Ethical Consumption A Critical Introduction
by Tania Lewis
Co-edited with Emily Potter
A not-so-quiet revolution seems to be occurring in wealthy capitalist societies - supermarkets selling ‘guilt free’... more
A not-so-quiet revolution seems to be occurring in wealthy capitalist societies - supermarkets selling ‘guilt free’ Fairtrade products; lifestyle TV gurus exhorting us to eat less, buy local and go green; neighbourhood action groups bent on ‘swopping not shopping’. And this is happening not at the margins of society but at its heart, in the shopping centres and homes of ordinary people. Today we are seeing a mainstreaming of ethical concerns around consumption that reflects an increasing anxiety with - and accompanying sense of responsibility for - the risks and excesses of contemporary lifestyles in the ‘global north’.
This collection of essays provides a range of critical tools for understanding the turn towards responsible or conscience consumption and, in the process, interrogates the notion that we can shop our way to a more ethical, sustainable future. Written by leading international scholars from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds - and drawing upon examples from across the globe - Ethical Consumption makes a major contribution to the still fledgling field of ethical consumption studies. This collection is a must-read for anyone interested in the relationship between consumer culture and contemporary social life.
Download (.pdf) CIVIL RESPONSIBILITY FOR GROSS HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS - THE NEED FOR A GLOBAL INSTRUMENT
monograph published by Pretoria University Law Press (PULP), CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
This book was written for students, academics and legal professionals who work in the field of human rights and human... more
This book was written for students, academics and legal professionals who work in the field of human rights and human rights protection. In part A, it investigates the developments under international human rights law with regard to human rights protection, with the overall objective to develop an argument for a future international regime of civil liability for the individual and corporate perpetrator of gross human rights violations. In part B, a proposed convention on individual civil liability is set out and discussed. It provides the reader with a detailed description and analysis of the existing possibilities of establishing civil liability for gross human rights violations at the regional and international scale and concludes with the recommendation that only a merged system of the existing means of human rights protection will ensure effective human rights protection at a global scale.
The book is a shortened and revised version of Sascha-Dominik Bachmann's doctoral thesis, submitted to the University of Johannesburg. Dr Bachmann completed the work while serving as a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Johannesburg.
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New Directions in Social Impact Assessment
co-edited with Ana Maria Esteves
This important new book outlines current developments in thinking in the field of Social Impact Assessment (SIA). It... more
This important new book outlines current developments in thinking in the field of Social Impact Assessment (SIA). It advances the theory and practice of SIA, and argues that a dramatic shift is required in the way socioeconomic studies and community participation is undertaken. The book emphasizes that, much more than the act of predicting impacts in a regulatory context, SIA needs to be the process of managing the social aspects of development and that there needs to be a holistic and integrated approach to impact assessment. It stresses that greater attention needs to be given to ensuring that the goals of development are attained and enhanced. This significant addition to the literature will be an invaluable reference for academics, consultants and practitioners.
"This book should be read by anyone commissioning impact assessments and wants to build their understanding of the more progressive and innovative end of the topic. A job well done in the eyes of stakeholders and regulators requires proper social analysis" Jon Samuel, Anglo American.
"The list of authors reads like a who's who in SIA. Academics and practitioners are equally represented among the authors. The book provides a good mix of broad theoretical concepts and specific practical topics" Martin Haefele, Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada.
"This book gives a very broad overview of where Social Impact Assessment is coming from, where it is now and where it could go: from an impact assessment tool to an impact management tool. It provides a realistic insight in both the achievements and the struggles of Social Impact Assessment. A recommended read for both those interested in Social Impact Assessment and those in related domains where social issues are gaining increasing importance, such as Environmental Assessment and Sustainability Appraisal" Rob Verheem, Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessment. less
Women on Corporate Boards and in Top Management
Co-edited with Colette Fagan and Silvia Gomez
Palgrave Macmillan - Work and Welfare in Europe Series
Forthcoming May 2012
ISBN: 9780230293441
Has women's presence on company boards and in other top management positions improved? And in which countries and... more
Has women's presence on company boards and in other top management positions improved? And in which countries and types of organization has most progress towards gender parity been made? This book provides an international comparative analysis of the trends and evaluates gender equality policy developments, including those focused on corporate governance, such as the use of gender quotas for board membership. It includes detailed analysis using new data from eight European countries strategically selected because of their different policy frameworks and trajectories with regard to welfare, employment and promoting gender equality: Norway, Sweden, Finland, the UK, France, Spain, Hungary and Slovenia.
