Showing papers in "Journal of Global Responsibility in 2013"

Using Global Reporting Initiative indicators for CSR programs

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose that the Global Reporting Initiative's (GRI ) reporting guidelines, specifically its performance indicators, can be used to help a company create ethical corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies and to also help stakeholder groups evaluate how much of a company's CSR initiative truly means the stakeholder definition CSR and how much is merely philanthropy or marketing.Design/methodology/approach – The paper examines the GRI reporting guidelines for applicability to CSR principles, and explains the key elements of the economic, environmental, social, society, and product responsibility performance indicators.Findings – Examples of how companies have used the indicators to report data on GRI's website are provided as evidence that the distinctions made by the performance indicators indicate levels of adherence to CSR principles.Originality/value – Given the increased demand for accountability for the actions of companies toward their stakeholders, pa...

The Current State of Female Leadership in the United Arab Emirates

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to research the state of affairs in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the presence (or absence) of women in senior business leadership positions, and to investigate where they are located within organizations (e.g. board members, chief officers, vice presidents, top management, division or unit heads).Design/methodology/approach – This is a quantitative gender analysis of 954 organizations; based on data available from the Zawya database that tracks information about public and private companies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.Findings – Women are still underrepresented in senior company and top department leadership positions, however, they are found slightly (but not significantly) more in departmental leadership, pseudo services and hospitality industries, and in smaller and public companies.Research limitations/implications – The database utilized did not contain completed company data; specifically any response variable; hence, the study was d...

Corporate volunteering – an analysis of volunteers' motivations and demographics

Abstract: Purpose – Given the current importance of corporate social responsibility, this research is designed to discover the motivations that lead employees to agree to participate in the corporate volunteering activities promoted by their companies and to understand whether demographic variables such as gender and age have an influence on different types of motivations.Design/methodology/approach – This research had the collaboration of a company to develop the case study about its volunteering programme and for the collection of data through an electronic questionnaire.Findings – The variables related with the factor values were identified as the most important motivational category for people to engage in volunteering, which shows that what these volunteers want is to contribute to the success of the event and the respective social cause. On the other hand, the motivational category related with career was considered the less important.Practical implications – The participation in volunteering activities enabl...

Corporate social responsibility and organizational commitment: Empirical findings from a developing country

Abstract: Purpose – This paper investigated how perception of organization's social responsibility influenced employees' organizational commitment (OC). Besides, the moderation effect of importance of ethics and social responsibility (ICSR) has been investigated on the relationship.Design/methodology/approach – Responses from 142 business professionals working in Iran have been investigated. Exploratory factor analysis, reliability assessment and regression were applied to analyze the data.Findings – This research indicated that corporate social responsibility (CSR) positively influenced OC of employees. However, no moderation effect was observed in this study.Research limitations/implications – This study provided support for Turker's model in a different setting and added to the body of knowledge in this area by investigating Iranian context which has been rarely discussed in the literature.Practical implications – The findings of this research confirmed that employees show higher commitment when working in socia...

Salience and corporate responsibility towards natural environment and financial performance of Indian manufacturing firms

Abstract: Purpose – This study aims to examine whether salience towards natural environment influences the corporate responsibility towards natural environment. It further aims to test whether the corporate responsibility towards environment impacts the financial performance of firms.Design/methodology/approach – The sample comprises 150 listed and non‐listed Indian manufacturing companies. Salience and corporate responsibility towards environment were assessed with the help of standard instruments and the data on financial performance of companies were procured from secondary sources. The study used hybrid models to analyze the data. In the measurement model, the convergent validity of salience and corporate responsibility towards natural environment were ascertained through confirmatory factor analysis. In the structural model, the hypotheses were tested.Findings – Controlling the confounding effects of listing status of companies in stock exchanges, findings suggest that higher the salience of the environment, t...

Corporate responsibility, supply chain management and strategy

Abstract: Purpose – In search of new perspectives on sustainable food production, this paper focuses on three fields of literature, namely corporate responsibility (CR), supply chain management (SCM) and strategy. The purpose of this paper is to identify the recent theoretical developments and then integrate them in a framework for studying and managing corporations.Design/methodology/approach – Conceiving socio‐cultural and economic systems within the ecosystem, this paper call for research in the food sector that takes the planetary boundaries into consideration and places the essential needs of the world's poor onto the research agenda of CR, SCM and strategy.Findings – First, a new perspective on CR could be “holistic and beyond responsive”, as it emphasizes the focal actor's role. Second, SCM could be strengthened at its interface with sustainability by the “bottom of the pyramid” view, as it looks for new ways to make business models and operations beneficial for poor communities. And third, in examining the ...

CSR in natural resources: rhetoric and reality

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to sets out to highlight the role and evolution of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Africa's extractive industry. Through the discussion and analysis of the history of CSR in Africa, best and worst practices in the industry, corporate objectives and business ethics, as well as the use of CSR as a tool for corporate citizenship and sustainable development, this paper works to develop a more concise understanding of the role that CSR has come to play in the African extractive industry.Design/methodology/approach – Through the discussion and analysis of the history of CSR in Africa, best and worst practices in the industry, corporate objectives and business ethics, as well as the use of CSR as a tool for corporate citizenship and sustainable development, this paper works to develop a more concise understanding of the role that CSR has come to play in the African extractive industry. Policy recommendations are also presented to the public and private sectors on h...

