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This dissertation is about the development of corporate responsibility and sustainability advocacy in Ireland. It shows how the biopolitics of corporate responsibility (or CR) and sustainability was rendered—by CR advocates and interested companies—as an ethical ecology, not dissociated from the biopolitical but rooted in it. By ‘ecology’ I mean to refer to the growing consciousness and deliberate cultivation of the interconnections, dependencies and feedback as well as responsibilities between heretofore discreet parts of the social landscape—between business and employees for example. These nascent interconnections—between what we might think of as systems and their environment—were also being presented as compelling ethical striving and to an extent, facilitating it. Importantly this effort was to be directed towards what was coming to be understood by the terms ‘sustainability’ and ‘responsible business.’ Hence, I also used the word ‘ecology’ in the sense of how this argument for ethics had roots in concern for the planet itself and for the very survival of the human race. In a deeper sense then, the matrix or the features of biopower—“[1] one or more truth discourses about the ‘vital’ character of living human beings; [2] an array of authorities considered competent to speak that truth; [3] strategies for intervention upon collective existence in the name of life and health; [4] and modes of subjectification, in which individuals work on themselves in the name of individual or collective life or health” (Rabinow and Rose 2006, 195)—permeated this concern with sustainability (the ecology or the engagement of systems and environments in the name of ‘life’ as such) and certainly as it was rendered in this arena of business and all that surrounds it, sustainability weighed heavily on ethical quest or government of the self for its potential for success. Furthermore, these logics could be extended into the less biological concern with the sustainability of our ways of life—including communities, businesses and markets; as proxies for vital human bodies, they too were at risk and dependent on changed dispositions to action for their durability.

Samhällets ökande medvetenhet om klimatförändringar, naturkatastrofer och miljösamhällsfrågor har medfört att det idag ställs större krav på att företag ska ta ett socialt ansvar. Genom att upprätta en hållbarhetsrapport kan företag visa på att de tar ett samhällsansvar och på ett lättare sätt kommunicera ut sitt sociala- och miljömässiga arbete till sina intressenter. I samband med att allt fler företag väljer att hållbarhetsrapportera så stärks också kraven på att rapporterna bör vara trovärdiga och tillförlitliga. Företag kan öka hållbarhetsrapportens trovärdighet och tillförlitlighet genom att anlita en externt oberoende part som granskar och bestyrker rapporten. Syftet med studien är att öka förståelsen för vad företag väljer att redovisa för hållbarhetsindikatorer utifrån GRIs riktlinjer samt hur revisorer och andra granskare går tillväga för att bestyrka redovisningen av dessa indikatorer. Denna undersökning gjordes utifrån en kvalitativ forskningsmetod som grundade sig på två delar. För att svara på studiens syfte utfördes dels en dokumentstudie om hållbarhetsindikatorer samt intervjuer om bestyrkande där fokus legat på revisorer och andra professionella bestyrkare. Teorin inleddes sedan med en allmän- och teoretisk referensram. I den allmänna referensramen redogjordes det för allmän bakgrundsfakta och i den teoretiska referensramen presenterades olika teorier som var av betydelse för det empiriska resultatet. Studiens resultat visade att företag ofta väljer att hållbarhetsrapportera då de känner påtryckningar från intressenterna att ta ett större samhällsansvar samt för att vinna legitimitet från samhället. Det framgick även att hållbarhetsrapporten bidrar till en mer heltäckande bild av hur företaget arbetar inom sociala, miljömässiga samt ekonomiska områden. En anledning till att företag väljer att anlita en externt oberoende part till att bestyrka sin hållbarhetsrapport är för att säkerställa hållbarhetsinformationen samt öka trovärdigheten och tillförlitligheten. Studien bygger på en deduktiv ansats och avslutas med en empiri- och analys del samt en fördjupad analys där teorin kopplas ihop med det empiriska materialet för att se hur dessa stämmer överens med varandra. Avslutningsvis diskuteras studiens resultat samt svaret på dess syfte. / Society’s increasing awareness of climate change, natural disasters and environment-society issues has led to higher demands when it comes to companies taking social responsibility. By drawing up a sustainability report companies can show that they are taking social responsibility and can more easily communicate their social and environmental work to its stakeholders. As more and more companies choose to report on sustainability the requirements of the reports being credible and reliable are increased. Companies can increase the credibility and reliability of the sustainability report by engaging an external and independent party to review and certify the report. The aim of the study is to increase understanding of what companies chooses to report on sustainability indicators based on GRIs guidelines and also how accountants and other surveyors proceed to authenticate them. The survey was carried out using a qualitative research method based on two parts. In order to answer the aim of the study a document study of sustainability indicators as well as interviews regarding assurances were conducted, where focus has been on accountants and other professional vindicators. The theory was initiated with a general and a theoretical framework. In the general frame of reference the general background facts were accounted for and in the theoretical frame of reference different theories relevant to the empirical results were presented. The results of the study showed that companies often choose to report on sustainability when pressured by stakeholders to take greater social responsibility as well as to gain legitimacy from society. The results also showed that the sustainability report contributes to a more comprehensive picture of how the company works in the social, environmental and economic areas. One reason that companies choose to engage an external independent party to certify its sustainability report is to ensure the sustainability information as well as to increase the credibility and reliability. The study is based on a deductive approach and ends with an empiric and analysis part as well as a deeper analysis where the theory is linked to the empirical material in order to see how these two correlate. Finally the result of the study and the answer to its purpose are discussed.

