Second order governance: learning processes to identify indicators

Abstract

At the C3ED-UVSQ, a new methodology for assessing corporate social responsibility has been developed to better deal with a situation where top-down and commandand-control ways of management (first order governance) fail.The method suggested and tested is a second order governance process combining phases of 'opening up' and 'closing down'. Opening up includes stakeholder involvement and closing down scientific input and management responsibility in indicator development. This way, indicators can be derived that are generic, locally meaningful and accepted by management and stakeholders while conforming to the international standards of indicator development.In the case study presented, this methodology has been modified and applied to one of Germany's major aluminium processing sites, with staff, management, suppliers, customers and local stakeholders involved.The sets of 10 indicators each derived for the economic, environmental, social and institutional dimensions are presented.

The Corporate Human Development Index CHDI: a tool for corporate social sustainability management and reporting

“…They are amongst the most demanded measures in interviews with the work force, and often shared by parts of the management (Spangenberg, 2008). Today, they are considered part of the most promising future management strategies, since traditional approaches of increasing labour productivity have reached limits and the horizon of risk management has widened in the last couple of decades to include social and environmental factors.…”

“…While the social impact of a company up and down the supply chain more often than not covers a wider area, production and employment are place-bound and thus local. Local stakeholders often demand that key management figures live in the vicinity of the company, and become members of local community networks e that is how trust and social capital are generated, much more so than by donations to hospitals or football clubs (Spangenberg, 2008). Cities and regions thrive not least due to the consumption and investment expenditures of their citizens (Shmelev and Shmeleva, 2009), financed from sufficient and secured salaries, paid by the companies they are hosting.…”

“…The internal situation of a company, from industrial relations to salary levels has been rather neglected, while donations to civil society groups, sponsoring and investment for the public good were counted as indications of social responsibility (Bronchain, 2003). On the other hand, much more attention has been given to the environmental performance than to social factors; health and safety have often been the key issue of inhouse CSR efforts (Spangenberg, 2008).…”

Assessment of sustainability indicators for urban water infrastructure in a developing country

“…For this reason, this study attempted to suggest a new, more comprehensive framework, which includes various dimensions of sustainable development, namely environmental, social, economic, technological, and institutional. According to Juwana, Muttil, and Perera (2012), Pires et al (2017), Spangenberg (2008), these sustainability dimensions are defined below. Identified indicators were categorized under each of the sustainability dimensions and presented in Figure 2.…”

Synthesizing and standardizing criteria for the evaluation of sustainability indicators in the water sector

“…Work on developing sustainability indicators has improved significantly since the 1980s and the need for more consistent and applicable indicator systems continues to be evident (Spreng & Wils, 2000;Becker, 2010). Juwana, et al, 2012;Spangenberg, 2008;McCool & Stankey, 2004, among others confirm that the extensive and intense application of indicators by a wide range of users in different contexts is leading to vast array of approaches, methodologies and terminologies, often with much overlap and redundancy. If indicator use is to remain effective, there is a need to cycle between moments of creativity in which new indicators and methodologies are proposed and developed, and moments of analysis, synthesis, and standardization in order reflect on the needs of sharing information and to avoid the creation of an overwhelming number of indicators with high levels of redundancy which may damage the effectiveness of indicator use overall.…”