Sustainability is a topic of great interest to governments, businesses and individual members of society. There is a general consensus that sustainability is important and therefore, needs to be addressed. There is much less consensus, however, as to what this actually means and how it can be addressed. It appears to mean different things to different people and certainly everyone has their own priorities about what needs to be addressed. Consensus is difficult to find because of the complexity of what is involved in sustainability. This book addresses a number of these complexities by looking at different perspectives from experts from a wide range of different disciplines and from different parts of the world. The aim of the book ,therefore, is to stimulate discussion about what needs to be prioritised, as this forms an essential precursor to taking the necessary actions in order to achieve the essential sustainability for the planet.

Plastics have long been considered useful, providing such economic advantages as reduced cost and social benefits like increased hygiene and the preservation of food. However, plastic products have greatly contributed to climate change. Half of all plastic produced is single use. The discarded plastics are dumped into landfills and find their way into bodies of water, causing serious environmental pollution and health hazards. Addressing this paradoxical situation, Socially Responsible Plastic answers the question: can using plastic ever be socially responsible? While humanity is threatened by the environmental pollution caused by plastic, some countries are implementing and accepting environmentally friendly behaviour, while others are still falling behind. More specifically, adopting environmentally friendly behaviour is still in its infancy in developing nations. The authors look at socially responsible plastic in countries ranging from China, Malaysia, Pakistan, Spain, Australia and India to Sri Lanka, Nigeria and Bangladesh, with research covering tourism, waste management, the food and drink industry, and the possible advantages of responsible plastic use. Developments in Corporate Governance and Responsibility offers the latest research on topical issues by international experts and has practical relevance to business managers.

Both firms and governments are increasingly taking steps to address sustainability, and at the same time the issue of governance has become more prominent due to the numerous problems in public and business life which have manifest failures in governance. As initiatives for sustainability increase in importance and prominence, so has the need for governance of sustainability plans and actions. This volume of Developments in Corporate Governance and Responsibility responds to that need and focuses on the relations between governance and sustainability. The book looks at what has been happening in various locations around the world, identifying varying approaches and examining whether and how a best practice could be developed. Gathering contributions that are varied in scope and produced by authors from around the world, it provides a rich picture of the progress (or lack of progress) being made in a wide array of contexts. For its depth and broad scope, Governance and Sustainability is a must-read for researchers, students, and practitioners interested in sustainability and corporate social responsibility.

Probably since the mid-1980s, corporate governance has attracted a great deal of attention from corporate managers and investors' protection has become a much more important issue for all financial markets after recent firm failures and scandals. Especially important for all with an interest in how organizational governance is formed around socially responsible and accountable ways of leadership and management, this book provides new insights into various issues regarding business management and governance, and points to ways for businesses to make a real change for the betterment of the world, especially in the aftermath of the recent financial crisis 2007/2008.

Over the past half century, corporate social responsibility has become an important concept in management, marketing and communication literature. In the past twenty years a visible shift has been made into what was written about CSR: a move away from the financial benefits derived from such activities towards reputational impact, stakeholder relationships and communication with a wide range of audiences being noted. With social and digital media reshaping the way in which business is conducted, and with the number of companies embracing the new social medium for their marketing and communication programmers, this book re-examines CSR practices from a digital perspective. In doing so, it revisits some of the theoretical discussions about CSR while inquiring whether and how CSR can be applied online. This book examines key conceptual insights about corporate social responsibility and digital and social media, and explores best practices for online CSR. In this way, the volume explores the impact and influence of the new 'social' on responsibility and its feasibility, measurability and success in a boundary-less world.