Developments in women's presence in top management jobs are considered in relation to the broader gender structuring of the labour market and political life. Policy debates and developments to redress women's under-representation in this arena are examined and evaluated and theoretically informed explanations are advanced, which emphasize the influence of national institutional settings and policy regimes, over and above market forces, even at this elite level of the employment hierarchy.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction; M. González Menéndez, C. Fagan and S. Gómez Ansón
2. Women on Boards in Europe: Past, Present and Future; S.Gómez Ansón
3. The Women on Boards in Europe Project: Aims, Methodology and Limitations; M. González Menéndez and L. Martínez
4. Gender Quotas for Corporate Boards in Norway – Innovative Gender Equality Policy; M. Teigen
5. Surge Under Threat – The Rapid Increase in Women on Swedish Boards of Directors; L. Bohman, M. Bygren and C. Edling
6. Individual Competence and Official Support: Women on Boards in Finland; P. Korvajarvi
7. Women's Representation on the Boards of UK Listed Companies; N. Teasdale, C. Fagan and C. Shepherd
8. Women in Top Management in France: Still Waiting for Change; M. Smith, P. Srinivasan and K. Zhuk
9. Spain on the Norwegian Pathway: Towards a Gender-Balanced Presence of Women on Corporate Boards; M. González Menéndez and L. Martínez
10. Women's Underrepresentation in Top Management Jobs in Slovenia: New and Persisting Barriers for Younger Generations of Women; A. Kanjuo Mrčela, B. Lužar and S.Šmuc
11. Women in Management – The Hungarian Case; B. Nagy
12. Conclusions; C. Fagan and M. González Menéndez
Book Review: Governance in the Business Environment (By: Guler Aras and David Crowther)
Nejati, M. (2011). Book Review of "Governance in the Business Environment". By Guler Aras and David Crowther (Editors). Published in Journal of International Business Studies. July 2011.
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Biopiraterie : Quelles alternatives au pillage des ressources naturelles et des savoirs ancestraux ?
sortie en librairie le 24 janvier 2012
La biodiversité et les écosystèmes locaux sont sources de richesse économique, notamment pour les secteurs... more La biodiversité et les écosystèmes locaux sont sources de richesse économique, notamment pour les secteurs pharmaceutique, cosmétique et alimentaire. En 1992, la Convention sur la diversité biologique a posé les bases pour un commerce éthique et durable des produits issus des espèces natives permettant d’éviter la biopiraterie ou le pillage des ressources naturelles et des savoirs ancestraux. Pourtant, aujourd’hui encore, peu d’instruments existent, en termes de modèle économique ou de certification, pour faciliter la prise en compte de ces principes. En s’appuyant sur différents cas pratiques, l’auteur se propose d’éclairer les notions encore peu connues de biopiraterie et de biocommerce éthique et d’en saisir les principaux enjeux. Proposant une évaluation des labels et des systèmes de garantie les plus usités en fonction de leur pertinence, il explore ensuite la question essentielle de la propriété intellectuelle des savoirs liés à la biodiversité. Il indique ainsi quelques pistes pour l’élaboration de nouveaux modèles de préservation et de partage des connaissances, afin que la valeur économique et sociale créée sur cette base équitablement répartie.
