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Full-Text Articles in Business
Consistencies And Inconsistencies In The Application And Mechanisms Of Corporate Social Responsibility: A Case Study Approach To Seeking Clarification, Melissa Cook
Theses and Dissertations
While the idea of corporate responsibility emerged in the 1950s and 1960s, awareness of the ideas that comprise Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has increased over the last few years. Although there are numerous CSR reviews published, and despite increasing public awareness regarding CSR, a unified definition and framework remain elusive. The problem is that many leaders do not understand CSR and are simply not integrating it into their strategic management process. The purpose of this qualitative research case study was to explore and examine consistencies and inconsistencies in the application and mechanisms of CSR by examining the extent that CSR …
Board-Level Sustainability Paradoxes, Robert S. Bikel
Board-Level Sustainability Paradoxes, Robert S. Bikel
Theses and Dissertations
Managing sustainability in for-profit organizations can give rise to multiple tensions, including those between financial and social objectives or meeting competing stakeholder demands on the firm. Recent research into these tensions suggests that framing them paradoxically, as competing objectives that are interconnected and persist through time, can help to manage those tensions and may even promote innovative solutions. This research project, consisting of two complimentary papers, examined how a paradox approach might help directors on the boards of for-profit companies more productively manage sustainability. Specifically, it examined how a paradox mindset, a willingness to embrace multiple tensions among competing objectives, …
Beyond The Green Iron Cage: Exploring The Macro And Micro-Level Influences On Executive Decisions About Sustainability Investments In Small And Medium Size Firms, Igor Estraykh
Theses and Dissertations
Although research on corporate environmental sustainability has shed light on different aspects of organizational and individual level factors that influence corporate decisions, it does not fully account for how individual executives within firms react to these forces and make decisions, specifically within small to medium size enterprises (SMEs). This study used a grounded theory approach to interview 19 SME executives from 13 different industries to explore how organizational and individual level factors influence their ability to evaluate and make decisions related to sustainability initiatives. The study found that SME executives faced isomorphic pressures for sustainability, individual agency pressures, significant resource …