title: Blood money: A grounded theory of corporate citizenship; Myanmar (Burma) as a case in point

authors: Black, Nicola Mary

subjects: Corporate Citizenship

abstract: Corporate Citizenship as a social phenomena spans a growing body of
corporate initiatives, nascent policy frameworks, and global civil society action.
Corporate engagement with fragile states, and other situations identified as
contexts of conflict and/or weak governance, is the subject of scholarly and
practitioner research by those with an interest in Corporate Citizenship. In this
thesis I represent the corporation as a legal entity with significant political and
socio-economic impacts. Responsibility for these impacts is the subject of
ongoing social critique and contest. I consider the corporate form as a site of
broad protest at the environmental devastation and social dislocation that has
accompanied the globalisation and intensification of neo-liberal economic
activity. My analytic focus is the range of social processes involving actors from
the private, civil and political sphere, through which understandings of
responsible, potentially 'constructive' corporate engagement in fragile states are
created, contested and transformed. Further, efforts to embed Corporate
Citizenship as the normative basis for global business practice broadly reflect
aspirations for greater social justice. In identifying and describing intentions,
aspirations and forms of corporate engagement in fragile states, and the social
process through which these change, I critically examine the discourses of
development, security and governance which underpin Corporate Citizenship
efforts.
In this thesis I offer a grounded theory of Corporate Citizenship in Fragile
States I have developed through an empirical case study of the oil and gas
industry in Myanmar (Burma). Working within a social constructivist perspective
in the grounded theory research tradition, I have employed an iterative analytic
process to develop the theory presented. In this process the sampling of data was
undertaken to challenge and develop concepts in the emerging theory, concepts
identified using a method of constant comparison within and between sets of data.
I continued these concurrent processes of data-collection, analysis and theoretical
development until I judged the theory to be a sufficiently complete description of
the focus of inquiry. A total of seven broad sets of data informed the
development of the theory presented. These datasets include over a hundred
interviews in seven countries with stakeholders in three joint-venture offshore
exploration and production projects in Myanmar (Burma) undertaken from July
2006 to August 2009. The datasets also draw from an extensive body of corporate
and advocacy group publications regarding foreign investment in Myanmar, along
with other secondary data sources.
In this inquiry I have explored the multiple interactions between corporate,
state and civil society actors through which understandings of 'responsible'
corporate engagement in Myanmar are created, enacted and transformed. I have
identified and conceptualised four social processes at work in these interactions,
which I describe in the grounded theories of:
(1) Commercial Diplomacy (describing the use of enterprise as a conduit
for foreign policy by states, particularly as it relates to 'ethical' business
activity)
(2) Stakeholder Activism (critiquing the aims and strategies of
transnational civil society organisations who advocate for 'responsible'
corporate engagement)
(3) Corporate Engagement (explaining variation in the motivations and
terms of corporate engagement, specifically different forms of divestment
or engagement, as strategic responses to stakeholder activism, commercial
diplomacy and other factors which influence the enterprise context)
(4) Constructive Corporate Engagement (a conceptual framework,
grounded in multiple stakeholder-views and drawing from the
international development discourses of state fragility and human security,
for considering the potentially constructive impacts of corporate
engagement).
Working within and between these four theories, I generated an overarching
grounded theory of (5) Corporate Citizenship in Fragile States. From these
theories I offer a critical analysis of Corporate Citizenship as the normative basis
for a new articulation between the economic, social and political spheres in
pursuit of a more equitable global order.

