CSR COMMITMENT AND ACTION LOGICS OF SME MANAGERS: FINDINGS FROM A TUNISIAN STUDY

Purpose: Bymobilizing the sociological approach of action logic, this research aims to understand the articulation between the various dimensions of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the conditions for the emergence of an overallcommitment towards stakeholders in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in an emerging country: Tunisia. Design/methodology: A qualitative study was carried out through multiple case studies of Tunisian SMEs. Findings: The research findings tend to reveal that an overall CSR commitment requires an interaction between individual and contextual dimensions. However, predispositions coming from the individual manager dimension would play the role of a catalyst for a proactive CSR approach. As for the SMEs transition from weak to global commitment, this would primarily stem from contextual dimensions. In addition, each of the hedonistic, entrepreneurial or managerial action logic could be conducive to this type of commitment. Research Limitations:The number of explored cases could constitute a limitation of this work as it does not allow a statistical generalization of the results based on the criterion of frequency. Originality: Few of the CSR studies focused on a multi-dimensional commitment in SMEs In this research we aim to avoid an over-representation of the manager, and approach his action logics most conducive to a multi-stakeholder approach to CSR.

Global platforms and asymmetrical power: Industry dynamics and opportunities for policy change

Global platforms have radically changed institutional dynamics within the media industry. In this study, we explore how national media organisations manoeuvre in an increasingly uneven playing field. Combining theoretical perspectives from platform studies and the media policy field approach, we analyse how asymmetrical platform power impacts industry-policy relations in a small-nation context. We find that national players collectively frame the power of global platforms as a potential threat to the media sector and to democracy. In this framing, all the players – regardless of size or market position – define themselves as ‘small’ to signal a common threat and mission across the industry. Being ‘small’ however does not entail the same for all players, which results in different action logics. We also find that industry players use collective framing to protect existing support schemes and to legitimate the call for new ones, while they seek international collaboration to impact regulation of global platforms.

15-M Political Culture, Collective Identity, and the Logic of Autonomous Networks in the Digital Age

Chapter 12, “15-M Political Culture, Collective Identity, and the Logic of Autonomous Networks in the Digital Age,” argues that, against all odds, autonomous networking logics can build and sustain strong movements in the absence of formal professionalized organizational structures and strong leadership, and across heterogeneous issues and identities. It explores the synergies and tensions within 15-M political culture, and shows how they act as a corrective to some of the key challenges faced by autonomous movements. Contra “connective action” theses, the chapter shows how collective action logics continue to fuel autonomous networks in the digital age.