It is increasingly being accepted that there is a benefit to both parties when a relationship is established between an NGO and a company. Consequently a considerable number of strategic alliances have been established. It must be accepted that such alliances are not necessarily mutually beneficial but little research has been undertaken to determine the factors which facilitate or mitigate against such mutual benefit. Indeed it is only recently that such relationship shave started to be examined at all. The contributions in this volume seek to redress this by researching various aspects of such relationships in order to arrive at some conclusions regarding the potential benefits and pitfalls of such relationships. The various contributors speak from different perspectives and different locations around the world and have different experiences and interpretations to offer. The results therefore present a diverse but balanced picture of the potential of any relationship between NGOs, companies and corporate social responsibility.

This book examines various aspects of changes to business behavior through the lenses of the "twin pillars" of sustainability - responsibility and governance. It discusses whether the focus of corporate social responsibility has changed so much that we need to think about redefinitions of key concepts in the field, and analyses both the theory and practice in a variety of ways to enable conclusions to be drawn about the changes needed to any definitions. This approach is based on the tradition of the Social Responsibility Research Network, which in its 15-year history has sought to broaden the discourse and to treat all research as inter-related and relevant to business. This book consists of the best contributions from the 16th International Conference on Corporate Social Responsibility and 7th Organisational Governance Conference held in Derby, United Kingdom in August/September 2017.

The public downfall of giant companies and an increase in corporate scandals and corporate crimes worldwide has drawn the attention of many in the business world. Growing economic activities that focus on increasing profits at the expense of social and environmental matters have led to self-centred, narrow-focused business planning and decisions. At a time of increasing globalisation and inter-connected economic systems, such a phenomenon is a concern for business practitioners in every country in the world. Consequently, shareholders and other stakeholders have encouraged firms to place issues of accountability at the centre of their activities, recognising the vital importance of an ethical firm culture, transparent governance issues and the adoption of more socially responsible business practices. This book is comprised of academic work on key current issues pertaining to the areas of ethics, governance and corporate crimes. Showcasing some of the current effort being made in addressing these crucial issues, the book provides a platform for researchers to publish their work, articulate their concerns and offer critical perspectives on what they see happening around them.

It is now 20 years since the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, better known as the Earth Summit was held in Rio de Janeiro. An important achievement of the conference was an agreement on the Climate Change Convention which in turn led to the Kyoto Protocol. Another was agreement to 'not carry out any activities on the lands of indigenous peoples that would cause environmental degradation or that would be culturally inappropriate'. Recently we have seen an updated and revised conference in Rio where the same issues were again discussed. Since then ideas about sustainability have changed considerably and to some extent they have merged with ideas about corporate social responsibility and about governance, determined by the economic and political fortunes of the actors involved. It is now time therefore to re-examine the concept of sustainability in the aftermath of this conference and to consider what issues are now considered pertinent around the world. This book therefore takes different positions concerning different aspects of this vital topic.

Although much consideration has been given to the relationship between a corporation and its stakeholders, less attention has been given as to who those stakeholders might consist of. Nevertheless in this globalised world the effects of the actions of a corporation can been seen to extend far beyond the boundaries of the organisation and far beyond the countries in which that corporation is domiciled or operates. Indeed not only can a butterfly flapping its wings cause a hurricane in another part of the world but also a minor decision by a corporation can have a dramatic social, economic or geopolitical impact in other parts of the world. Thus the stakeholder community of a corporation must be considered as far greater than its voluntary stakeholders, far greater than its internal stakeholders and far greater than its supply chain and value chain. This has considerable implications for the corporation and its approach to both its operations and its sense of corporate responsibility. Too often this is not considered or even recognised so in this book we take the widest definition of stakeholders and consider aspect of the corporation's responsibility to this community.

