Showing papers in "International Journal of Business Governance and Ethics in 2005"

Corporate social responsibility and stakeholder approach: a conceptual review

Abstract: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the notion of a stakeholder approach are pivotal concepts when examining the role of business in society, but their relationship has been studied and much debated for decades. Academic research on the social or societal responsibilities of business organisations and the public interest in social and environmental issues incumbent upon businesses have changed since the 1950s. This article provides an overview of the existing research on CSR over the past 50 years and identifies key characteristics defining the concept of CSR. It also examines the challenges and implications of the stakeholder approach as highlighted by previous research, often in relation to research on CSR.

Can good corporate governance practices contribute to firms' financial performance? – evidence from Malaysian companies

Abstract: This paper examines the impact of corporate governance practices and structures on the performance of firms in Malaysia. An empirical study was conducted based on data involving 120 Malaysian-listed companies over a four-year period from 1996 to 1999. This period encompassed the 1997/98 Asian financial crisis, which affected most countries in the Southeast Asian region including Malaysia. Due to the combination of cross-sectional and time-series data, panel data regression techniques were used to analyse performance of the firms using both fixed effects and random effects models. Using Return on Equity (ROE) as the dependent variable, it was established that the size of firm, gearing ratio (borrowing) and dominant CEOs (Chief Executive Officers) significantly influenced the performance of firms. The impact of size on the performance of firms followed a quadratic fashion with performance increasing with the size of the firm up to the optimal size of around 7,729 million Malaysian Ringgit (RM). Beyond that, firm performance declined with increasing size. Borrowing had a negative effect on earnings with 1% increase in borrowing having a 0.13% decrease in ROE. Finally, CEOs who are also chairman of the board exert a positive influence on company earnings. The study suggests that dominant CEOs could increase performance of firms when they dominate the decision-making process in their companies.

Clustering consumers according to their attitudes on corporate social responsibility

Abstract: This paper examines the consumer attitudes towards corporate social responsibility. Analysing a sample of 341 consumers, it was found that consumers have overall great expectations and a positive attitude concerning corporate social responsibility. They believe that corporate social responsibility is an important issue in business and are willing to reward socially responsible companies and punish socially irresponsible firms via their buying behaviour. Consumers who had a positive or very positive attitude towards socially responsible companies were segmented in terms of behavioural factors. The study proposes three distinct socially responsible consumer types in terms of attitudes towards corporate social responsibility: These are the Ambitious, Fanatic and Passive socially responsible consumers. A complete profile of each cluster is presented.

Governance and football: an examination of the relevance of corporate governance regulations for the sports sector

Abstract: Concerns have been raised about the finance of football clubs in England and elsewhere. With the increasing realisation that football is a business, and therefore should be treated as one, the question of whether issues of corporate governance are applicable and relevant to the sports/football context needs closer scrutiny. This research firstly details current theories of corporate governance and proceeds with an examination of their limitations as approaches in the sports and specifically the football context. This paper delineates the characteristics and specific peculiarities of the sports sector, specifically football, and argues the challenges of corporate governance in sports are substantially different from conventional business as to require different approaches and mechanisms for corporate governance.

The United Nations Global Compact: the business implementation and accountability challenge

Abstract: The United Nations Global Compact, the world's largest voluntary corporate citizenship initiative, has enrolled over 1500 companies and two dozen Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and labour groups from over 70 countries since its inception in 2000. There is, however, a vocal chorus of critics of the Global Compact (primarily from the NGO community) that focus their criticisms on: the questionable level of participating company compliance with the ten principles that define the Global Compact (which address human rights, labour, environmental, and corruption issues); the lack of transparency of actual company results to outside auditors. In this paper, I offer a coherent set of recommendations that strengthen a self-regulation regime whose purpose is enhancing the efficacy of the Global Compact and transnational corporate citizenship. These recommendations focus on implementing a systematic approach to corporate accountability and transparency that is built on a foundation of the Global Compact's ten principles.

Does the criminal law have a role in the corporate setting

Abstract: The use of criminal law in the corporate setting has risen in the Corporate Governance agenda in recent months. Compelled by the prosecutions of six former Railtrack plc senior managers the paper discusses the relevance of criminal law as a disciplining force on directors and managers. The paper provides a detailed case study of Railtrack plc drawing out the major issues of relevance in applying the criminal law to a large complex company such as Railtrack plc.