text: Blood money: A grounded theory of corporate citizenship; Myanmar (Burma) as a case in point Corporate Citizenship as a social phenomena spans a growing body of
corporate initiatives, nascent policy frameworks, and global civil society action.
Corporate engagement with fragile states, and other situations identified as
contexts of conflict and/or weak governance, is the subject of scholarly and
practitioner research by those with an interest in Corporate Citizenship. In this
thesis I represent the corporation as a legal entity with significant political and
socio-economic impacts. Responsibility for these impacts is the subject of
ongoing social critique and contest. I consider the corporate form as a site of
broad protest at the environmental devastation and social dislocation that has
accompanied the globalisation and intensification of neo-liberal economic
activity. My analytic focus is the range of social processes involving actors from
the private, civil and political sphere, through which understandings of
responsible, potentially 'constructive' corporate engagement in fragile states are
created, contested and transformed. Further, efforts to embed Corporate
Citizenship as the normative basis for global business practice broadly reflect
aspirations for greater social justice. In identifying and describing intentions,
aspirations and forms of corporate engagement in fragile states, and the social
process through which these change, I critically examine the discourses of
development, security and governance which underpin Corporate Citizenship
efforts.
In this thesis I offer a grounded theory of Corporate Citizenship in Fragile
States I have developed through an empirical case study of the oil and gas
industry in Myanmar (Burma). Working within a social constructivist perspective
in the grounded theory research tradition, I have employed an iterative analytic
process to develop the theory presented. In this process the sampling of data was
undertaken to challenge and develop concepts in the emerging theory, concepts
identified using a method of constant comparison within and between sets of data.
I continued these concurrent processes of data-collection, analysis and theoretical
development until I judged the theory to be a sufficiently complete description of
the focus of inquiry. A total of seven broad sets of data informed the
development of the theory presented. These datasets include over a hundred
interviews in seven countries with stakeholders in three joint-venture offshore
exploration and production projects in Myanmar (Burma) undertaken from July
2006 to August 2009. The datasets also draw from an extensive body of corporate
and advocacy group publications regarding foreign investment in Myanmar, along
with other secondary data sources.
In this inquiry I have explored the multiple interactions between corporate,
state and civil society actors through which understandings of 'responsible'
corporate engagement in Myanmar are created, enacted and transformed. I have
identified and conceptualised four social processes at work in these interactions,
which I describe in the grounded theories of:
(1) Commercial Diplomacy (describing the use of enterprise as a conduit
for foreign policy by states, particularly as it relates to 'ethical' business
activity)
(2) Stakeholder Activism (critiquing the aims and strategies of
transnational civil society organisations who advocate for 'responsible'
corporate engagement)
(3) Corporate Engagement (explaining variation in the motivations and
terms of corporate engagement, specifically different forms of divestment
or engagement, as strategic responses to stakeholder activism, commercial
diplomacy and other factors which influence the enterprise context)
(4) Constructive Corporate Engagement (a conceptual framework,
grounded in multiple stakeholder-views and drawing from the
international development discourses of state fragility and human security,
for considering the potentially constructive impacts of corporate
engagement).
Working within and between these four theories, I generated an overarching
grounded theory of (5) Corporate Citizenship in Fragile States. From these
theories I offer a critical analysis of Corporate Citizenship as the normative basis
for a new articulation between the economic, social and political spheres in
pursuit of a more equitable global order.

year: 2009

title: Minimizing side reactions in chemoenzymatic dynamic kinetic resolution: organometallic and material strategies

authors: Pollock, Ciara L.

abstract: Chemoenzymatic dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) of rac-1-phenyl ethanol into R-1-phenylethanol acetate was investigated with emphasis on the minimization of side reactions. The organometallic hydrogen transfer (racemization) catalyst was varied, and this was observed to alter the rate and extent of oxidation of the alcohol to form ketone side products. The performance of highly active catalyst [(pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)IrCl₂(1-benzyl,3-methyl-imidazol-2-ylidene)] was found to depend on the batch of lipase B used. The interaction between the bio- and chemo-catalysts was reduced by employing physical entrapment of the enzyme in silica using a sol–gel process. The nature of the gelation method was found to be important, with an alkaline method preferred, as an acidic method was found to initiate a further side reaction, the acid catalyzed dehydration of the secondary alcohol. The acidic gel was found to be a heterogeneous solid acid.