In the critically acclaimed first edition of A Social Critique of Corporate Reporting, David Crowther examined the perceived dialectic around traditional and environmental reporting to show it to be a false dialectic. Corporate reporting continues to change rapidly to incorporate more detail and especially environmental and social information. At the same time the mechanism for reporting has changed and the internet now enables more information to be provided to an ever wider range of stakeholders and interest groups. The perceived conflict between financial performance representing the needs of investors and other dimensions of performance representing the needs of other stakeholders still however continues to exist. In this updated edition, this perceived conflict is re-examined along with the wider purposes of corporate reporting. These are examined in the context of web based reporting and a greater concern for all stakeholders. The conclusion is that, although recent developments have produced changes, the essential conflict is still professed to exist, but remains a largely imaginary one. The analysis in this book makes use of both statistics and semiotics and in so doing develops a semiology of corporate reporting that offers an alternative to other research that is largely based on econometrics. Researchers, higher level students and others with an interest in or responsibility for corporate reporting, corporate social responsibility, accounting research, or semiotics will find this book essential reading.

CSR is a fragile concept if conceived only at the organizational level or driven only by leadership will. Many writers deal with aspects of social responsibility, but most deal with it as this kind of organizational and voluntary initiative. Few address the wider policy agenda. The contributors to Territories of Social Responsibility - researchers and practitioners from four continents - all participated in an international workshop co-ordinated by Patricia Almeida Ashley as part of her role as Chair in Development and Equity at the International Institute of Social Studies. They form a policy network contributing to studies on the concept of a multi-actor, multilevel and territorial approach to social responsibility and governance, oriented towards global, regional or local development and equity goals. This book introduces a new conceptual framework and promotes a research and policy agenda relating to it. A new model sees CSR embedded in institutional and legal frameworks, communicated and understood through a vector of communication and knowledge influencing situated culture and social values, and classified into three levels of ethical challenges. All of this can be expressed into the social processes of education, governance, the development of civil society, and policy making - a renovation of the existing perspectives on the concept of social responsibility. This ground breaking book integrates conceptual and empirical contributions and opens a research and policy agenda for the future. It will appeal to academics, higher level students, policy makers, and to leaders of and advisors to organizations affected by social responsibility issues.

It has been fairly traumatic for everyone and every organization over the last couple of years as we have had to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. It has certainly been a shock to the economic system of the world from which many are still recovering. Equally it has affected social systems and the environment, the effects of which are still being felt and will be felt for some time to come. In addition, there has been a fairly general economic crisis around the world as people struggle and adapt to the new environment. Certainly, there have been and will be changes which are likely to become permanent.  While recovering from one crisis however another is becoming more significant as climate change and its effects start to become ever more apparent. So, it seems inevitable that difficult times will continue into the future. This book therefore sets out to examine aspects of the changes to corporate and institutional behaviour which have come about by the difficult times of needing to deal with past and future crises. The international origins of the contributors to this volume make this very original, taking some of the best ideas from around the world. This approach is based on the tradition of the Social Responsibility Research Network (SRRNet.org), which in its 20-year history has sought to broaden the discourse and to treat all research as inter-related and relevant to business. This tradition has always been to explore the subject widely and to seek relevant solutions, while also sharing best practice. 

This book focuses on the application of sustainable development principles through consultation with, and partnerships between commerce and the community. Offering international perspectives, the authors show that the issues are global and that we can best arrive at solutions through a synthesis of these various perspectives. The book also examines changes to corporate and institutional behavior and discusses the extent to which the focus has changed, making it necessary to consider new approaches to our understanding of sustainability and differing effects in practice. This approach is based on the tradition of the Social Responsibility Research Network, which in its 17-year history has sought to broaden the discourse and to treat all research as inter-related and relevant to business. This book consists of the best contributions from the 17th International Conference on Corporate Social Responsibility and 8th Organisational Governance Conference, held in Bangalore, India in September 2018

While global challenges such as a future pandemics and global warming seem insurmountable, innovation and cumulative small changes can help towards managing such disruptive events. Innovation can encompass a new way of doing things, new products and services, and new solutions; in organizations where innovation can flourish, progress and resilience can be achieved. This edited collection draws together a number of chapters, organized into two parts – developing social responsibility and developing sustainability – both of which are interlinked and interdependent. Topics presented range from: mandatory CSR in the banking industry to the professional integration of displaced persons to knowledge for and about sustainability, and many more. The diversity of the chapters gift readers an interdisciplinary examination of innovation, social responsibility and sustainability. Developments in Corporate Governance and Responsibility offers the latest research on topical issues by international experts and has practical relevance to business managers.

