Business Law, Public Responsibility, and Ethics Commons^™

Socially-Minded Investors And Corporate Behavior, Merritt B. Fox, Menesh S. Patel

Faculty Scholarship

Many equity investors are concerned with the world’s worsening social and environmental problems and are losing faith in the capacity of political institutions to respond. Corporate behavior is often contributing to these problems. Some investors, at least if fully informed as to costs and benefits involved, would favor corrective changes to corporate behavior even where that would lessen their investment returns. Two important questions arise: (1) given existing law, are such willing-to-sacrifice equity investors currently affecting firm behavior; and (2) should there be legal reform that makes firms more sensitive to these willing-to-sacrifice investors’ preferences? This Article seeks to answer …

Oer Review For Business & Society – Ai Generated Oer Supplements And Open Pedagogy Assignment: Undergraduate Perspectives On Responsible Business, Cynthia E. Clark Ph.D

Open Educational Resources Publications

This review examines the integration of open educational resources and open pedagogy in Business & Society (MG 313), where students engaged in both AI‑supported research and authorship to create the open textbook Undergraduate Perspectives on Responsible Business. The project combined open access materials, AI‑generated readable adaptations of scholarly articles, and a redesigned Position Paper assignment that invited students to contribute their work to a public Pressbooks publication. These activities strengthened student engagement, improved comprehension of responsible business perspectives, and expanded access to course materials. The iterative use of OER, alongside guest instruction and library support, fostered deeper student ownership …

Sustainability: Buzz Word Or Future Of Fashion? Measuring The Feasibility Of Outright Sustainability Among Fast Fashion’S Biggest Agents, Ryan Miller

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

Abstract

The fashion industry is currently experiencing unsustainable rates of pollution within its supply chains. The rapid increase in demand for short lead times perpetrated by large-scale retailers has led to hazardous practices negatively affecting both the environmental conditions and working conditions of producing countries. With this increased pressure, relationships between brands and suppliers have become untenable. Limited transparency and imbalanced power dynamics at the hand of the industry’s leading retailers require restructuring in order to build more sustainable and equitable supply-chain practices. Further, governmental regulation is currently limited in its capacity to enforce sustainable business practices on a global …

The Eyes Of Csr: Creating A Consulting Methodology To Bring Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility Into Established Organizations, Raven V. Brookes-Mcdougall

Student Theses and Dissertations

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become a crucial aspect of the corporate mindset, driven by the increasing demand for ethical and sustainable practices. Despite the strong business case for its implementation, CSR deployment often lacks strategic direction. This capstone project, titled "The Eyes of CSR: Creating a Consulting Methodology to Bring Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility into Established Organizations," aims to develop a universally applicable framework for integrating CSR into established organizations. This will be achieved through an extensive literature review that explores the multifaceted nature of CSR, including its history, benefits, challenges, criticisms, and various approaches.

The resulting framework emphasizes …

Corporate Crisis Management: A Contemporary Best Practices Template, Vivek Narayan

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper seeks to re-envision the crisis management framework used by organizations in their day-to-day activities. In the modern world, with exponential technological advancements, the social media age, and the 24/7 news cycle, crises have worsened in severity. Despite this, most literature on the subject is more than a decade old.

Incorporating past literature, this thesis demonstrates that society is in an “era of crises,” then defines and discusses the types and origins of these crises. It compares the topics of issues and crisis management before commentating on corporate and academic literature and ultimately previous 3-stage models for crisis management. …

When Do Corporate Good Deeds Become A Burden? The Role Of Corporate Social Responsibility Following Negative Events, Changhyun Kim, Yoonseok Zang, Heli Wang, Kate Niu

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

This study investigates the differential roles of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the context of negative events. By categorizing CSR and negative events by their respective stakeholder groups, primary and secondary stakeholders, we theorize and test differential impacts of CSR and their interaction effects with different types of negative events. We propose that, while CSR toward secondary stakeholders offers the monotonous risk-tempering effect, CSR toward primary stakeholders has heterogeneous effects when facing negative events. Specifically, the effect of CSR toward primary stakeholders varies with the type of negative events. When negative events are associated with secondary stakeholders in the domain …

Small And Mighty: An Analysis Of Foundational Aspects Of Small Family Firms And Their Corporate Social Responsibility, Ashlyn Crosby

