Corporations and society

2021 ◽  
pp. 103530462110157
Author(s):  
Vishnu Padayachee
Keyword(s):  
Shareholder Wealth ◽  
Review Article ◽  
Public Works ◽  
Executive Pay ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
The Public ◽  
Environmental Good ◽  
The Many ◽  
Changing Role

This extended Review Article assesses the changing role of the corporation in history, using the 2018 book by Oxford scholar Colin Mayer entitled ‘Prosperity’ as a basis for the analysis. This is a traditional review article centred around the Mayer book, but as we end we take our argument, albeit tentatively, to other related issues, beyond the Mayer argument. The corporation may be viewed in a positive sense as a creator of wealth and ‘prosperity’ for society in general, or as in a negative sense as generating ‘prosperity’ only for the few, shareholders and executives at the expense of the many, including workers, customers and future generations. Colin Mayer’s book visits both sides of this ‘prosperity’ equation and the title of the book derives from this recognition. Our argument is that even within the limits of contemporary neo-liberal global capitalism, corporations could be a force for more sustainable and balanced economic growth, as well as for social and environmental good. This requires a clarification of its ‘purpose’ as well as changes in the composition of its decision-making structures and revised mandates of its boards and sub-committees such as its remuneration committees that often have been given the power alone to determine executive pay. But we argue (albeit only suggestively) in the final section that the nature and variety of capitalism itself may have to be addressed alongside firm level changes for the long-term good and sustainability of a more equal society. Mayer shows that since its birth in Roman times, as an agency for promoting public works and the public good, the corporation has taken on many different roles, with varying purpose. Only in the last 50 years has the Milton Friedman doctrine, that companies should have only one role, of maximizing shareholder wealth, become the dominant explanation for the purpose of the corporation. We are not confident that corporations will voluntarily move in these progressive directions, especially given the continuing stranglehold of neo-liberal globalization. A push for broader social and economic change from below through struggle may be essential. JEL Codes: B1, N1, M14

scholarly journals Accountability in the Public Sector: The Role of Professional Accountants in the Present Democracy in Nigeria

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Raphael S. Etim ◽  
Mfon S. Jeremiah ◽  
Ofonime O. Jeremiah
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Essential Role ◽  
Code Of Ethics ◽  
Professional Code ◽  
Strict Adherence ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Many

The main objective of this paper is to highlight the essential role of professional accountants in enhancing public sector accountability in the present democratic era. The spate of public sector unaccountability scandals in the present democratic era in Nigeria evidently engenders the quest for proper accountability in the public sector. The paper begins with a conceptualization of accountability from the public sector perspective. It also attempts to cursorily highlight the nexus between public sector governance and accountability, before examining the issues currently undermining public sector accountability in Nigeria. It ends by pointing out the ways in which professional accountants can contribute to public sector accountability in Nigeria. In line with the many issues articulated in this paper, it is believed that a sense of value reorientation and strict adherence to professional code of ethics by professional accountants, among others, would reposition professional accountants to effectively contribute to public sector accountability in Nigeria.

scholarly journals Two decades of change in Dutch university art libraries

2009 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 24-28
Author(s):  
Martien Versteeg
Keyword(s):  
21St Century ◽  
Art History ◽  
The Other ◽  
The Public ◽  
Dutch Art ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
The Many ◽  
Library User

In 1987 Chris Smeenk wrote in this journal about the libraries of the Dutch art historical institutes. In the 22 years that have since passed many changes have occurred, perhaps most notably the merging of the many autonomous institute libraries into larger ones. Has this led to a more professional approach or was it caused by a search for more efficiency? Does this really matter? The fact is that Smeenk, or any other library user familiar with Dutch art history libraries, would hardly recognise the situation at the end of the first decade of the 21st century. Maybe he would complain about the disappearance of the traditional academic institute librarian, but on the other hand he might be cheered by many other developments, such as the more central role of services for the public. Let’s take a look....

“I Still Don’t Understand Award Shows”

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tara Colley
Keyword(s):  
Subject Matter ◽  
Hip Hop ◽  
American Culture ◽  
Reality Television ◽  
Racial Microaggressions ◽  
The Public ◽  
Fashion Designer ◽  
Changing Role

This chapter examines the evolution of the rapper, producer, fashion designer, and reluctant reality television personality Kanye West. An artist whose subject matter addresses personal anxieties and self-doubt in ways seldom seen in mainstream rap, West engages fame and celebrity in conflicting and often incongruous ways. Through the amateur creation and distribution of memes, gifs, hashtags, and other “viral” cultural articles, the public plays an unprecedented role in the construction—and destruction—of celebrity. Exploitation of this process, in which West consciously engages, constitutes a unique enactment of celebrity work. West’s interaction with the notion of celebrity—as an antihero, an activist, and an icon—speaks both to the changing role of hip hop in mainstream American culture and to the ongoing racial microaggressions of “post-race” America toward influential black celebrity.