Responsabilités des entreprises et corégulation
coauthored by Th. Berns, P.-F.Docquir, Pierre-François, L. Hennebel et G. Lewkowicz, Responsabilités des entreprises et corégulation, Bruxelles, Bruylant, 2007, 230 p. [ISBN : 978-2-8027-2292-2]
La mondialisation accroit la puissance des entreprises en même temps qu’elle réduit les moyens des Etats de les... more
La mondialisation accroit la puissance des entreprises en même temps qu’elle réduit les moyens des Etats de les contrôler. Cette redistribution des pouvoirs implique, de manière urgente, une redéfinition des responsabilités. La seule mission de l’entreprise consiste-t-elle à réaliser du profit ou doit-elle assumer d’autres devoirs vis-à-vis de ses travailleurs, de l’environnement, des Etats qui l’accueillent ou plus généralement des êtres humains dont elle affecte l’existence ? C’est tout le débat actuel sur la « responsabilité sociale » des entreprises. Mais quelle est exactement la nature de cette responsabilité : morale, juridique, voire politique ? L’entreprise est-elle responsable et garante des droits de l’homme ? Et surtout comment de telles responsabilités peuvent-elles effectivement être mises en œuvre et par qui ?
Face à l’impuissance des moyens juridiques classiques, de nouvelles techniques de contrôle se développent, qui comptent moins sur la bonne volonté des entreprises que sur le souci de leur réputation, moins sur la force de la loi que sur la pression des marchés, moins sur l’imposition de règles que sur la publicité de l’information. Codes de conduite, labels du commerce équitable, fonds éthiques, agences de notation ou de certification, normes de standardisation, autorités de surveillance, inspecteurs, informateurs, dénonciateurs, autant d’initiatives proliférantes, qui se concurrencent et parfois se complètent et finissent par constituer, à la manière d’un bricolage, des mécanismes de corégulation, ajustés aux contraintes de notre temps, dont la logique s’écarte résolument du modèle de l’ordre juridique, national ou international. Ce livre en décrit les dispositifs. Il en analyse les enjeux et en trace les perspectives.
Responsabilidad Social de la Empresa: lecciones de la crisis. Una perspectiva europea
Francesc Morata, Blanca Vilà y Carme Suárez (eds.)
La crisis financiera global de finales de esta década ha puesto a prueba la credibilidad de los presupuestos que... more
La crisis financiera global de finales de esta década ha puesto a prueba la credibilidad de los presupuestos que impregnan el concepto de Responsabilidad Social de la Empresa (RSE). Por ello, parece más que oportuno proponer una reflexión sobre
la RSE en tiempos de crisis con objeto de evaluar tanto sus potencialidades comosus límites. La RSE es un concepto controvertido a causa de la ambigüedad que lo rodea.
Perspectives critiques en management: Pour une gestion citoyenne
co-authored with Matthieu de Nanteuil, with the contributions of, a.o. Pierre Veltz, Pierre-Yves Gomez, François Pichault, Didier Cazal, Evelyne Léonard, Philippe de Woot, Rachel Beaujolin, Frank Janssen, etc.
Depuis 2008, le capitalisme est entré dans une crise profonde mais les canons du management restent inchangés.
... more
Depuis 2008, le capitalisme est entré dans une crise profonde mais les canons du management restent inchangés.
Ce livre entend prendre au sérieux cette contradiction, qui caractérise la civilisation occidentale à l'aube du XXIe siècle. Loin de tout propos désinvolte ou populiste, il effectue une plongée au coeur de la discipline du management, pour analyser ses responsabilités effectives et ses perspectives transformatrices. Il questionne ainsi la capacité des sciences de gestion à nourrir une distance critique à l'égard de leurs pratiques et de leurs théories, mais aussi à répondre de leurs choix devant des citoyens de plus en plus écartelés entre obligations professionnelles, aléas économiques et désenchantement social. S'inscrivant dans la lignée des Critical Management Studies, cet ouvrage indique les conditions nécessaires à une telle entreprise, avec les incidences qui en découlent pour la recherche, la pratique et l'enseignement en gestion.
La première partie, "Fonder", pose les jalons épistémologiques et normatifs permettant d'articuler management et critique sociale; la deuxième partie, "Pratiquer", présente des recherches, menées dans une perspective critique, au sein des différents domaines de gestion : entrepreneuriat, gestion du changement, gestion internationale des ressources humaines, coaching, relations industrielles, etc.; la troisième partie, "Enseigner", partage les réflexions d'enseignants-chercheurs qui étayent leurs formations sur une conscience critique du management.