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis investigates the foundational aspects of small family firms to understand how their unique characteristics create differences among various types of firms. This review examines five key business components: operations, longevity, innovation, succession, and decision-making within these firms. The analysis in this report focuses on businesses that operate within the United States. When considering the American economic model, it is also vital to consider the corporate social responsibility (CSR) of small businesses and, due to its emergence as an integral aspect of contemporary business practices, the impact on society, the environment, and stakeholders. While CSR is frequently associated with …

Corruption In The U.S. Pharmaceutical Industry, Anna Woelfel

Supply Chain Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

A story that has to be told too often is that of the people who cannot afford lifesaving medications, and as a result do not survive. Doctor Nicky Mehtani says that the inability of a patient to afford their medication can be a common cause of death. This is an answer not accepted by grieving family members who have lost a loved one. It is estimated that more than a fourth of people in the United States needing medical treatment struggle with payment or simply cannot afford to pay for the lifesaving medications that they need (Mehtani, 2018). Deteriorating American …

Corporate Social Responsibility: The Case Of The Alcohol Industry, Amanda Kidd

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis is a research study on the practices of the alcohol industry in relation to alcohol abuse, using spirits as a case study. This thesis begins by looking at statistics about people experiencing addiction and the alcohol industry as a whole. This thesis talks about what spirits companies are currently doing and how they could be more socially responsible. It will take a deep dive in 10 spirits companies, looking at their practices and what they are doing about alcohol responsibility. The purpose of this study is to advocate for alcohol brands to go a step further in assisting …

Why Corporate Success Requires Dealing With The Past, Sarah Federman, Judith Schrempf-Stirling

School of Peace Studies: Faculty Scholarship

Customers, employees, and citizens expect companies to address historic transgressions and work toward a positive legacy.

Businesses’ past involvement or complicity in atrocities and human rights abuses such as slavery and genocide is a pressing concern for stakeholders today. Managers who meaningfully engage with their companies’ past actions can address historic harms while simultaneously contributing to their companies’ future success. The authors examine the factors that are pushing companies to take action now, and they offer guidance to help leaders begin the process of moving forward.

Doing Good: Navigating The Csr Maze In India – Review Of Book By Meena Raghunathan, Ruchi Tewari, Aatman Shukla

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Regulatory Oversight On Environmental, Social, And Governance Ratings, John F. Torpey

Engaged Management ReView

Firm performance in the specific areas of environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and corporate governance (ESG) has become an important criterion that investors use in determining a firm’s value. This empirical investigation, based on stakeholder theory examines the relationship between regulatory oversight and third-party ESG ratings. Our research methodology involved quantitative, observational, and retrospective analyses. The study population consisted of 471 firms from two heavily regulated industry sectors—the utility and financial sectors—and from two less regulated sectors—the information technology and consumer discretionary sectors. We compiled the ESG ratings for the firms from two independent rating services. The quantitative evaluation included multiple …

Downsizing The Silver Screen: An Analysis Of Covid-19'S Impact On The American Filmmaking Industry, Andrew Paxson

Information Systems Undergraduate Honors Theses

The following case analysis details the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the American entertainment industry, with particular commentary given to ethical considerations amongst the changing landscape of consumer behavior. While the entertainment sector suffered at great lengths due to prolonged closures, multimedia firms such as Warner Bros. and Disney elected to modify their service methods, delivering continued programming at the expense of business partners and creatives. Through legally ambiguous and precedent setting business decisions, cinema chains were neglected and employed talent disenfranchised, thereby setting a trend in the industry that seeks to both eliminate communal theater experiences and reinterpret …

Impact Of The Quality Of Esg Reporting On Profitability Of Trucking And Oil Companies, Diane Meng

Honors Scholar Theses

A growing number of companies have been providing disclosures regarding ESG issues and goals in their financial reports. Studies have investigated the association between the quality of ESG reporting and the financial performance of various companies, which showed various results. However, the association between the two factors remains unclear. In this study, I examine the relationship between the quality of ESG reporting and the profitability of companies in the trucking and oil industries from 2011 to 2020. I predict that greater quality of ESG reporting results in higher profitability of companies in both industries. Overall, the results of this study …

A Country Prospering On Abuse: Migrant Worker Exploitation And Labor Reform In Qatar, Emma Towe

