bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Customer‐owned Firms and the Concept of Regional Responsibility: Qualitative Evidence from Finnish Co‐operatives
Authors: Jussila Iiro , Kotonen Ulla , Tuominen Pasi 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to introduce the concept of regional responsibility and to provide a deeper understanding of customer‐owned co‐operatives and their social embeddedness.Design/methodology/approachFirst, extant conceptions of corporate social responsibility are discussed, concentrating on two approaches; the one employing stakeholder theory and the one employing resource‐based view of the firm. Second, co‐operatives as a form of economic organization that have a natural interest in engaging in regionally‐oriented corporate social responsibility practices are studied, including active participation in regional strategy processes and local and regional development. Finally, the concept of regional responsibility is illustrated by analysing qualitative data.FindingsRegional responsibility is in the core of customer‐owned co‐operatives' CSR. Co‐operatives are tentative to their customer‐owners, employees and other regional stakeholders. Regional responsibility also means the utilization of the region's resources and advocacy of local interests. In fact, co‐operatives may be considered as ‘flagship enterprises’ in their regions, promoting the businesses of the whole network of economic actors linked to them. Co‐operatives engage also in non‐business related activities to support the surrounding community.Research limitations/implicationsWhile this study helps to understand regional responsibility of customer‐owned firms, as such the findings are limited to the context of this study.Originality/valueThe paper analyzes co‐operatives' social responsibility from a regional perspective and introduces the concept of “regional responsibility”.
Corporate Social Responsibility: Future Prospects in the Turkish Context
Authors: Dincer Caner , Dincer Banu 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to determine the most successful companies on social responsibility issues based on the data collected through a field survey and to see the corporate social responsibility (CSR) approach of the five most mentioned companies, their future projects, and their main social investment drivers in order to clarify the future prospects of CSR in the Turkish context.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, data was collected from two sources, at first; a survey is conducted on consumers. Second, face‐to‐face interviews are realized to illuminate the future prospects on CSR issues of these firms and to elucidate their vision.FindingsNot surprisingly, the most appreciated companies on CSR have a pro‐active approach. However, this should not be taken as a reality of Turkey since these companies are leaders in the field. The most important issues according to consumers and these managers, and the main basic principles of the companies making a CSR investment, are determined.Research limitations/implicationsThough the aim of this study had been to examine the future prospects of CSR projects in Turkey, the interviewees didn't give details about their future projects. It is also impossible to make generalizations for Turkey with the data collected from consumers as it was collected only in the Istanbul urban area. Concerning the interviews, only five firms are included in the second part of the study.Practical implicationsThe study enriches the extant literature and provides future research areas as well as insights and basic principles for managerial use in determining the most suitable CSR strategies and investing for CSR projects.Originality/valueAs the subject of the study is open to continuous development, this study shows the current situation on CSR issues via the leader companies in Turkey according to consumers.
Corporate Social Responsibility and Affirmative Action Program
Authors: Roy Prashant , Alam Mohsin 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the responsibility of the growing private sector in India towards society and how it can contribute to the providing social justice in the Indian society.Design/methodology/approachOnly doctrinal method of research has been adopted because of time constraints.FindingsDuring the course of the research, the hypocritical approach of corporates was revealed, especially in the context. On one hand, the corporates are resisting any legislation which would forcefully push them towards affirmative action; but on the other hand no such initiative has been taken up by them to stop the government from doing so.Research limitations/implicationsAny sort of field study was impracticable.Practical implicationsAt the time of writing, the government's mood is swinging towards passing legislation to‐persuade the corporate sector to participate in providing affirmative action to the lower strata of the society.Originality/valueThis is one of the first researches in this area and not many people have actually written about CSR and affirmative action put together.