text: Minimizing side reactions in chemoenzymatic dynamic kinetic resolution: organometallic and material strategies Chemoenzymatic dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) of rac-1-phenyl ethanol into R-1-phenylethanol acetate was investigated with emphasis on the minimization of side reactions. The organometallic hydrogen transfer (racemization) catalyst was varied, and this was observed to alter the rate and extent of oxidation of the alcohol to form ketone side products. The performance of highly active catalyst [(pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)IrCl₂(1-benzyl,3-methyl-imidazol-2-ylidene)] was found to depend on the batch of lipase B used. The interaction between the bio- and chemo-catalysts was reduced by employing physical entrapment of the enzyme in silica using a sol–gel process. The nature of the gelation method was found to be important, with an alkaline method preferred, as an acidic method was found to initiate a further side reaction, the acid catalyzed dehydration of the secondary alcohol. The acidic gel was found to be a heterogeneous solid acid.

year: 2012

title: The importance of Māori identity for athletes and sportspeople within sporting contexts

authors: Westrupp, Maia Takamoana

subjects: Māori

abstract: Identity is an important concept within psychology given its influence upon how we perceive ourselves, who we are as people, and how it can impact behaviour. For Māori, colonisation has had a detrimental impact on the maintenance and flourishing of a strong cultural identity. Sport is an area where Māori have not only contributed successfully nationally and internationally alongside Pakeha, but have been able to either affirm or rebuild their sense of cultural identity and connectedness. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the importance of Māori identity for athletes and sports people within a sporting context. This research project encompassed a qualitative approach, drawing upon a kaupapa Māori research paradigm. Semi-structured interviews were employed to ascertain in depth knowledge of participant’s experiences. A total of six participants took part in this study, all of whom were made up of athletes, coaches, and sports psychologists. When interpreting participants understanding of Māori identity within a sporting context, participants indicated a desire to configure their Māori identity based on Māori cultural concepts such as whakapapa, manaakitanga, and pēpeha. The key findings also identified a link between Māori identity and sport as participants illustrated how important Māori identity was within their sports team and organisation. Participants also indicated an unconscious link to enhanced sporting behaviours given the essence of Māori identity and the significance it places on serving the collective. Ultimately, for Māori athletes and sports people, the sporting realm offers an opportunity to engage and reaffirm Māori identity. Additionally, the value sporting teams and organisations place on Māori identity, can lead to flourishing in sport given the behaviours that may transpire by connecting the individual beyond purely, the physical domain.

text: The importance of Māori identity for athletes and sportspeople within sporting contexts Identity is an important concept within psychology given its influence upon how we perceive ourselves, who we are as people, and how it can impact behaviour. For Māori, colonisation has had a detrimental impact on the maintenance and flourishing of a strong cultural identity. Sport is an area where Māori have not only contributed successfully nationally and internationally alongside Pakeha, but have been able to either affirm or rebuild their sense of cultural identity and connectedness. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the importance of Māori identity for athletes and sports people within a sporting context. This research project encompassed a qualitative approach, drawing upon a kaupapa Māori research paradigm. Semi-structured interviews were employed to ascertain in depth knowledge of participant’s experiences. A total of six participants took part in this study, all of whom were made up of athletes, coaches, and sports psychologists. When interpreting participants understanding of Māori identity within a sporting context, participants indicated a desire to configure their Māori identity based on Māori cultural concepts such as whakapapa, manaakitanga, and pēpeha. The key findings also identified a link between Māori identity and sport as participants illustrated how important Māori identity was within their sports team and organisation. Participants also indicated an unconscious link to enhanced sporting behaviours given the essence of Māori identity and the significance it places on serving the collective. Ultimately, for Māori athletes and sports people, the sporting realm offers an opportunity to engage and reaffirm Māori identity. Additionally, the value sporting teams and organisations place on Māori identity, can lead to flourishing in sport given the behaviours that may transpire by connecting the individual beyond purely, the physical domain.

year: 2022