Vanuit de academische literatuur bestaat de erkenning dat instituties invloed hebben op de Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) van bedrijven. Een industriële sector die binnen de literatuur...Show moreVanuit de academische literatuur bestaat de erkenning dat instituties invloed hebben op de Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) van bedrijven. Een industriële sector die binnen de literatuur onderbelicht wordt, is de auto-industrie. Deze industrie vormt een interessant punt van onderzoek, gezien het een broeikas intensieve sector is en het daardoor baat heeft bij CSR. De verschillende theoretische stromingen binnen de literatuur van CSR kunnen afzonderlijk geen verklaring bieden voor het feit dat het Duitse BMW beter presteert op het vlak van CSR dan het Amerikaanse Ford. Een combinatie van de belangrijke elementen uit de theorie kan dit wel. Met behulp van een vergelijkende casestudie toont dit onderzoek aan dat binnen de economieën van Duitsland en de Verenigde Staten (VS) de nationaal-institutionele variabelen corporatisme, nationale wetgeving en maatschappelijke druk effect hebben op de CSR-prestaties van bedrijven. Specifieke wetgeving op het vlak van CSR en milieu is hierbinnen de meest invloedrijke variabele. Verder onderzoek kan de interpretatie van deze bevinding versterken.Show less
The interconnectedness of contemporary world politics and economics has led to an increased movement of labour, capital and ideas. Unfortunately, the movement of labour and capital has accumulated...Show moreThe interconnectedness of contemporary world politics and economics has led to an increased movement of labour, capital and ideas. Unfortunately, the movement of labour and capital has accumulated in, what the world-systems theory calls, ‘core countries’, while their waste has been shipped to the feet of the ‘periphery countries’. This is the result of a capitalist economic system that has caused ecological imbalance, uneven accumulation and unlimited extension. According to Max Weber’s hypotheses, the ‘core’ of this system is formed by historically Protestant countries whose values of individualism, hard work, revenue pursuit and frugality facilitated the success of the modern capitalist – spirit embedded in multinational corporations. Increasingly environmentally aware consumers are urging MNCs to take responsibility for the environmental harm that they have caused in countries where their outsourcing partners operate. Nevertheless, numerous MNCs have managed to avoid public scrutiny by implementing CSR strategies on the surface level. Therefore, outsourcing partners are still being affected by the negative externalities of the industry’s production processes. This thesis argues that the protestant ethic which allowed for the success of MNCs is also hindering the advance of corporate social responsibility amongst outsourcing partners in countries such as Indonesia. The protestant ethic characteristic of core capitalist countries perpetuates MNCs privileged position at the expense of the environmental degradation and consequent socio-economic well-being of inhabitants of periphery countries.Show less
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
An analysis of holistic sustainability of the Brazilian sugarcane supply chain for the production of biofuels for the usage in the commercial aviation industry.
This thesis intends to establish a link between the generation of Millennials (born between 1980 and 2000) and the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The aim of this document is to...Show moreThis thesis intends to establish a link between the generation of Millennials (born between 1980 and 2000) and the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The aim of this document is to answer the following research question: To what extent do Millennials value the fact that a company has a robust CSR strategy and implements social initiatives when applying for a job? After having pointed out Carroll's Responsibility Pyramid and explained that a revisitation of the theory, which rather focuses on the ethical and environmental aspects of CSR, is needed, the questionnaire is presented. The number of overall people who have been surveyed is 242. As part of the analysis, the data that has been produced by the questionnaire is shown. The results showed that generally, Millennials tend to show a genuine interest towards CSR, especially during the process of job application. However, when specifically looking into the answers of the American Millennials population, it seemed as they would be rather interested in their personal achievements.Show less
Under international law, states assume obligations to respect, protect, and to fulfil human rights (OHCHR). This thesis will demonstrate that the state can fail to carry out these tasks, and that...Show moreUnder international law, states assume obligations to respect, protect, and to fulfil human rights (OHCHR). This thesis will demonstrate that the state can fail to carry out these tasks, and that in these situations businesses can step up to enforce human rights, thus filling regulatory gaps. This topic will be approached by first providing a definition of CSR, and explaining the relevance of the concept. Following this, the thesis will discuss different eras in the history of state versus business power, proposing that there has been a shift from an era of extensive state power towards a relative erosion of state capacities, accompanied by an increase in the power of corporations. While it will be proposed that this erosion of state capacities has opened up new possibilities for companies to adopt political responsibilities (Schrempf-Stirling 2), the thesis will also seek to understand why companies would make use of these possibilities. In order to analyze firms’ motivations to expand their influence to the political sphere to promote human