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Corporate Responsibility Standards: Current Implications and Future Possibilities for Peace Through Commerce

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Abstract

Calls for greater corporate responsibility have resulted in the creation of various extralegal mechanisms to shape corporate behavior. The number and popularity of corporate responsibility standards has grown tremendously in the last three decades. Current estimates suggest there may be over 300 standards that address various aspects of corporate behavior and responsibility (e.g., working conditions, human rights, protection of the natural environment, transparency, bribery). However, little is known about how these standards relate directly to the notion of peace through commerce and the reduction of violent conflict in the world. This article explores the relationship between corporate responsibility standards and peace through commerce. After a summary of the current state of standards with respect to the creation of peace and the reduction of violent conflict, I explore concerns regarding the effectiveness of standards in shaping corporate behavior and the potential future role standards could have in creating peace through commerce.

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Abbreviations

GRI:

Global Reporting Initiative

ILO:

International Labour Organization

ISO:

International Organization for Standardization

KPCS:

Kimberley Process Certification Scheme

MNC:

Multinational corporation

NGO:

Non-governmental organization

OECD:

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

SA 8000:

Social Accountability 8000

UN:

United Nations

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  1. Department of Strategic Management & Public Policy, School of Business, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, U.S.A.

    Charles P. Koerber

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Koerber, C.P. Corporate Responsibility Standards: Current Implications and Future Possibilities for Peace Through Commerce. J Bus Ethics 89 (Suppl 4), 461–480 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-010-0397-1

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