NGO Strategies for Promoting Corporate Social Responsibility

2002 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morton Winston
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Codes Of Conduct ◽  
Legal Standards ◽  
Voluntary Codes Of Conduct ◽  
Financial Interests ◽  
Corporate Social Accountability ◽  
Naming And Shaming ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
National Governments

This article describes and evaluates the different strategies that have been employed by international human rights nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in attempting to influence the behavior of multinational corporations (MNCs). Within the NGO world, there is a basic divide on tactics for dealing with corporations: Engagers try to draw corporations into dialogue in order to persuade them by means of ethical and prudential arguments to adopt voluntary codes of conduct, while confronters believe that corporations will act only when their financial interests are threatened, and therefore take a more adversarial stance toward them. Confrontational NGOs tend to employ moral stigmatization, or “naming and shaming,” as their primary tactic, while NGOs that favor engagement offer dialogue and limited forms of cooperation with willing MNCs.The article explains the evolving relationship between NGOs and MNCs in relation to human rights issues and defines eight strategies along the engagement/confrontation spectrum used by NGOs in their dealings with MNCs. The potential benefits and risks of various forms of engagement between NGOs and MNCs are analyzed and it is argued that the dynamic created by NGOs pursuing these different strategies can be productive in moving some companies to embrace their social responsibilities. Yet, in order for these changes to be sustainable, national governments will need to enact enforceable international legal standards for corporate social accountability.

A Human Rights Approach to Developing Voluntary Codes of Conduct for Multinational Corporations

2006 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 255-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Codes Of Conduct ◽  
Moral Obligations ◽  
Economic Rights ◽  
Moral Force ◽  
Voluntary Codes Of Conduct

The criticism that voluntary codes of conduct are ineffective can be met by giving greater centrality to human rights in such codes. Provided the human rights obligations of multinational corporations are interpreted as moral obligations specifically tailored to the situation of multinational corporations, this could serve to bring powerful moral force to bear on MNCs and could provide a legitimating basis for NGO monitoring and persuasion. Approached in this way the human rights obligations of MNCs can be taken to include support for political as well as economic rights. This will go some way towards filling the regulatory gap created by the difficulty of controlling the activities of corporations operating globally. However, such a proposal will require a measure of ‘meta-regulation’ whereby the operations of MNCs are legally required to be sufficiently transparent to create the conditions for effective external moral scrutiny

scholarly journals Responsibilities of Multinational Corporations on Environmental Issues

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 78
Author(s):  
Mahsa Hosseini Moghaddam ◽  
Ali Zare
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
International Law ◽  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Environmental Issues ◽  
Multinational Companies ◽  
Political Issues ◽  
The Third ◽  
Responsible Behavior ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
A Company

Multinational corporations play more roles in social and cultural and political issues in this century. This growing trend in multinational companies, has led the international law, talk about "corporate social responsibility". One of the most important aspects of CSR is environmental issues. The question is that is there enough regulatory basis- at the local or international level- to guaranty responsible behavior of these companies. And in the cases of environmental damages which parts of a company should be responsive and compensate damages. Perhaps the assignment of responsibility in the actions against multinational companies on environmental issues is not too difficult; the reason is that losses are objective and external. Note that in many deserving cases, harm to the environmental rights is a violation of human rights, particularly the third generation of human rights.

scholarly journals Corporate social responsibility against workers?

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 55-76
Author(s):  
Clément Séhier
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Codes Of Conduct ◽  
Value Added ◽  
International Labour Organisation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Audits ◽  
Corporate Social

Purpose This paper aims to investigate to what extent and for which reasons the codes of conduct and social audits of multinational corporations (MNCs) have failed to change practices within Chinese factories. A special attention is given to the social compliance initiatives (SCIs) and multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs) which did not overcome the main obstacles of the compliance approach. Design/methodology/approach This research is based on a fieldwork in China, including 36 semi-constructed interviews with practitioners involved in corporate social responsibility (CSR), participant observation in the CSR programme of the International Labour Organisation office in Beijing and several visits of factories involved in CSR programmes. Secondary sources are used to estimate the distribution of value added along global value chains (GVCs). Findings The codes of conduct and social audits tend to reproduce the domination of MNCs within GVCs. This paper highlights some obstacles – and opportunities – for CSR appropriate to the Chinese context. Research limitations/implications Only a few MNCs agreed to meet the author and speak openly. No one allowed the author to visit their suppliers’ factories. Practical implications The findings of this study suggest that the most widespread approach to CSR by MNCs is flawed. More attention should be given to specific institutional contexts and to workers’ participation. Originality/value CSR discourse and practices in China are put in the context of GVCs and in the transformation of Chinese industry and labour relations. This method allows going beyond a case study approach. Instrumentations of several SCIs and MSIs are also analysed in detail.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Theories of Global Governance