Véritable plaidoyer en faveur d'une éthique de responsabilité, cet ouvrage s'adresse aux étudiants, aux enseignants-chercheurs comme aux praticiens de la gestion mais aussi, plus largement, à tout citoyen soucieux d'approfondir les liens entre management et société dans un contexte de crise.
Corporate Social Responsibility: Part I - Principles, Stakeholders & Sustainability
by Tracy Farhan
Free ebook at bookboon.com
Corporate Social Responsibility: Part I - Principles, Stakeholders & Sustainability
David Crowther;... more
Corporate Social Responsibility: Part I - Principles, Stakeholders & Sustainability
David Crowther; Güler Aras
ISBN: 978-87-7681-564-6
1 edition
63 pages
Published: 01 January 2010
Price: Free
Corporate Social Responsibility: Part II - Performance Evaluation, globalisation and NFP's
by Tracy Farhan
Free ebook at bookboon.com
Corporate Social Responsibility: Part II - Performance Evaluation, globalisation and NFP's
David Crowther;... more
Corporate Social Responsibility: Part II - Performance Evaluation, globalisation and NFP's
David Crowther; Güler Aras
ISBN: 978-87-7681-566-0
1 edition
39 pages
Published: 01 January 2010
Price: Free
Book Chapter: Adams, D., Payne, S. and Watkins, C. (2009) Corporate social responsibility and the UK housebuilding industry. In: Murray, M and Dainty, A. (eds.) Corporate Social Responsibility in the Construction Industry. Spon, London , pp. 235-258.
by Sarah Payne
In this chapter, we suggest that the rapid dissemination of CSR as an embodiment of a new business ethic presents the... more
In this chapter, we suggest that the rapid dissemination of CSR as an embodiment of a new business ethic presents the housebuilding industry with a particular challenge to its corporate identity and relationships. We explore how the raised expectations for more responsible business behaviour, which are now evident in government and among the public at large, make particular demands on a housebuilding industry that has experienced an ever tighter regulatory environment in recent years. We trace the immediate efforts of the largest housebuilders to respond to the CSR agenda and question how far the adoption of corporate strategies and policies at head office is likely to make any local impact in any industry where production is notoriously mobile and decentralised. This leads us to ask important questions about the capacity of the industry to adapt to new agendas in its business and policy environments and specifically about whether the varied response to CSR among different housebuilders might reflect their future potential. Since this chapter is built primarily upon analysis of published company reports supplemented by limited interview work with housebuilders and their representative bodies, our findings are necessarily tentative and require to be tested by more detailed research at a local level. It is therefore appropriate that we conclude by outlining how a research agenda might be constructed to test the commitment of the housebuilding industry to CSR at the local level.
The chapter is presented in five sections. In the first section, we outline how UK housebuilding is structured and organised. We draw particular attention to the highly competitive and indeed turbulent structure of UK housebuilding and to the nomadic and still rudimentary nature of its craft-based production process, both of which make the industry highly focused on the short-term. In the third section, we present an analysis of how the UK’s top 10 housebuilders have responded to the Government’s CSR agenda, recognising of course that the articulation of strategies and policies at the top of any business is meaningless, unless systems are in place to ensure their effective dissemination and implementation throughout the organisation. Our fourth section therefore concentrates on what we perceive to be the main cultural and institutional barriers to the widespread adoption of CSR in the housebuilding industry. To some extent, this section draws on previous work (Adams and Watkins, 2002 and Adams, 2004) but it is also informed our direct discussions with the industry. In our final section, we suggest that the UK housebuilding industry, with few notable exceptions, has yet to fully embrace the principles of CSR in the development of housing. This raises important questions about the adaptive capacity of the industry, which are taken forward in our suggested research agenda.