Waking ourselves up! Re-examining the role of OD practitioners – a challenger perspective

2014 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 182-187
Author(s):  
Clare Southall
Keyword(s):  
Paradigm Shift ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Status Quo ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Paper ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Many ◽  
Changing Role

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the changing role of OD practitioners. Given the many significant challenges faced by organisations and their leaders, never has the role of OD been more important; it is vital that OD practitioners are able to identify the paradigm shift that is required if they are to provide the relevant challenge and support that organisations and leaders need. Design/methodology/approach – The OD role is explored through the Challenger pattern of behaviour known as Witnessing the Establishment – the ability, and the willingness, to see things as they really are, not as we wish them to be. The authors are often so much a part of the organisational system ourselves that the underpinning assumptions, beliefs, routines and rituals that exist are so transparent we can not see them for what they are. Findings – This paper focuses on one of the six patterns of behaviour identified in Challenger leaders in the book “Challenger Spirit: Organisations that disturb the status quo” by Khurshed Dehnugara and Claire Genkai Breeze, LID Publishing, 2011. Research limitations/implications – This is not an academic paper but instead a consultant/practitioner perspective grounded in day-to-day work with leaders and OD professionals in client organisations. Originality/value – A number of suggestions are given for applying the perspectives discussed, through a series of questions, diagnostic processes and models. These are directly applicable to OD practitioners themselves and can also form the basis of further conversations with the leaders and colleagues.

Dutch social policy in the 1980s: A changing role of the public sector

1992 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 21-29
Author(s):  
Kees Goudswaard ◽  
Victor Halberstadt ◽  
Hans van de Kar
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Social Policy ◽  
The Public ◽  
Changing Role

scholarly journals Legal Regulation of Public Governance in Finland – an Illusion of Predictable Public Administration?

2015 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 52-59
Author(s):  
Niina Mäntylä ◽  
Laura Perttola ◽  
Kristian Siikavirta
Keyword(s):  
Public Administration ◽  
Legal Regulation ◽  
Administrative Law ◽  
Soft Law ◽  
Eu Law ◽  
Public Governance ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Changing Role

Legal coherence and predictable decision-making are the cornerstones of Finnish administrative law. The aim of this research is to analyze the factors that make administrative decisions unpredictable in Finland today. Why is the challenge so significant for the authorities? The factor analysis revealed six main features affecting predictability in the legal regulation of Finnish public governance: the increasing use of soft law, the devolution of government, deregulation, the changing role of the individual, the blurring of the division between the public and the private sector and the influence of international and EU-law.

scholarly journals PERUBAHAN PERAN PEMUKA ADAT PUNYIMBANG PADA MASYARAKAT ADAT PEPADUN

SOSIETAS ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saras Sarita ◽  
Siti Nurbayani
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Cultural Changes ◽  
Public Response ◽  
The Public ◽  
The People ◽  
The Social ◽  
Changing Role ◽  
The Village

This study is about the changing role of traditional leaders called punyimbang in pepadun community. This research was conducted in the village of Terbanggi Besar, Terbanggi Besar District of Central Lampung regency. This research was motivated by the social and cultural changes taking place in society. The research is a qualitative research method of case study that compares difference conditions punyimbang role ago and today. The results of this study are firstly the social and cultural changes that occurred in the community so that the role punyimbang the first switch and always involved in every aspect of community life is starting at left, second, the factors that cause changes in this role is the modernization that began touching indigenous peoples pepadun village Terbanggi great so that people began to leave things that are traditional, third, these changes have an impact on the conflict in the community, due to the people lost figure punyimbang that exemplifies the good things that people are starting to do a lot of irregularities such as conflict between villages, spoliation, and the conflict between generations, fourth, related to the changing role of public response punyimbang happens is people still assume the existence punyimbang needed as long as there customary held by the public but does not bind as before.

scholarly journals Digital media and democracy: tactics in hard times

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fenwick Robert McKelvey
Keyword(s):  
Digital Media ◽  
News Media ◽  
Bush Administration ◽  
The Public ◽  
Hard Times ◽  
The Media ◽  
Tactical Media ◽  
Changing Role ◽  
Public Demand

“We’re an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality,” explains an unnamed Bush administration official. This quote sets the tone for a new edited collection reflecting on the role of the media in constructing reality. The lack of a “truth” does not quell the public demand for one, as Boler aptly points out in her introduction: “The desire and longing for truth expressed by the public demands for media accountability is in tension with the coexisting recognition of the slipperiness of meaning” (p. 7). Media, then, in all their forms, become a central battleground for forging meaning and shaping reality. “Media are the most powerful institutions on earth,” Amy Goodman of Democracy Now claims, “more powerful than any bomb, more powerful than any missile” (p. 199). This series of interviews and articles explores how incumbent powers and media activists compete to produce and reproduce their versions of reality through the media. The contributors use the format to discuss the tenuous relationship between media and democracy and the changing role of the news media, as well as to present examples of tactical media. The resulting collection provides an excellent introduction to the current, troubling media landscape and its tactical opportunities.

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