Sharing Vocabularies: Towards Horizontal Alignment of Values-Driven Business Functions

Abstract

This paper highlights the emergence of different 'vocabularies' that describe various values-driven business functions within large organizations and argues for improved horizontal alignment between them. We investigate two established functions that have long-standing organizational histories: Ethics and Compliance (E&C) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). By drawing upon research on organizational alignment, we explain both the need for and the potential benefit of greater alignment between these values-driven functions. We then examine the structural and socio-cultural dimensions of organizational systems through which E&C and CSR horizontal alignment can be coordinated to improve synergies, address tensions, and generate insight to inform future research and practice in the field of Business and Society. The paper concludes with research questions that can inform future scholarly research and a practical model to guide organizations' efforts towards inter-functional, horizontal alignment of values-driven organizational practice.

Combining ethics and compliance: A systems psychodynamic inquiry into praxis and outcomes

“…Although these legislations originated in the United States of America (USA), they influenced the management of ethics and compliance globally and many countries legislated similar prescriptions (Institute of Directors South Africa, 2016; Remišová et al., 2019). Most multinational companies have to comply with USA regulations in their international trade requirements, and many European and Asia‐Pacific organisations use USSCGM and SOX as guidelines (Christina & Fort, 2020; Painter et al., 2019). Globally, similar legislative prescriptions to appoint senior managers responsible for ensuring overall compliant and ethical business conduct followed USSCGM and SOX (Marnet, 2007).…”

Special Issue: Global Perspectives on Business Ethics from the 40th Anniversary Conference of the Hoffman Center for Business Ethics at Bentley University, 2016

“…With a historical perspective on the development of these disciplines, Painter-Morland et al (2018) show the synergies of the two movements and how each can contribute to a values-driven business. In "Shared vocabularies and practices towards values-driven business: Bridging the divide between ethics and compliance and corporate social responsibility (CSR) functions," the authors' purpose is to learn from the past and current manifestations of CSR and E&C in order to develop a more integrated commitment to values and a more cohesive approach to ethics in management.…”

Bridging Cultural Holes in Organizations: The Dynamic Structure of Social Networks and Organizational Vocabularies Within and Across Subunits

“…Vocabularies provide the material basis for investigating the micromechanisms by which interacting people share structures of meanings in organizations (Lomi et al 2017, p. 66). The analysis of organizational vocabularies is attracting growing scholarly attention because of their novelty (e.g., Loewenstein 2014;Ocasio et al 2015Ocasio et al , 2018Demetry 2017;and Painter et al 2019) but is not yet integrated in the study of social networks and organizational functioning. However, vocabularies help to develop a better understanding of coordination patterns (Cramton 2001), cultural alignment (Basov 2019), and even friendship formation and persistence (Kovacs and Kleinbaum 2019) among organizational members, thus contributing to theoretical integration for organizational research and practice (Loewenstein et al 2012).…”