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

The countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council rely on migrant workers to drive their economies and perform hard labor while simultaneously abusing these workers through the kafala (sponsorship) system. Qatar is not an exception to this rule, even as labor reforms are being implemented. When Qatar was awarded the responsibility of hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, an international spotlight on labor abuses followed. Although Qatar has responded by enacting labor reforms, strong evidence shows continued abuse and lax enforcement of new polices. While the economy of Qatar thrives, overworked, underpaid migrant workers, who have little to no rights, continue …

Digital Transformation, Sustainability, And Purpose In The Multinational Enterprise, Gerard George, Simon J.D. Schillebeeckx

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

We discuss how environmental and pandemic crises in combination with digitization are presenting the multinational enterprise (MNE) with increasing geopolitical, organizational, and market tensions. Institutional pluralism is creating a more complex global environment. The organization of productive work is shifting, which challenges how MNEs structure and coordinate their activities. Changing consumer and investor expectations are broadening the understanding of value creation with implications for business models. We contend that the tensions invite MNEs to reconsider how they frame, formalize, and realize corporate purpose. We close with a research agenda that recognizes the need for MNEs to become purpose-driven actors.

Generational Differences & The Millennial Impact On Business, Micah Wittschen

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Business is the backbone of the United States of America. Often called The American Dream, citizens grow up with the idea that the possibilities are endless living in the land of opportunity. This dream also comes with the desire for a family, thus a good job is needed for financial support. It is often believed and proven that those that work hard can yield financial returns and benefit socially.

Generational differences trickle down to every aspect of life including the different trends and impacts each cohort has on business. Each generation has a different view of work and behaves differently …

Navigating Corporate Social Responsibility, Benjamin Bates

Marriott Student Review

In this article, Ben Bates provides future business leaders with an introduction to the tools necessary to navigate difficult issues surrounding corporate social responsibility. HIs article outlines the two main theories on corporate social responsibility and discusses how business leaders can decide which theory to apply in a given situation.

Carbon Management Strategy And Carbon Disclosures: An Exploratory Study, Kathy K. Dhanda, Mahfuja Malik

WCBT Faculty Publications

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a concept aimed to ensure that corporations conduct their business in an ethical manner by taking care of their environment and human resources in addition to their economic impact. Often times, CSR refers to the steps undertaken by a corporation to measure its efforts to improve the environment and social well-being. One of the aspects of CSR pertains to the disclosure of emission information and carbon management strategy (CMS). Carbon Management refers to analyzing and focusing on those areas within the corporation where cost reductions can be made via energy reductions, waste management and reduced …

Authentic Csr In Professional Sport Organizations: Application Of A Theoretical Framework, Yoseph Mamo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Within the present dissertation, determinants for authentic CSR, process and outcomes are explored. A three-paper multiple method examination has been conducted, including a conceptual paper framework (Chapter 2), a structural equation model (Chapter 3), and MANOVA analysis (Chapter 4). Chapter 2 extends literature on when, why, and how professional sport organizations (PSO) can develop authentic CSR activities that can have a long-term positive impact on stakeholders. Chapter 3 advances literature on identifying the relevant dimensions of CSR that are supported by the fans rather than using a more holistic approach will advance our understanding of the relationships between different types …

Consumers’ Reactions To Multiple Instances Of Negative Publicity: The Role Of Publicity Domain Similarity, Berna Basar

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Although it is very typical for consumers to be exposed to multiple instances of negative publicity about a brand, existing research has focused on consumers’ reactions to one-time negative publicity instances. Given the important role of self-brand connection in consumers’ reactions to negative brand-related information, the current study investigates how consumers with different self-brand connection levels react to multiple instances of negative publicity in a single domain versus across different domains. Specifically, I suggest that consumers with high self-brand connection might be defense motivated, which in return, might result in justification of one-time instances unless consistency in behavior is signaled. …

Free Trade And Corporate Social Responsibility: Ethical Dilemmas In Global Economic Development, Sarah Papion

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Through the lens of the free-trade-optimist, it is black and white: corporations bring jobs, and jobs equal a happy and healthy economy. A major oversight in this neoliberal Utopian ideology is that corporations are not in the business of building communities, nor do they have an interest in keeping their operations stationary enough to allow economic growth to occur over a span of years. Corporations abandon communities as quickly as they arrive to find their next cheap labor hub. Quite contradictory to the original purpose of free trade, economic growth in Free Trade Zones is not long term or secure. …

The United Nations Global Compact In México: Evaluation Of Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting, Magaly Preciado

Sustainability and Social Justice

The United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) is the world’s largest corporate responsibility platform. It is based on Ten Principles related to Human Rights, Labor Standards, Environment, and Anticorruption commitments that companies can voluntarily adhere to. The UNGC has been celebrated for bridging the Sustainable Development Goals to the private sector and for promoting Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) among businesses. It has also been criticized for its lack of supervision and enforcement mechanisms. The signatories of the Compact are required to submit an annual report to the UN (Communication on Progress) but this is not evaluated in any form.

