Tag Archives: CSR

Corporate Strategy & Business development

Left in the dark: Why transparency isn’t always best for institutionalizing corporate responsibility

Transparency is usually seen as integral to corporate responsibility best practice. It allows closer scrutiny of those firms claiming CR credentials. But, if we want optimal outcomes in terms of industry wide adoption of CR practices, it may pay to tolerate a little hypocrisy at times – rather than highlighting the difference between what a firm says about CR and what it actually does.

Article first published on 01.12.2016 / Updated on 12.03.2021 with the new version of the research paper A Bait-and-Switch Model of Corporate Social Responsibility.

 6 min read  Continue reading Left in the dark: Why transparency isn’t always best for institutionalizing corporate responsibility →

Corporate Strategy & Business development

Criticism to campaigns: Understanding activist strategy and the private politics chain

Much of the day-to-day criticism aimed at organizations on the internet and in the mainstream media may seem relatively innocuous. Yet new research suggests organizations would be wise to pay attention. Such criticism may well signal early strategic maneuvering as activists identify their targets for far more damaging actions, such as boycotts and campaigns.

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Corporate Strategy & Business development

Why companies conform: the strategic benefits of doing the right thing

There’s a view that conforming to accepted standards and norms is something organizations do reactively, mainly due to external pressures, and to avoid being penalized. But research by Déborah Philippe and Rodolphe Durand, focusing on environmental practices and reputation, shows that organizational conformity is actually a complex, nuanced, activity that can be used for strategic gain if managed well.

 4 min read  Continue reading Why companies conform: the strategic benefits of doing the right thing →