No Principals, No Principles and Nothing in Reserve: Shell and the Failure of Agency Theory
Authors: Crowther David , Ortiz Martinez Esther 
Published: November 2008

PurposeAgency Theory is normally used to explain the relationship between the managers of a corporation and its owners, or shareholders, and to legitimate the payment of share options, and other remuneration mechanisms, to those managers on the basis that this will align the interests of the managers of a corporation with those of its owners. The paper aims to argue that this outworn legitimation is not just based on a bankrupt theory but is actually deleterious to corporate performance, managerial behaviour and the relationship between managers, shareholders and other stakeholders.Design/methodology/approachThe approach is to examine the behaviour of the managers of The Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies (“Shell”) as they have continued to reinterpret accounting regulations, reclassify oil reserves and re‐report past and probable/possible future performance of the company.FindingsThe argument is predicated in the assertion that in the relationship between owners and managers of such a corporation there are actually no principals and therefore there can be no agents. Furthermore, the rewards structure developed from the theory provides a motivation for managerial misrepresentation leading to a situation in which principles are defunct. The Social Contract between all stakeholders to a corporation has been reinvigorated as a basis for sustainable performance, with consequent implications for the behaviour of all parties to the contract.Originality/valueThe paper illustrates that evidence abounds showing that corporations do not have any sense of social responsibility and do not feel constrained by any kind of ethical code, no matter what their corporate literature states, but that there are an increasing number of stakeholders to organisations who are demanding accountability – and forcing corporations to respond accordingly.
“Thou Shalt not be Good Enough”: (Mis)understanding CSR
Authors: Riese Juliane 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThe paper's purpose is to improve understanding of corporate social responsibility (CSR), by critically examining two assumptions taken for granted in capitalist market economies as well as economic theory, and their consequences for CSR.Design/methodology/approachThe two assumptions of resource scarcity and the necessity to outperform competitors, and their consequences for one's understanding of CSR are discussed. Some criticisms of CSR are reviewed in this context.FindingsThe paper argues that the named assumptions put pressure on individuals and induce fear, inhibiting individual reflection on the ends and consequences of economic activity. Moreover, if individuals look to organizations for alleviation of fear, this will inhibit such reflection on the organizational level. This lack of reflection leads to CSR being interpreted and practised in narrow ways, for example, as a public relations measure unconnected to core business. Thus, in order to arrive at a more holistic understanding and practice of CSR, the basic assumptions of scarcity and outperformance must be addressed.Originality/valueThe paper positions the CSR concept, as well as the problems and criticisms related to it, in a broader historical, cultural and psychological context.
A Study of Corporate Philanthropic Traits among Major Malaysian Corporations
Authors: Bin Amran Azlan , Lynn Ling Lim , Sofri Yahya 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to comprehend the whole phenomenon of corporate philanthropy in Malaysia by studying the traits of companies that make significant contributions to society. Specifically, it looks at firms' ownership structures and specific characteristics and their influence on the extent of corporate philanthropy.Design/methodology/approachThis study employs Agency theory as the basis for explaining philanthropic behaviour of Malaysian companies. A total of 100 public‐listed companies were selected from the top 200 companies based on market capitalization as listed on the Bursa Malaysia. The ownership structures and firm characteristics of the selected companies were tested against the extent of corporate philanthropy in order to see the relationship among the variables. In addition, multiple regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe findings of this study reveal that ownership structure does have some influence on corporate philanthropic activities. This is consistent with the proposition of Agency theory. In addition, the size factor is also found to be a significant determinant of philanthropic tendency among Malaysian companies.Practical implicationsIn view of the increasing importance of corporate philanthropy in the overall context of corporate social responsibility and nation building, this study serves well in providing an insight into the determinants of corporate philanthropic tendencies in Malaysia. By doing this, it extends the horizon of the study done by Prathaban and Rahim on the levels of firm charitable contributions.Originality/valueThis paper offers an important explanation of the factors that influence corporate philanthropic tendency, particularly in the Malaysian context.
Corporate Social Responsibility and the Fetter of Profitability
Authors: Scott Simeon 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to examine five themes arising from definitions of corporate social responsibility (CSR): responsibility to the community and society; promoting democracy and citizenship; reducing poverty and the inequality between rich and poor; employee rights and working conditions; ethical behaviour. The paper also aims to evaluate three important articles on CSR, and investigate conceptual value added, with reference to these five themes.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses a Hegelian dialectical method to analyse CSR. This method is used to evaluate Friedman's classic 1970 article, the 2004 Christian Aid Report, the 2006 Corporate Watch Report and the conceptual value added aspects of CSR.FindingsThe evidence suggests strongly that, irrespective of the subjective will of CEOs, corporate profitability acts as a fetter to authentic social responsibility.Practical implicationsAs CSR tends to be reduced to a range of marketing techniques, of varying degrees of sophistication, the paper calls for a discussion on ways in which producers and distributors can become authentically responsible to the societies in which they operate.Originality/valueAn analysis of CSR that employs Hegelian dialectics provides a means of explaining the relevance of the contradictions inherent in contemporary corporate and consumer behaviour. A study of these contradictions helps us to understand the widely reported gulf between the theory and practice of CSR advocates. Such an understanding is likely to be of value to those academics, students and others seeking to theorise, and bring into being, authentic social responsibility.