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
David L. Levy ◽  
Rami Kaplan
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Global Governance ◽  
Codes Of Conduct ◽  
New Governance ◽  
Contested Terrain ◽  
Corporate Social

This article develops a framework in which corporate social responsibility (CSR) represents the contested terrain of global governance. The rise of CSR is one of the more striking developments of recent decades in the global political economy. Calls for multinational corporations (MNCs) to demonstrate greater responsibility, transparency, and accountability are leading to the establishment of a variety of new governance structures—rules, norms, codes of conduct, and standards—that constrain and shape MNCs' behavior. CSR is thus not just a struggle over practices, but over the locus of governance authority, offering a potential path toward the transformation of stakeholders from external observers and petitioners into legitimate and organized participants in decision-making. This article points to two distinct perspectives on CSR; as a more socially embedded and democratic form of governance that emanates from civil society, or alternatively, as a privatized system of corporate governance that lacks public accountability.

Voluntary Codes of Conduct for Multinational Corporations

2006 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-117
Author(s):  
S. Prakash Sethi
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Business Ethics ◽  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Codes Of Conduct ◽  
University Of Pennsylvania ◽  
Corporate Accountability ◽  
Select Group ◽  
Ethics Research ◽  
Voluntary Codes Of Conduct ◽  
Additional Support

This issue of Business Ethics Quarterly offers a special forum incorporating a select group of papers that were presented at the First International Conference on “Voluntary Codes of Conduct for Multinational Corporations: Promises and Challenges,” held at the Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College, City University of New York, on May 12–15, 2004. The conference was organized by the International Center for Corporate Accountability (ICCA), Inc., and was co-sponsored by the Zicklin Center for Business Ethics Research of The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and the World Bank’s World Bank Institute. Additional support was provided by a number of major corporations, academic institutions, and nongovernment organizations.

Cross-Sector Alliance Learning and Effectiveness of Voluntary Codes of Corporate Social Responsibility

2006 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bindu Arya ◽  
Jane E. Salk
Keyword(s):  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Codes Of Conduct ◽  
Socially Responsible ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Regulatory Governance ◽  
Learning Platform ◽  
Governance Systems ◽  
Voluntary Codes Of Conduct ◽  
Corporate Social

Firms and industries increasingly subscribe to voluntary codes of conduct. These self-regulatory governance systems can be effective in establishing a more sustainable and inclusive global economy. However, these codes can also be largely symbolic, reactive measures to quell public criticism. Cross-sector alliances (between for-profit and nonprofit actors) present a learning platform for infusing participants with greater incentives to be socially responsible. They can provide multinationals new capabilities that allow them to more closely ally social responsibility with economic performance. This paper examines learning facilitators in cross-sector alliances that enrich corporate understanding of stakeholder concerns. It suggests that these organizational learning experiments can translate into globally responsible practices and processes that improve the content and effectiveness of voluntary corporate codes.

scholarly journals Regulating corporate social responsibility practices of adopting codes of conduct through criminal law

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lilach Litor
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Criminal Law ◽  
Corporate Social Performance ◽  
Criminal Liability ◽  
Codes Of Conduct ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Legal Standards ◽  
Regulatory Approach ◽  
Corporate Social

PurposeThis paper explores different approaches to regulating corporate social responsibility (CSR) patterns of adopting codes of conduct, and discusses the approach that courts should embrace.Design/methodology/approachCase studies from various legal systems will be examined. The paper presents new typology relating to different patterns of the Corporate Social Performance (CSP) model, based on aspects of the CSR pyramid, namely, legislative CSR and ethical CSR. Legislative CSR includes adoption of thin codes which reflect compliance within current legal standards of the criminal code, while ethical CSR includes codes reflecting ethical norms and corporate social citizenship beyond mere compliance. The paper also includes the interplay of different patterns of CSR and three approaches to regulation regarding these patterns.FindingsBoth the Israeli negative CSR regulatory approach and the American legislative CSR regulatory approach present difficulties.Originality/valueThe paper introduces a theory for regulating CSR within criminal law, drawing on the pyramid of CSR. It presents an original discussion of distinct approaches to regulation of corporate liability, while further developing the institutional theory of CSR and the interplay of regulation and CSR. The paper suggests a novel solution regarding the regulation and acceptance of CSR: the granting of protection from criminal liability to corporations who adopt CSR.