Social entrepreneurs greatly differ from other forms of entrepreneurs in terms of judgment capacity, pro-activeness, innovativeness, entrepreneurial virtue. They are often associated with social innovation and ascribed as transformational leaders due to their contribution in finding and initiating the positive change in solving any social problem. In recent years, the whole world is facing different aspects and levels of social problems. This has led to social entrepreneurs becoming more desired and attracting significant research attention. However, the discussion on such topic is still at its infancy with ongoing debates on its definition, characteristics, and roles. Social Entrepreneurs: Mobilisers of Social Change works to fill this gap in the literature, exploring the notion of social entrepreneurs, their role, facets, and implications to address the social problems. Developments in Corporate Governance and Responsibility offers the latest research on topical issues by international experts and has practical relevance to business managers. This is the only book series endorsed by the Social Responsibility Research Network.

The three pillars of sustainability - Environmental protection, Social sustainability, and Economic sustainability - are well known since the Brunndtland Commission report. However, these pillars are meant to be approached and treated as equal counterparts, yet this rarely happens as individuals, corporations, businesses, and institutions will weight one pillar with more importance than the others. The Equal Pillars of Sustainability works to redress this problem and to look at what action is taken or might be taken to achieve equality. It is investigated whether this equality can be achieved in all circumstances or what alternatives need to be considered. It might be argued that Brundtland was wrong, and these three pillars are not the centrepiece of sustainable development. In this book we consider these views and actions to arrive at a view which will inform debate and guide future action. Developments in Corporate Governance and Responsibility as a series offers the latest research on topical issues by international experts and has practical relevance to business managers. This is the only book series endorsed by the Social Responsibility Research Network.

Isolationism is an approach that many governments are increasingly beginning to take, which has consequences for both ordinary citizens and businesses. The research in this sixteenth volume of Developments in Corporate Governance and Responsibility examines isolationism at global, regional and local levels around the world to analyse this impact. In CSR in an age of Isolationism, David Crowther and Farzana Quoquab gather contributions from academics around the world who discuss the implications of isolationism on corporate social responsibility and society itself. This is achieved by looking at a mixture of regional changes together with case studies within several industries in order to develop a theoretical understanding and analysis. For its contributions towards an understanding of changes which do not yet seem to be widely recognized, this book is an essential read for researchers and postgraduate students of corporate governance and responsibility.

This book explores the concepts of sustainability and governance in relation to the governance of corporations - hence the ubiquity of the term corporate governance - and other bodies. It examines how these concepts are regularly used by politicians and by the media. The two concepts are however largely treated as being separate and discrete, and given equal coverage. The argument in this book is that the two concepts are inter-related and that good governance is a prerequisite for sustainability. The focus of the book therefore is different from most, as it seeks to integrate these two important issues. The approach used in this book is based on the tradition of the Social Responsibility Research Network - a worldwide body of scholars that, over its 20-year history, has sought to broaden the discourse and to treat all research as inter-related and business-relevant. The book examines diverse aspects of the changes to corporate and institutional behaviour that have recently manifested by focusing on these two aspects of sustainable development. Thus, the authors explore engagement and partnership between organisations, in order to consider the extent to which the focus has changed so much that we need to think about new approaches to our understanding of sustainability and differing effects in practice. The international mix of authors makes this an original contribution, sharing some of the best ideas from around the world.