Corporate Social Responsibility and the Empowerment of Women: An Indian Perspective
Authors: Jatana Renu , Crowther David 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is both to argue that CSR has a role to play in the empowerment of women in India and to show that this is actually happening.Design/methodology/approachThe research is based on reported information from Indian companies.FindingsThe paper makes a link between these two topics which has not been made before.Practical implicationsThe paper has a practical implication both for Indian companies and for companies elsewhere in the world in terms of their concern with corporate social responsibility.Originality/valueThe paper's value is in broadening and defining the concept of CSR and its implications.
Accounting Ethics Education in Turkish Public Universities
Authors: Tunca Caliyurt Kiymet 
Published: November 2008

PurposeEthics education in accounting has become more of an issue after the Enron collapse. The aim of the study is to evaluate the importance given to accounting ethics education in business schools in Turkey and to discuss the possible problems by comparing the results with developed countries.Design/methodology/approachFor the evaluation of the ethics education in Turkey, a questionnaire was sent to all accounting departments of business schools.FindingsIn this study low rates of ethics education in Turkey were found but, if an academician has received accounting ethics education, he/she is shown to be more likely to teach ethics.Originality/valueThese experiences would be a good guide for Turkish academics for development of ethics education in accounting programmes of business schools.
Challenges for Bangladesh to conquer avian influenza
Authors: Haider Muhiuddin , Nahar Ahamed Shamsun , Leslie Teresa 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to increase awareness about the issues the world and, more so, Bangladesh faces in overcoming avian influenza. Also, the purpose is to examine whether the avian influenza situation and communication strategy adopted in the country follows risk communication principles.Design/methodology/approachAn extensive literature review using recently published works, government documents, and organizational reports is employed.FindingsIf not controlled, avian influenza has the potential to become a global pandemic with extremely high morbidity and mortality rates. Bangladesh presently has policies and programs in place to attempt to control the virus but many challenges, such as the implementation of an effective risk communication strategy, remain.Originality/valueThis paper identifies a wide variety of sources that would be useful information for policy makers and program managers.
Painkiller purchasing in the UK
Authors: Paddison Andrew , Olsen Kine 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to explore, through exploratory qualitative research, how perceptions of involvement and risk, for female consumers, influences their information search and product evaluation decision‐making for over‐the‐counter (OTC) painkillers.Design/methodology/approachIn‐depth interviews were conducted amongst 25 female OTC painkiller purchasers from one pharmacy. Females are more engaged with and have a greater likelihood to use OTC medication. Despite the benefits of applying qualitative approaches when researching self‐medication, there are few self‐care qualitative studies.FindingsDespite the greater availability and awareness of OTC medicines, the purchasing process is still underpinned by inherent risk. Alongside base levels of involvement, painkillers had situational importance with there being unease as to the risk involved. Consumers felt uncertainty as to the worth of their knowledge and this was compounded by a lack of informational clarity. Finally, the risk of side‐effects and the relative importance of subjective beliefs often took precedence during evaluation.Research limitations/implicationsInformation needs to be made more accessible, whilst there is scope to capitalise upon family history as interpersonal sources were deemed to be empathetic. As the study was conducted once in a “local” setting, the time span and level of interactivity could be extended by studying consumers “lived experiences”. Triangulated research amongst related parties, such as pharmacists, could build on this exploratory study.Originality/valueOTC medicine sales have grown with self‐medicating consumers purchasing painkillers the most frequently. Previous research has stemmed from medical sociology, pharmacy practice and public policy, and there is a lack of contemporary (UK) consumer behaviour research on OTC painkiller purchasing.