rights, the thesis will introduce a theoretical framework which will identify three different CSR theories. To examine the applicability of these theories, the thesis will perform three case studies in the context of the United States: 1) Open Carry, 2) Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act or the ‘House Bill 2’, also known as the ‘bathroom bill’, and 3) Executive Order 13769 or the so-called ‘Muslim ban’ or ‘travel ban’. Through these steps, the objective of the thesis is to determine 1) whether businesses have indeed expanded their capacities to the political realm in the context of human rights promotion, thus filling regulatory gaps as suggested by CSR scholarship, 2) how they have done so, and 3) what the underlying motivations behind companies’ CSR practices are. The findings are expected to support the twofold hypothesis that 1) businesses can become the key enforcers of human rights by expanding their power to the political arena, and 2) businesses have philanthropic and ethical responsibilities besides their economic responsibility of profit-maximization, which contribute to explaining their CSR activities.Show less
In this Master thesis, I examine the role of the business sector in sustainable development. I study the extent to which we can rely on companies to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)...Show moreIn this Master thesis, I examine the role of the business sector in sustainable development. I study the extent to which we can rely on companies to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), established by the 2030 agenda, by examining the efficiency of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). I will examine an alternative way for companies to conduct business responsibly by joining voluntary initiatives such as the Global Compact (GC). My analysis conforms with the belief that sustainable development cannot happen without the business sector, and that for optimal results the business sector must make beyond CSR and enter in partnerships with other actors in society such as governments, UN agencies, and civil society. However, as this thesis will show, from the data that we have so far, the role of the business sector in sustainable development has been limited and not sufficient to achieve the SDGs by 2030. Therefore, I argue that more government regulation of the business sector is necessary if sustainable development is to be achieved; the regulation should promote business activity that is conducive to economic growth while at the same time it should ensure that this business activity will not have negative spill-over effects on society. The achievement of sustainable development necessitates the appropriate mix between government regulations, CSR and partnerships.Show less
In 2005, the WTO Aid for Trade initiative was launched, with the aim of intensifying the involvement of developing countries in global trade to stimulate development. Various aspects of the program...Show moreIn 2005, the WTO Aid for Trade initiative was launched, with the aim of intensifying the involvement of developing countries in global trade to stimulate development. Various aspects of the program have been praised and criticized. However, the activities of multinational companies in the context of Aid for Trade seem to have been neglected. Western companies have been supported by Western governments to conduct business in Africa, as a result of Aid for Trade. As such, Corporate Social Responsibility becomes increasingly important as these companies are expected to be contributors to development. This paper examines to what extend Corporate Social Responsibility can contribute to development in Africa. Research is conducted through case studies of Western, responsible companies that are active in Africa. Analysis of these cases shows that, despite extensive CSR-programs, companies tend to favor their own interest over the African interest, resulting in very limited, or no actual contributions to development in African countries.Show less
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), an invention of the West, is on the rise in China. This research paper examines the specific Chinese cultural elements that have influenced the mechanisms and...Show moreCorporate Social Responsibility (CSR), an invention of the West, is on the rise in China. This research paper examines the specific Chinese cultural elements that have influenced the mechanisms and implementation of CSR in China, and more specifically in Wenzhou. The cultural elements that will be discussed in this thesis are Confucianism and communism, as these have had a large impact on Chinese society and culture. A study of the stakeholder and social dimensions of private companies in Wenzhou showed connections between Chinese cultural factors and how CSR policies were adopted. The Chinese CSR policies did not differ radically from Western ones, but principles of Confucianism and communism could still be found in the CSR policies and outcomes of these private companies, in some cases more explicitly than in others. This Chinese form of CSR provides both advantages and challenges for the further development of CSR in China, and can serve as an example of non- Western CSR.Show less
In recent years, China has made international headlines as a result of its poor factory labour conditions. Chinese leaders have observed that this international coverage has reflected poorly on the...Show moreIn recent years, China has made international headlines as a result of its poor factory labour conditions. Chinese leaders have observed that this international coverage has reflected poorly on the country and greatly impacted its image both internationally and domestically. Therefore new strategies to (re)build China's image have utilized CSR in order to gain a certain influence and stability in the national and international sphere.Show less
