Business Ethics, the Environment and Responsibility 19 (4):379-392 (2010)
Abstract |
The ethical behaviour and social responsibility of private companies, and in particular large corporations, is an important area of enquiry in contemporary social, economic and political thinking. In the past, a company's behaviour would be considered responsible as long as it stayed within the law of the society in which it operated or existed. Although this may be necessary, it is no longer sufficient. In this paper, we examine an energy company's response to an ethical incident in New Zealand which prompted different responses across the country about the role of business in society. Thus, we argue that when a corporation is accused of unethical behaviour, executives of the company are usually compelled to offer responses to defend their actions and corporate image. Further, we use communicative response model, social issue life cycle theory, and organisational learning, to analyse the incident and how the company responded. Using social issues life cycle theory and organisational learning theory, we demonstrate that sustained pressure can potentially trigger a change of strategy that may serve to improve the ethical posture of a corporation and thereby improve the corporate image long term. We conclude that, although corporations may understand the significance of social issues to the performance and success of their business, this same understanding does not always translate into meaningful social action
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DOI | 10.1111/j.1467-8608.2010.01596.x |
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References found in this work BETA
Corporate Communication and Impression Management – New Perspectives Why Companies Engage in Corporate Social Reporting.Reggy Hooghiemstra - 2000 - Journal of Business Ethics 27 (1-2):55 - 68.
Behind the Mask: Revealing the True Face of Corporate Citizenship. [REVIEW]Dirk Matten, Andrew Crane & Wendy Chapple - 2003 - Journal of Business Ethics 45 (1-2):109 - 120.
From CSR1 to CSR2 The Maturing of Business-and-Society Thought.William C. Frederick - 1994 - Business and Society 33 (2):150-164.
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Corporate Social Performance, Stakeholder Orientation, and Organizational Moral Development.Jeanne M. Logsdon & Kristi Yuthas - 1997 - Journal of Business Ethics 16 (12-13):1213-1226.
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Citations of this work BETA
Be Bad but Look Good: Can Controversial Industries Enhance Corporate Reputation Through CSR Initiatives?Claudio Aqueveque, Pablo Rodrigo & Ignacio J. Duran - 2018 - Business Ethics: A European Review 27 (3):222-237.
Disclosure Responses to a Corruption Scandal: The Case of Siemens AG.Renata Blanc, Charles H. Cho, Joanne Sopt & Manuel Castelo Branco - 2019 - Journal of Business Ethics 156 (2):545-561.
The Interplay of Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Political Activity in Emerging Markets: The Role of Strategic Flexibility in Non‐Market Strategies.Rifat Kamasak, Simon R. James & Meltem Yavuz - 2019 - Business Ethics: A European Review 28 (3):305-320.
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