It's good to talk? Examining attitudes towards corporate social responsibility dialogue and engagement processes

This paper analyzes strategic implications of corporate responsibility (CR) and in particular how a firm can differentiate with an environmentally responsible image. A single case study was conducted in the Nordic hospitality industry with semi‐structured interviews as the main data collection method.By adopting an environmentally responsible identity through shared values with the firm's key stakeholders, the firm can reflect an environmentally responsible image. This image can enhance the firm's strategic position through internal and external differentiators from competitors – as the firm becomes a more preferred employer, partner and supplier, it results in enhanced employee motivation, cost savings, better reputation, and greater guest loyalty. The amount of CR depends on the micro/meso/macro/global‐level drivers, and competitive aims of the firm. The emphasis on stakeholder communication becomes greater as the firm increases its CR‐aggressiveness. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

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“…Outcomes of the CRADLE project reveals the following insights into stakeholder dialogues (Burchell, Cook 2006):…”

Section: Stakeholder Dialoguementioning

confidence: 99%

Image differentiation with corporate environmental responsibility

Heikkurinen

2010

Corp Soc Responsibility Env

138

116

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“…In the field of customer relations Tesco plc, for example, involve customers in 'focus groups' (Tesco, 2007). However, although such consultation procedures are discussed in varied academic sources relevant to CSR, such as Burchell and Cook (2006) on stakeholder engagement and dialogue, the possibility that they amount to no more than the manipulation of participants' beliefs and values in the corporate interest is less often admitted.…”

Section: Forms Of Stakeholder Relationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Organizations and responsibility: A critical overview

Maclagan

2008

Syst. Res.

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We start from the proposition that organizations' social and environmental policies and practices are influenced as much by stakeholders as by organizational management. Various types of organization-stakeholder relationship are outlined, from market-based (e.g. ethical consumerism) to participative (e.g. consultation and coalition). This organization-stakeholder network constitutes the problematic system of concern. The concept of responsibility and its attribution is critically considered, as is the likelihood of valueconflicts between members of this wider system. The tendency for 'corporate social responsibility' (CSR) to be managed hierarchically within organizations, characterized by an over-reliance on enforced codes of conduct is critiqued on ethical and practical grounds. It is argued that individuals require a capacity for moral judgement in applying codes and, more generally, when resolving conflict and dilemmas within the wider system of organization-stakeholder relations. An appropriate approach from ethical theory is therefore offered. The paper concludes with a summary of aspects of CSR to which the systems discipline could usefully contribute.

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“…Within the construct of stakeholder engagement, while rigid identification of the exact persons who qualify as stakeholders may be displaced, identification of what counts as a stakeholder claim is vital (Mitchell et al 1997). Once this identification has taken place, increased emphasis is placed upon the concept of stakeholder communication and dialogue and its many formats (Burchell and Cook 2006;ISO 2010, pp. 73-76;O'Riordan 2010, pp.…”

Section: Csr Stakeholder Engagementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It can comprise the process of establishing, developing and maintaining stakeholder relations. This can include stakeholder identification, consultation, communication, dialogue and exchange (Burchell and Cook 2006;Greenwood 2007, p. 322). More recently in this regard, the ISO 26000 principles for social responsibility define stakeholder engagement as all those activities which are undertaken to create opportunities for dialogue between an organisation and one or more of its stakeholders with the aim of providing an informed basis for the organisation's decisions (ISO 2010:4).…”

Section: Csr Stakeholder Engagementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Managing CSR Stakeholder Engagement: A New Conceptual Framework

2013

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As concepts of corporate social responsibility (CSR) continue to evolve, the predicament facing CSR managers when attempting to balance the differing interests of various stakeholders remains a persistent management challenge. A review of the extensive literature in this field reveals that the conceptualisation of corporate approaches to responsible stakeholder management remains underdeveloped. In particular, CSR practices within the specific context of the pharmaceutical industry, a sector which particularly dramatically depicts the stakeholder management dilemmas faced by business managers, has been under-researched. To address this gap, this paper utilises qualitative, exploratory data, obtained via multiple research methods, to investigate the CSR practices of major pharmaceutical companies in the UK and Germany. The data are employed to critically re-examine and revise a previously published explanatory framework which identifies the management steps involved in CSR stakeholder engagement. The resulting revised explanatory framework is the main contribution of this paper. By abstracting those factors which influence CSR practice, it provides an analytical tool which is designed to be of practical use for business decision-makers when managing their stakeholder engagement activities. Given that the research addresses values and ideals and prescribes practical recommendations for practitioners, it is essentially applied and normative in nature. Ultimately, the framework proposes a set of steps for developing CSR strategies which could help CSR professionals to make a 'mindset transition' from a narrower 'traditional' approach to CSR to a more innovative way of thinking.

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It's good to talk? Examining attitudes towards corporate social responsibility dialogue and engagement processes

Cited by 148 publications

References 10 publications

Image differentiation with corporate environmental responsibility

Image differentiation with corporate environmental responsibility

Organizations and responsibility: A critical overview

Managing CSR Stakeholder Engagement: A New Conceptual Framework

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