In México, …

The Early Eight And The Future Of Consumer Legal Activism To Fight Modern-Day Slavery In Corporate Supply Chains, Andrew G. Barna

William & Mary Law Review

No abstract provided.

Is Corporate Social Responsibility An Agency Problem?, Hao Liang, Luc Renneboog

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This chapter examines whether CSR investments occur mostly in firms with severe agency problems, which suggests that CSR is an agency issue. We demonstrate that this is not the case: CSR investments and performance are higher when dividends are high, leverage is high, cash flows and cash holdings are low, and when there is a high managerial pay-for-performance sensitivity. All these variables combined represent managerial discipline in terms of corporate investing. We also document that better legal protection of shareholder rights is positively related to CSR performance. This implies that when shareholders are more powerful relative to the management, the …

Heroes: How Hr Leaders Can Help End Sexual Violence Against Women, Wyatt Pagano

Marriott Student Review

This article explores the nature of the negative consequences of sexual violence for victims and the resulting problems that sexual misconduct can cause for businesses. Also, the article aims to demonstrate ways that HR leaders can help prevent violence and alleviate its consequences, leading to a better, safer workplace and world for women everywhere.

Making Corporate Social Responsibility Work: Do Rural And Community Banks (Rcbs) In Ghana Care At All?, Henry Kofi Mensah Dr., Ahmed Agyapong Dr., Eric Fosu Oteng-Abayie Dr.

The Qualitative Report

Rural and Community Banks (RCBs) were set up to provide banking services by way of funds mobilization and offering of credit to cottage industry operators, farmers, fishermen, and regular salaried employees. These banks are not obliged to undertake Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities but are expected by some stakeholders such as citizens in the community to devote part of their profits to meet social developmental activities. This study examines the CSR practices among RCBs in Ghana by adopting a mixed method approach. A combination of Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and cross-sectional survey was employed to gather detailed information from 86 …

The Pr Of Csr For The Casino Industry: A Review Of Challenging Corporate Social Responsibility: Lessons For Public Relations From The Casino Industry, Andrew B. Gustafson

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

This is a review of Jessalynn Strauss' recent book, Challenging Corporate Social Responsibility: Lessons for Public Relations from the Casino Industry. Through an analysis of Casino’s CSR practices, Strauss raises some serious concerns about this alignment between CSR and PR, and provides reasons to doubt whether SCR done for strategic bottom line interests rather than purely ethical reasons will consistently accomplish what the casinos set out to achieve.

People, Planet, Profit: Benefit And B Certified Corporations - Comprehension And Outlook Of Business Students, Arlene J. Nicholas, Samuel Sacco

Faculty and Staff - Articles & Papers

This paper is an overview of the emergence of Benefit and Certified B Corporations that aim to realize a profit and make a positive impact on society as measured by some third party standard. In this way, these corporations differ in corporate purpose from traditional C corporations. Directors and managers are accountable for that defined public benefit. Considerations of sustainable business practices have existed in many industries for several years. However, the recent growth in legislation to create a legal framework for Benefit Corporations is newly emergent. An examination of recent literature explains the rise of these socially responsible organizations, …

Pitfalls Of Over-Legalization: When The Law Crowds Out And Spills Over, Mark Kawakami

Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies

While some academics argue that enforcing voluntary corporate codes of conduct with private law backed sanctions can improve the working conditions of marginalized workers in the global supply chain, there are various risks associated with this "legalization" process. Relying on evidence from the fields of sociology, psychology, and evolutionary anthropology, this contribution will discuss how external incentives like threats of legal sanctions can actually be detrimental to the intrinsic motivations of companies that want to be socially responsible. This paper will also analyze how the crowding out effect and the spillover effect that come with legalizing otherwise voluntary norms could …