What makes organizations so similar? We contend that the engine of rationalization and bureaucratization has moved from the competitive marketplace to the state and the professions. Once a set of organizations emerges as a field, a paradox arises: rational actors make their organizations increasingly similar as they try to change them. We describe three isomorphic processes-coercive, mimetic, and normative—leading to this outcome. We then specify hypotheses about the impact of resource centralization and dependency, goal ambiguity and technical uncertainty, and professionalization and structuration on isomorphic change. Finally, we suggest implications for theories of organizations and social change.

The iron cage revisited: Institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organizational fields (Chinese Translation)

Writing a faulty literature review is one of many ways to derail a dissertation. This article summarizes some pivotal information on how to write a high-quality dissertation literature review. It begins with a discussion of the purposes of a review, presents taxonomy of literature reviews, and then discusses the steps in conducting a quantitative or qualitative literature review. The article concludes with a discussion of common mistakes and a framework for the self-evaluation of a literature review.

A guide to writing the dissertation literature review.

Corporate social responsibility governance, outcomes, and financial performance

“More than words”: Expanding the taxonomy of greenwashing after the Volkswagen scandal

The credibility of CSR (corporate social responsibility) reports in Europe. Evidence from a quantitative content analysis in 11 countries

Is greenwashing a concept describing companies using misleading communication or is it co-constructed in the eye of the beholder? By discussing the literature, we find that existing definitions of greenwashing overemphasize the strategic intention to mislead and do not incorporate unjust allegations. Then, by combining signaling theory with legitimacy theory, we frame the communication process of the greenwashing accusation and the emergence of a negative narrative caused by the accusation and its effect on legitimacy. Hence, in this paper we argue that greenwashing epistemologically is constituted in the eye of the beholder, depending on an external accusation. Following this view, the greenwashing accusation is understood as a distortion factor altering the signal reliability of green messages. Based on our conceptual analysis, we provide a conceptual framework introducing a new typology of case-based greenwashing (greenwashing, false greenwashing, potential greenwashing and no greenwashing) and the effects of these types on corporate legitimacy. Finally, we propose a revised definition of greenwashing as co-creation of an external accusation toward an organization with regard to presenting a misleading green message. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment

Greenwashing Revisited: In Search of a Typology and Accusation-Based Definition Incorporating Legitimacy Strategies

Although the literature on corporate social responsibility (CSR) has discussed the scope and meaning of CSR extensively, confusion still exists regarding how to define the concept. One controversial issue deals with the changing legal status of CSR (i.e., the voluntary vs. mandatory nature of the concept). Based on a review of CSR definitions and meta-studies on CSR definitions, we find that the majority of definitions leans toward voluntary CSR. However, some recent regulatory amendments toward mandatory CSR have called into question the established idea of CSR as merely a managerial tool of self-regulation. In this paper, we juxtapose the evolution of CSR in India against the scholarly literature discussing voluntary-versus-mandatory CSR to understand the recent shift toward a new conceptualization of CSR as a form of co-regulation that includes elements of both voluntary and mandatory regulation. The Indian Companies Act 2013 (Section 135) is a remarkable example in that it replaced an older version from 1956, taking a bold step toward the integration of voluntary and mandatory aspects in the application of CSR. We present practical implications of the Indian case for businesses and discuss implications for CSR theory development; we particularly consider the evolution of the business and society relationship from a voluntary soft law approach to CSR to an increasingly hard law approach and transitory hybrid forms in-between like soft–hard law and hard–soft law.

Are We Moving Beyond Voluntary CSR? Exploring Theoretical and Managerial Implications of Mandatory CSR Resulting from the New Indian Companies Act

Businesses increasingly consider corporate reputation as a valuable asset that has a positive impact on purchase intention. Concurrently, corporate social responsibility (CSR) issues have received growing attention and the importance of CSR has been increasingly emphasized. Claims have been made that both CSR and corporate reputation can provide a competitive advantage as in conjunction with perceived product quality they can influence purchase intentions. In this article we explore the interaction between these concepts and put forward a set of hypotheses about the expected linkages. Our discussion is based on findings from a study on a sample of customers of two brands of a traditional type of Italian Christmas cake – Panettone. The two brands are widely known in a specific geographical and cultural area and one is well known for its strong engagement in CSR activities. We conclude by discussing the limitations of our study and drawing implications for future research.

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1057%2Fbm.2012.2.pdf

The role of corporate social responsibility, perceived quality and corporate reputation on purchase intention: Implications for brand management

Education for sustainable development through business simulation games: An exploratory study of sustainability gamification and its effects on students' learning outcomes

As public concern over greenwashing has grown in the last two decades, academic research has increased correspondingly, and there is now a substantial body of research addressing issues related to greenwashing. In this paper, we therefore review and analyze greenwashing research, to provide an evaluation of trends and progress in the field and a synthesis of the empirical and conceptual results presented in existing studies. Our main finding leading to our theory contribution is the criticism raised in greenwashing research that the entirely voluntary CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) approach facilitates the diffusion of greenwashing. The voluntary idea of CSR is still prevalent in the CSR literature and appears to be a grey-zone that creates space for misleading ‘green’ communication. Consequently, we propose that greenwashing could be better prevented with a combination of voluntary and mandatory aspects. The new paradigm should promote creative and effective corporate CSR initiatives, while at the same time design the limits and the rules for their accomplishments and communication, as firms would risk breaching legislation when overstretching CSR messages.

/pdf/grey-zone-in-greenwash-out-a-review-of-greenwashing-research-3on0orb6qb.pdf

Lucia Gatti

Papers

Greenwashing Revisited: In Search of a Typology and Accusation-Based Definition Incorporating Legitimacy Strategies

Are We Moving Beyond Voluntary CSR? Exploring Theoretical and Managerial Implications of Mandatory CSR Resulting from the New Indian Companies Act

The role of corporate social responsibility, perceived quality and corporate reputation on purchase intention: Implications for brand management

Education for sustainable development through business simulation games: An exploratory study of sustainability gamification and its effects on students' learning outcomes

Grey zone in – greenwash out. A review of greenwashing research and implications for the voluntary-mandatory transition of CSR