Both academic and practical attention to corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been increasing over the past few decades. Past research on CSR largely focuses on the positive side of corporate social issues management, explaining why and how firms engage in CSR activities and how such engagement influences corporate financial performance. Paying little attention to the negative side of social issues management, this research has generated little understanding as to why firms, even those with a strong record of CSR investment, commit irresponsible activities. In this study, we focus on corporate social irresponsibility (CSiR) and explore the antecedents and consequences of CSiR. From a strategic management perspective, we propose four key antecedents of CSiR, including selective management of stakeholders, technical orientation, past history, and performance pressure. We also propose that CSR moderates the negative effect of CSiR on corporate financial performance. We used an unbalanced dataset of large U.S. corporations from 1991 – 2009 to test our theory, and most of the hypotheses were supported. We discuss the implications of our findings and the contributions of this study to research on organizational misconduct, stakeholder theory and strategic management.

Given the overwhelming financial and human costs of crime committed through the incorporated entity, this thesis explores corporate criminal liability in criminal law as a mechanism of social control for corporate crime. First, this thesis traces the fundamental claims regarding corporate criminal liability in both the jurisprudential and sociological literatures in an effort to explore how law applies liability in a criminal context to the incorporated entity. Second, the contemporary corporate criminal liability landscape in Canada is examined. In particular, an examination of Bill C-45 as codified corporate criminal liability and as criminal law in action is empirically grounded in a detailed review of both the black letter law of corporate criminal liability and the judicial case documents on prosecutions against incorporated entities for corporate crimes. Finally, this thesis analyzes the socio-legal environment of corporate criminal liability through its construction and operation within Canadian criminal law. Overall, as a result of the legal, cultural, political, and economic privileges of the incorporated entity, corporate criminal liability is a product of a socio-legal environment that inhibits the ability of criminal law to be an effective mechanism of social control for corporate crime. Only when corporate criminal liability recognizes the complexities of the social, economic, and organizational structures and practices that are shaping corporate criminal activities can it become an effective mechanism for regulating the most harmful corporate misconduct. Otherwise, as this thesis demonstrates, corporate criminal liability will continue to be all bark and no bite. / Thesis (Master, Sociology) -- Queen's University, 2014-06-17 16:56:40.627

This dissertation studies the dynamics behind sudden, negative shifts in the corporate reputations of business firms, through three independent but related papers, a phenomenon that we refer to as a reputational crisis. This issue is of critical importance because the corporate reputation of a firm is one of its most valuable but potentially volatile intangible resources. Therefore, a better understanding of the situations where business firms suffer significant reputational losses within relatively short periods of time can contribute to both strategic management and business and society. From a strategic management perspective, the examination of sudden major losses in corporate reputation is an examination of the loss of what is potentially one of the most important intangible firm resources, if not the most important intangible resource of the firm. While, from a business and society perspective, an examination of sudden drops in corporate reputation could reveal the reputational impact that such sudden events have in the network of stakeholders (Freeman, 1984) who surround the firm and are, in a sense, the 'evaluators' of its reputation. / The first paper of this dissertation consists of a theoretical exploration of the management of reputational crises caused by sudden and unexpected incidents like industrial accidents, scandals, and product failures. Drawing on the stakeholder and crisis management literatures, a model useful in providing a better understanding of reputational crises is developed. The second paper is an empirical investigation into the impact that accidents can have on the corporate reputation of business firms. More specifically the impact that a number of accident characteristics have on the reputational re-evaluations of two particular stakeholder groups, industry executives and financial analysts, is investigated with data drawn from Lexis-Nexis and the America's Most Admired Corporations (AMAC) survey of FORTUNE magazine. Finally, the third paper of the dissertation examines the Brent Spar controversy to investigate two issues of importance in the management of reputational crises: the reasons behind a company's decisions to buffer or bridge when faced with a reputational crisis; and, the role of stakeholder salience in this decision.

Fachhochsch. für Wirtschaft, Diplomarbeit, 2006--Berlin.

Thesis (LL. M.)--University of Toronto, 2004. / "A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of LL. M., Graduate Department, Faculty of Law, University of Toronto." Adviser: J. Ziegel.

Helmut-Schmidt-Univ., Diss.--Teilw. zugl.: Hamburg, 2007.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2004. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 89-93). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 36-38).

Thesis (M.B.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 36).

Thesis (doctoral)--European Business School, Oestrich-Winkel, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references.