A tale of two standards on responsible management education

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this article is to explore what ISO 26000, the global guidance standard for organizations wanting to implement corporate social responsibility (CSR), has to offer to improve the principles for responsible management education (PRME) and its implementation by business schools.Design/methodology/approach – Through an in‐depth analysis of ISO 26000 and beyond the general value of ISO 26000 in providing suggestions for CSR implementation, several insights for management education are derived. These insights are consequently applied to both the principles within the PRME framework and to results from research into the application of the PRME.Findings – The article argues that ISO 26000 offers insights related to the revival of corporate morality, the importance of idiosyncratic CSR (particularly relating to internal organizational processes), the credibility enhancement of PRME‐based CSR commitments and the importance of engaging in community involvement by business schools. Next to th...

The impact of shareholders' types on corporate social responsibility: evidence from Japanese firms

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this study is to use an empirical model to investigate the effects of eight types of shareholders on corporate social responsibility (CSR) investments in terms of the monetary amount and ratio of each investment.Design/methodology/approach – Cross‐sectional data obtained from Japanese companies in 2010 were used and three equations were estimated which reflect the effects of various shareholders on three types of CSR using ordinary least squares (OLS).Findings – The study finds that the effects of shareholders on CSR investment are different depending on shareholder types. Investment funds and top management shareholders decrease each CSR investment, while the government, foreign companies and individuals, financial institutions, brokerages, and domestic companies and individuals increase CSR investments. Moreover, different shareholder types are interested in different CSR. Most shareholders are concerned with environmental policies, while foreign shareholders are also concerned ...

Business education and spirituality – the MBA with no greed

Abstract: Purpose – Business schools increasingly have come into the spotlight following a range of corporate scandals, challenged to find a new approach to business education that goes beyond financial bottom lines, and results in the responsible corporate leadership. This article seeks to address the area of “how a Catholic university deepens and revitalises its culture and institutionalises its mission and identity in business education.” It aims to do so by focussing on the marketing for and nature of the student body in a postgraduate Master of Business Administration (Executive) (MBAE) program offered intensively by the Australian Catholic University, through an analysis of scholarship applications.Design/methodology/approach – This qualitative study used latent coding which reflected its interpretative nature and was based on the classic content analysis sensitive not only to the explicit, manifest content, but also to the implicit, not obviously present content. To arrive at a trustworthy interpretation of ...

Factors influencing the implementation of clean energy interventions in low‐income urban communities in South Africa

Abstract: Purpose – This study aims to identify the key factors that influence the successful implementation of clean energy interventions in low‐income urban communities in South Africa.Design/methodology/approach – The study took the form of three phases: an explorative, primary data‐gathering process through semi‐structured interviews where secondary data were made available by respondents in the form of official project reports; data analysis of the primary qualitative, explorative, semi‐structured interview data and the secondary documentary data obtained with consent; and identifying and describing the key factors which influence the implementation of clean energy interventions in low income‐urban communities.Findings – The results indicated that although many important factors were identified throughout this research, the ultimate success of the implementation of clean energy interventions in these communities lies not only in the clean energy interventions themselves, but rather hinges on nine key factors: ...

Encountering the displaced child: Applying Clark Moustakas' concept of existential loneliness to displaced youth

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper discusses psychologist Clark Moustakas' concept of loneliness and argues that it is relevant and applicable to engaging displaced children.Design/methodology/approach – The number of youth compulsorily displaced has reached record levels in the world's history. Loneliness may be a pervading element in the displaced child's life. This paper argues that those working with children have the ability to empower displaced children with the existential lonely experience.Findings – Strategies regarding how to initially engage the displaced child are discussed as a means to help the child enter the existential lonely realm.Originality/value – This paper has great value as many individuals, especially teachers are encountering displaced youth. This paper believes that those that work with displaced youth need to revisit Moustakas' understanding of existential loneliness as a means to help these youth find a safe place.

Measuring corporate personality with social responsibility bench marks

Abstract: Purpose – Responding to the growing amounts of power that corporations exert within society, stakeholder groups are increasingly placing companies under pressure to prove their commitments to the idea of corporate social responsibility (CSR). Despite various mechanisms such as codes and principles being implemented in order to guide corporate actions, a clear need has been identified for better measuring tools of CSR. The bench marks is one of the most comprehensive CSR frameworks available and was chosen by this study to develop into a practical measuring instrument. The purpose of this paper is to report on the development process of the instrument.Design/methodology/approach – Two main research methods have been applied, namely a literature review and an empirical study which included theoretically recognised phases for measuring instrument development. One of the phases involved a survey with questionnaires administered on 189 randomly selected respondents.Findings – Apart from successfully measuring ...

Cultural dislocation: finding intercultural possibilities in exile

Abstract: Purpose – This paper aims to examine the ontology of the exile and its implications for intellectuals, educators, and those seeking greater intercultural understandings. Culture to these scholars of exile becomes problematized as they feel a sense of estrangement to all cultures.Design/methodology/approach – The paper acts as a review of literature from published scholars who have been lived a great deal of their life in exile.Findings – Ultimately the paper suggests that educators and intellectuals can learn a great deal from the intellect of the exile, as they live culturally displaced and forge new intercultural understandings.Originality/value – This paper offers intellectuals and educators a new perception for engaging a transmigrating world.

The confluence of strategic CSR and leadership development at Hays plc

Abstract: Purpose – A case study showing how leadership development can be embedded within a CSR framework to deliver stakeholder benefits, competitive advantage and an economic return at a time when investment in CSR and training and development are often reduced The aim was to bring leadership development “to life” through complex CSR related challenges bringing value to all the stakeholders: participants, community partners, community partner service users, Hays plc and its shareholdersDesign/methodology/approach – This case study describes an approach combining strategic CSR and leadership development at Hays plc The approach taken at Hays was grounded in the company's strategic context, supported the development of a cadre of “dual agenda” business leaders and provided value to all stakeholders concerned The paper sets out the practical steps of the intervention, from strategy development to programme design and through to implementation and capturing the benefits for all the stakeholdersFindings – The st