This book focuses on CSR in the public sector, in all its manifestations around the world, in order to consider its application in practice and its connections to sustainable objectives. This book is unique in that all chapters were written by members of the Social Responsibility Research Network. Their ideas have been tested and refined through the feedback given after they were presented at the 16th International Conference. The approach used in this book is based on the tradition of the Social Responsibility Research Network - a worldwide body of scholars that, over its 20-year history, has sought to broaden the discourse and to treat all research as inter-related and business-relevant. The book examines diverse aspects of how CSR and sustainability apply to, and are applied by, a variety of public bodies in a variety of ways. Thus, the authors focus on the priorities of these organisations, in order to consider the extent to which the focus has changed so much that we need to think about new approaches to our understanding of CSR and sustainability and differing effects in practice. The international mix of authors makes this an original contribution, sharing some of the best ideas from around the world

It is apparent that all forms of organisation have governance requirements and procedures but too often we just consider governance in a corporate environment. Equally it is accepted that the concept of governance is concerned with the relationship between the organisation and all of its stakeholders but is too often interpreted as a concern for the relationship between a corporation and its investors. Still this is essentially true as far as most corporations are concerned. Such narrow views are unrealistic and are inappropriate in the modern global world which we inhabit and many would blame problems with governance for the economic and financial turmoil which the world has experienced during the last decade. Much analysis has been undertaken about governance but little in the way of change is manifest and few seem to recognise both the need to consider radical changes in the modern global environment and the opportunities and possibilities presented by the current environment. In this book therefore we take a broad (and possibly radical) approach and consider governance requirements in the modern world - not just for corporations but for all forms of organisation.

The management of organisations continues to evolve as new priorities emerge and new approaches are developed. Thus, it is clear that research into business and management will also continue to evolve. This will be in terms of both what is researched and in terms of the techniques and methods used to conduct research. Such development will continue into the future and this book highlights evolving areas. It also suggests new topics which are emerging and new techniques to conduct such research – topics and techniques that will be of benefit to researchers. The unique focus on the future of research methods in management, the emergence of topics in contemporary management and sustainability research and practices, such as sustainability and circular economy, will set this volume apart. With coverage of new and emerging subjects in management studies such as sustainability, zero carbon, green market, and circular economy, and the international collaboration with contributors from all around the globe, this major interdisciplinary reference volume will be of interest and great value to researchers, academics, and advanced students in the fields of business and management research and appropriate methodologies.

Corporate social responsibility is becoming rapidly embedded into the strategic planning and operational processes of all organizations, while at the same time our understanding of what is meant by this phenomenon continues to develop and to be extended beyond the domain of the corporate into that of all other organizations. Academics have responded to this by embedding CSR into the curricula of their respective institutions. Practice, however, differs throughout the world and this book is designed to explore these different practices in order to develop suggestions about what might be best practice and to consider the respective benefits of develop the curriculum in this manner.

Governance is very much a current concern in the public interest. The global economic recession, from which we are just emerging, has highlighted failures in governance and regulation with much blame being laid at the feet of regulators and demands for perpetrators to be sanctioned accordingly. A key to managing the prevention of future financial crisis is concerned with the recognition and regulation of a truly global market for finance, trade, labour etc. and accepting that there are different perspectives from different parts of the world. Published in association with the Social Responsibility Research Network, Volume 2 in this new and exciting series recognises these issues and takes a global interdisciplinary perspective to the matter of governance in the business environment. Contributions range from the UK, Portugal and Belgium to Brazil, Japan, China and Malaysia, and topics of investigation include: governance and the management of global markets; governance mechanisms of strategic alliances in the Japanese car industry; multinational corporations and democratic governance; market governance to governance in the market - a return to old order; and a socio-legal framework for governance.

This volume examines the word that's on everybody's lips in business, in government and in society - sustainability. There are of course many aspects of sustainability which might be considered to reflect Brundtland's three pillars of economic, environmental and social sustainability. Others of course have different definitions which include such things as governance or supply chain management. Nevertheless business has recognised the significance of the concept and is responding by developing strategies to cope, although some would say that this is little more than window dressing. The debate continues however as to just what is meant by the term sustainability as far as business is concerned and how can this be achieved. This book is designed to address this debate and set it within the context of the global business and societal environment.