Crane, A., Matten, D. and Spence, L. J. (eds) (2007) Corporate Social Responsibility: Readings and Cases in a Global Context, Routledge, London. 532 pages
Section A: Understanding CSR
1. Corporate Social Responsibility: In Global Context
2. The Case For and Against CSR
3. What is CSR?: History, Concepts and Theories
4. Responsibilities to Stakeholders Section B: Applying CSR
5. CSR in the Marketplace
6. CSR in the Workplace
7. CSR in the Community
8. CSR and the Ecological Environment
Section C: Managing CSR
9. CSR Reporting and Auditing Editors’ Introduction
10. CSR Strategy and Implementation
11. CSR in Global Context
Modern business is obliged to meet increasingly demanding ethical, environmental, legal, commercial, and public... more
Modern business is obliged to meet increasingly demanding ethical, environmental, legal, commercial, and public standards as defined by wider society. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has therefore become an important consideration for managers at all levels, as well as one of the most vibrant areas of study and research in the field of business and management. This important new book provides a comprehensive and student-centred introduction to the key themes and issues currently being addressed in CSR around the world.
This book brings together material by the most influential teachers and scholars working in CSR today, as well as many of the most cited and important articles, and is clearly structured in three parts:
* understanding CSR
* applying CSR
* managing CSR.
Each section includes an extensive and accessible editorial commentary that introduces the key debates and themes contained in the articles, as well as clearly defined learning objectives to guide the reader and challenging and thought-provoking study questions to consolidate learning. It also includes three major case studies to enable the reader to relate theory to the real world, focusing on Nike in Asia, Vodafone in South Africa, and ABN AMRO in Brazil. Drawing on examples and issues from across the globe, this book is essential reading for all students and managers with an interest in corporate governance and business ethics.
Doing Good--The New Rules of Corporate Responsibility, Conscience and Character
Ethics. Accountability. Sustainability. Governance. Diversity. Citizenship. Philanthropy. Privacy.
Customers, shareholders, institutional investors, activists, policymakers and the media today are deeply concerned about the behavior, policies and practices of corporations.
Our society has developed high, and perhaps unreasonable, expectations of the private sector. We expect companies not only to provide quality products and services, but also to compete globally and be exemplary corporate citizens. We want them to protect the environment, build roads, fight corruption, advance human rights, support the arts, and contribute to local communities at the same time. In short, we want corporations to do well and do good.
In the aftermath of the largest oil spill in history, this mandate has never been stronger. In Doing Good, lawyer, professor and business strategist, Adonis Hoffman, lays out 55 simple rules corporations and business leaders can follow to prove their character and conscience in today's demanding consumer climate. Chapter-by-chapter, Doing Good makes the path to corporate responsibility plain and clear. Companies who want to reap the rewards of such a reputation can just follow the rules.
Doing Good makes a simple, but compelling, case for a new path to corporate responsibility, especially for large publicly traded companies who have unique opportunities and resources to help build a better humanity. Seasoned with practical, common-sense, advice from notable business, political and cultural leaders,
Doing Good is a must read for anyone who cares about the increasingly important role of corporations in today's society.
Diversité : pourquoi se priver de potentiels ?, Les Cahiers de la Responsabilité Globale, No. 1
Les Cahiers de la Responsabilité Globale reposent sur l'idée que l'engagement social renforce la performance... more
Les Cahiers de la Responsabilité Globale reposent sur l'idée que l'engagement social renforce la performance économique de l'entreprise. Chaque numéro aborde un aspect spécifique de la Responsabilité Globale, traité à partir de cas concrets.
Ce premier Cahier aborde le thème de l'égalité des chances et de la prise en compte de la diversité dans l'entreprise. Comment former les salariés ? Quelle politique adopter contre les discriminations ? Comment encourager l'intégration des personnes issues des quartiers défavorisés ? que penser du CV anonyme ? Ce cahier tente de répondre à ces questions, à travers l'expérience d'une entreprise, Manpower, qu'il complète par des informations pratiques et critiques, que tout dirigeant d'entreprise pourra utiliser pour faire de la diversité un enjeu sociétal.