European.…”

Section: Relevance and Impact Of Regional And Cultural Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Corporate social responsibility and governance in sport: “Oh, the things you can find, if you don’t stay behind!”

Breitbarth

Walzel

Anagnostopoulos

et al. 2015

Corporate Governance

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Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to provide practical and future research implications for the field of governance and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in sports to strengthen the depth of knowledge in this area. Design/methodology/approach -This paper reviews parts of the existing international literature and draws on literature from general business, management and governance to widen the scope and open spaces of opportunities for interested researchers. Findings -The authors find six themes that are of particular relevance and cluster them along context, content and process to map out critical and promising aspects that we believe will progress our understanding of and contribution to CSR and governance in sport: features and idiosyncrasies of sport in relation to governance and CSR; the relevance and impact of regional and cultural context; reflections on "content" of CSR in sport in difference to CSR through sport; the quest for the business case for CSR in sport and consumer reactions; the potential for interdisciplinary, multilevel and longitudinal research; and finding a critical voice and relating research (back) to industry and practice. Originality/value -The paper reviews and interlinks the topic of CSR and governance in sport in new ways and with an established, wider body of knowledge, and provides new inspiration and starting points for research from both a broader management angle and a sport-specific angle.

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“…The strategy of setting benchmarks for CSR is one that has been used often by international corporate watchdogs for two reasons: first of all, the setting of examples makes the case for a clarification of expectations, being the lack of comprehension among companies and stakeholders a major risk for CSR failure, that happens also in presence of channels of communication, due to intrinsic differences in language and objectives of involved parties. Secondly, because the benchmarking logic is appropriate for the competitive nature of capitalistic businesses (Knudsen et al, 2015). Knudsen et al (2015) have suggested that in Europe the endorsing role of the state towards CSR is yet scarcely developed if compared to the remaining functions, exception made for countries that are more supportive of business activity and associative governance, as it is the case for the UK and Germany.…”

Section: International and Supranational Csr Policies: Problematizatimentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Secondly, because the benchmarking logic is appropriate for the competitive nature of capitalistic businesses (Knudsen et al, 2015). Knudsen et al (2015) have suggested that in Europe the endorsing role of the state towards CSR is yet scarcely developed if compared to the remaining functions, exception made for countries that are more supportive of business activity and associative governance, as it is the case for the UK and Germany. On the basis of the categorization made by Albareda et al (2007) approaches are briefly resumed as follows:…”

Section: International and Supranational Csr Policies: Problematizatimentioning

confidence: 99%

The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) approach as a framework for business involvement in health promotion in the welfare state

Monachino¹

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This dissertation is to be situated in the debate about the development of the contemporary Western European welfare state, its displacement of responsibilities from state to non-state societal actors and the resulting concerns vis-à-vis the optimal distribution of responsibilities. Drawing, in interdisciplinary fashion, from the fields of political sociology, political economics, welfare studies, public health policy, and management, it focuses upon the involvement of for-profit, non-state actors into a field traditionally of state competence, that of public health. In order to do so, are considered two spheres of research and practice that frame and motivate the involvement of business actors in public health in the welfare state, and that have been seldom crossed: the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) approach and the health promotion approach. Through the means of a qualitative policy analysis relying on a variety of methods, literature review, document analysis, case studies and participant observation, this dissertation sets out to identify the features of business involvement in health promotion through CSR, and to examine and discuss the issues arising from such involvement in the context of the Western European welfare state. Specifically, the purpose is that of participating to the clarification and discussion of the potential contributions and dilemmas CSR initiatives pose for health promotion policy and practice, as well as unveiling the limits to such contribution. The findings suggest that initiatives formulated within the CSR framework are apt to allow business actors to further contextual health promotion priorities and approaches, as well as enabling the advancing of social capital and trust building at local level. Nevertheless, such contributions were found to be partial, limited by a number of specific boundaries inherent to the way the CSR approach is configured and to the way it is applied. Boundaries are resumed in terms of: coexistent rationalities and partial understandings concerning the CSR approach; lack of awareness of business actors concerning the health promotion approach and its dimensions; positive understanding of social responsibility; and limited instruments for cross-sectoral negotiation and collaboration. On the basis of the findings, the dissertation refutes the dilemmas, presented in literature, concerning the potential for CSR initiatives to constitute a mean for the scaling back of governmental responsibilities or the divulgation of a narrow understanding of health. On the other hand, it confirms their potential instrumentality to the pursuit of opportunistic objectives, such as market differentiation and regulation avoidance. The information collected did not allow discussing the aptitude for CSR initiatives to constitute channels for the direct lobbying of political élites or the exercise of organizational control upon employees. The dissertation further warns that the selection of causes, beneficiaries, and social partners operated in absence of mechanism...

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Government Policies for Corporate Social Responsibility in Europe: Support and Institutionalization

Cited by 9 publications

References 37 publications

How Do Domestic Regulatory Traditions Shape CSR in Large International US and UK Firms?

How Do Domestic Regulatory Traditions Shape CSR in Large International US and UK Firms?

Corporate social responsibility and governance in sport: “Oh, the things you can find, if you don’t stay behind!”

The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) approach as a framework for business involvement in health promotion in the welfare state

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