A Perspective on Corporate Social Responsibility in the Europe

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (20) ◽  
pp. 1-70
Author(s):  
吳盈德 吳盈德
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
Legal Issue ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Poor Countries ◽  
Corporate Social

The European legislative and regulatory efforts for corporate accountability are broad in scope, encompassing a diversity of concerns for corporate transparency; the overall protection of human rights; the protection of animals and the physical environment; the rights of the consumer; the rights of the workers; and the impact of multinational firm operations on the local communities in efforts to generate shareholder wealth. A major legal issue with cases of corporate misbehavior on a global scale has been the rights of certain courts to hear corporate irresponsibility claims filed against companies which operate abroad. An outcome of the explosive growth of industry, the exploitation of poor countries with deficient critical infrastructures by multinational corporations has continued to plague society through blatant abuses of the physical environment as well as basic human rights. Nonetheless, poor countries continue to pursue financial investments from multinational corporations as well as from global sources of public aid. The European Union has endeavored to regulate such relationships in order to protect human rights and preserve the environment. This article provides an overview of corporate social responsibility in the European Union with a case study of the social and economic impact of the Royal Dutch Shell business activities and performance in the Niger Delta. The outcomes for European corporations who do not incorporate the principles of corporate social responsibility in their business structure and activities include lawsuits based upon claims of environmental degradation and socioeconomic exploitation. The integration of corporate social responsibility into the European corporate business practices and operations has a limited yet positive affect on the financial performance of the firm.歐盟對於企業問責制的立法規範可說是不遺餘力，涉及層面廣，包含對公司透明度的各種關注、人權全面保護、動物與實體環境的保護、消費者權利、勞工權利及跨國企業一心一意為股東創造財富的營運模式對於當地社區的影響。企業在世界各地的不當行為案例所引發的重大法律議題，長久以來的爭議，是特定法院是否有權審理海外公司因不負責任為由遭到控訴的案件。工業爆炸性成長的後果是跨國公司不斷利用關鍵基礎設施缺乏的貧窮國家，持續公然濫用自然環境和基本人權，為社會帶來紛擾與不安。儘管如此，貧窮國家仍繼續尋求跨國公司和全球公共援助來源的金融投資。歐盟一直努力規範這層關係，以便保護人權及保存環境資源。本文透過荷蘭皇家殼牌集團在尼日河三角洲的商業活動及表現，產生的社會經濟影響實際案例，概述歐盟的企業社會責任。未將企業社會責任原則納入旗下業務結構和活動的歐盟企業，面臨的後果包括以環保破壞與社會經濟剝削為基礎提起的訴訟。將企業社會責任原則併入歐盟企業實務營運會對企業的財務表現產生有限、卻正面積極的影響。

Human rights and corporate social responsibility

2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Stohl ◽  
Cynthia Stohl
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Time Frame ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Three Generations ◽  
Human Rights Regime ◽  
Rights Discourse ◽  
Corporate Social

PurposeThe paper seeks to explore how globalization processes have shaped the nature, scope, and time frame of considerations of social responsibility and the development of a corporate social responsibility (CSR) regime. The paper identifies three generations of human rights' values embedded within the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and aims to argue that they inspire and influence contemporary discussions about, and practices of CSR.Design/methodology/approachEmploying the emergence of the human rights regime as a paradigmatic case comparison, the interrelationships of states, non‐governmental organizations (NGOs), and corporations in the development of new conceptions and expectations of, and organizations for CSR were explored.FindingsThe paper finds strong parallels between the growth of the global human rights regime and the burgeoning international attention paid to issues of CSR and sustainability. Four critical stages are identified: the formal articulation of norms, the increasing role of NGOs, changing power dynamics between state, NGOs, and multinational corporations, and the reconfiguration of network density and diversity.Practical implicationsThe paper suggests that attention to the communicative processes associated with the development of the international human rights regime provides important insights for the future development of a global CSR regime.Originality/valueThrough the introduction of the three generations of human rights discourse, communicative actions and pathways from which a global corporate social responsibility regime may emerge were articulated.

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