The increasing presence and influence of companies in the political, economic, and social aspects of life has led to the questioning of the roles and responsibilities that should be taken by them...Show moreThe increasing presence and influence of companies in the political, economic, and social aspects of life has led to the questioning of the roles and responsibilities that should be taken by them in society. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a concept arose from the debate around the before mentioned issue. CSR is considered to be contextual. Due to this assumption, research has gone into the realities of CSR in developing economies. Furthermore, political, cultural, and religious values on CSR themes within specific regions have been included as potential factors of analysis. As such Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) provides an interesting and vastly underresearched case study on CSR culture. The thesis will examine CSR culture by examining at the role of stakeholder demands in shaping the use of CSR by companies and the public debate on CSR. This will be achieved by comparing five different theories that aim to explain CSR through differing interpretations of the demands. These theories include the stakeholder approach and four varying argumentations within the business case for CSR. Therefore, this paper aims to answers the question, “To what extent are the established theories on Corporate Social Responsibility; the Stakeholder Approach and the Business Case for CSR, useful in explaining the Corporate Social Responsibility Culture of Iran?” by comparing the validity of the afore mentioned explanatory frameworks towards the CSR Culture in Iran. The author coins the term Corporate Social Responsibility culture (CSR culture) as a concept which summarizes the trends in the public debate on CSR in a region. The research indicates that the contemporary CSR culture in Iran can best be explained through the lens of the business case, as a “cost and risk reduction” oriented business tool. Similarly, to the trends visible in the debate on CSR, the thesis argues that in order to move towards a sustainable business culture in Iran, the Iranian state must use its unique position in its most important economic sector, the oil, gas, and petrochemical industry, in order to enforce higher standards in the field of environmental protection and social development.Show less
My Thesis deals with the difference in the acculturation processes of Syrians in exile in Morocco and the Netherlands. The main analysis is based on interviews which have been conducted in Morocco...Show moreMy Thesis deals with the difference in the acculturation processes of Syrians in exile in Morocco and the Netherlands. The main analysis is based on interviews which have been conducted in Morocco and the Netherlands with Syrians who sought refuge in the respective countries to compare the personal experiences while taking into consideration different policy matters, legal questions, and cultural differences. These interviews were then analysed through the theoretical framework of acculturation to answer the research question. Acculturation as theoretical framework is composed of four different strategies for intercultural contact. The core of the acculturation strategies is based on how much of the cultural heritage an individual is willing or forced to leave behind to achieve the desired acculturation strategy. The first presented strategy is termed separation, which applies when an individual holds on to the heritage culture and avoids intercultural contact. Secondly, the assimilation strategy applies when the individual seeks daily contact with new cultures and does not maintain the culture of origin. The third strategy is called marginalization which applies when the maintenance of the original culture does not apply and desire to maintain relations with others is missing. The final and most desired acculturation strategy is termed integration and applies when an individual seeks intercultural contact but also maintains the culture of origin. Morocco and The Netherlands were chosen because of a great difference in geopolitics which influence the process of acculturation for the Syrians residing in these two countries.Show less
Environmental issues are becoming increasingly pressuring, and in the Middle Eastern context, formal politics and legal regulations have been insufficient to achieve significant improvements for...Show moreEnvironmental issues are becoming increasingly pressuring, and in the Middle Eastern context, formal politics and legal regulations have been insufficient to achieve significant improvements for environmental protection. Civil society organisations such as a NGOs are thus crucial actors in this context. Since they work on a voluntary basis and aim to persuade and mobilise the population, their success depends heavily on the attitudes and beliefs of their audience. Therefore, this thesis discusses the potential of Green Islam for environmental NGOs in Jordan by identifying important aspects that are particular to faith-based environmental activism and applying them to the context of Jordan. It finds that faith-based environmental activism can be helpful for framing, as it renders the issues more relatable to the audience, and provides the organisations with legitimacy derived from a religious discourse. Furthermore, faith-based environmentalism anchors environmental values more deeply on an individual level, which, it is argued, creates stronger incentives for action. Therefore, given the strong presence of Islam in the Jordanian political and societal discourse, the thesis concludes that Green Islam can be valuable for environmental activism in Jordan.Show less