Marketing “smart” medical innovation: physicians' attitudes and intentions
Authors: Carter Ella 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate physicians' attitudes toward smart fabric medical innovation and more specifically to examine how perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness affect physicians' attitudes and intention to use smart fabric technology.Design/methodology/approachData for this study were collected using a web‐based survey instrument delivered via email to a randomly selected group of physicians (n=207) responses with no missing data). Physicians were chosen because physicians' acceptance is key to social acceptance of smart medical innovations, whether as an instrument to further their efforts to monitor patients through telemedicine or to expand their diagnostic capabilities.FindingsSignificant effects were found for the direct relationships between attitude and intention to use and between perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. However, the relationships between attitude on intention to use, perceived usefulness on intention to use and perceived ease of use on perceived usefulness were not statistically significant.Originality/valueSmart fabric technology is a recent development that has received widespread attention in textile industry publications as well as consumer market publications, but relatively little in medical journals. Even though many of the applications are still limited to military situations, the diffusion of these “smart” innovations into mainstream markets has the potential to significantly impact numerous lives. This is especially true for smart fabrics that have been developed for medical markets because these innovations have the potential to save lives, alter the way physicians practice and impact significantly the quality of care provided to patients.
Social enterprise in Europe: recent trends and developments
Authors: Defourny Jacques , Nyssens Marthe 
Published: November 2008

PurposeTwelve years ago, the concept of social enterprise was rarely discussed in Europe, however it is now making significant breakthroughs in European Union (EU) countries. Within this context, the purpose of this paper is to synthesize major evolutions experienced by social enterprises across Europe and the key challenges they are facing; and specific members of the EMES European Research Network provide a more in‐depth update as to current trends and debates in their respective countriesDesign/methodology/approachThis paper is based on a comparative analysis of the different institutions (legal frameworks, public policies, supporting structures, public procurement policies …) which support the development of social enterprises in the different EU countries. To delimit the field, the paper relies on the “ideal‐type” social enterprise as defined by the EMES network: “Social enterprises are not‐for‐profit private organizations providing goods or services directly related to their explicit aim to benefit the community. They rely on a collective dynamics involving various types of stakeholders in their governing bodies, they place a high value on their autonomy and they bear economic risks linked to their activity”.FindingsIt was found that although the concept of social enterprise itself has not gained the same recognition in all EU countries (and is even still poorly understood in several of them), the reality is that growth and social enterprise are being experienced in most EU countries.Originality/valueIf the concept of social enterprise is on the public agenda of several EU countries, the understanding as well as the institutions to support their development vary from one country to the other. This paper provides a comparative analysis of this heterogeneous but rich landscape.
Innovation in social enterprise: achieving a user participation model
Authors: Rotheroe Neil C. , Miller Liz 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThe place of social enterprise in providing innovation in the delivery of services previously undertaken by the public sector is currently receiving much attention, as is service user participation in the delivery of services. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the propensity of a service delivery model to positively influence service users' goals, fulfil their own expectations and life chances.Design/methodology/approachA case study of a social enterprise, providing services to children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and their families. The paper takes a Kantian perspective on the position of service users as ends in themselves, is informed by social capital theory and is carried out as a single case study with survey, interviews and triangulation.FindingsThe service delivery model is found to increase social capital and assists in the reduction of social exclusion and in the building of local sustainable development. It delivers positive social outcomes and the importance of innovative capacity in the social enterprise sector is demonstrated.Originality/valueLessons from the participatory service delivery model are felt to be transferable to other service delivery areas. Improvement in public sector understanding is shown to need attention in this context.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) information disclosure by annual reports of public companies listed at Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX)
Authors: Mirfazli Edwin 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide empirical proof concerning the social focus of responsibility information disclosure – dominant in annual reports of basic and chemical industries groups – and how the company's group type affects the amount and focus of social disclosure in a company's annual report.Design/methodology/approachThis paper explains and describes data characteristics employed in the research. Annual reports are analyzed by content analysis method.FindingsThe results show that the main foci of social disclosure from companies registered at the Indonesia Stock Exchange are labor theme (51.60 percent), followed by customer theme (19.40 percent), society theme (14.70 percent) and environmental theme (14.30 percent), respectively. Hypothesis test proved that there is no significant difference in the presentation of social disclosure amount in all themes between companies in the basic and chemical industries group or in the variety industries group.Research limitations/implicationsThe composing of a social disclosure list tends to be subjective and it is possible to omit certain items that are supposed to be disclosed by the company.Practical implicationsThe paper shows that it is necessary to pay increased attention to the social environment, considering that companies and society are equally important.Originality/valueThis paper describes the importance of amount, manner, and the reason behind a company's social responsibility disclosure.