Many highly recognizable apparel brands are voluntarily adopting corporate social and environmental sustainability plans. This thesis evaluated the sustainability initiatives of the lululemon athletica Corporation and the operations of one of its retail stores, lululemon athletica Polo Park in Winnipeg, Manitoba. lululemon athletica Inc. was compared with industry sustainability leaders Nike, Timberland and Mountain Equipment Co-op. This comparison revealed that lululemon athletica has few sustainability best practices and little and out of date sustainability information available to their stakeholders. At the store level, two surveys were conducted to determine the employee and customer knowledge of sustainability initiatives at the company and store level. It was determined that employees require more training and stronger senior and middle management presence for sustainability initiatives to be a success, and that customers do not associate lululemon athletica with sustainability. lululemon athletica does not communicate about sustainability sufficiently to create a buzz about sustainability.

Many highly recognizable apparel brands are voluntarily adopting corporate social and environmental sustainability plans. This thesis evaluated the sustainability initiatives of the lululemon athletica Corporation and the operations of one of its retail stores, lululemon athletica Polo Park in Winnipeg, Manitoba. lululemon athletica Inc. was compared with industry sustainability leaders Nike, Timberland and Mountain Equipment Co-op. This comparison revealed that lululemon athletica has few sustainability best practices and little and out of date sustainability information available to their stakeholders. At the store level, two surveys were conducted to determine the employee and customer knowledge of sustainability initiatives at the company and store level. It was determined that employees require more training and stronger senior and middle management presence for sustainability initiatives to be a success, and that customers do not associate lululemon athletica with sustainability. lululemon athletica does not communicate about sustainability sufficiently to create a buzz about sustainability.

Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögskolan, 2009.

Previously, an organisation's attributes (corporate appeal, product and services, social responsibility, vision and leadership, workplace environment, and financial performance) were used as determinants of corporate reputation. In other words, corporate reputation was measured using a multidimensional single construct. However, there are arguments suggesting that, in order to obtain more accurate conclusions, an organisation's attributes need to be treated as antecedents whereby organisation's attributes are used to predict corporate reputation. Thus, this study is aimed at testing the impact of an organisation's attributes that is product, corporate personality and corporate responsibility on corporate reputation, and the mediating effect of corporate reputation in influencing stakeholders' purchase intention. Malaysia national car brands are used as a case reference for this study. Using a quantitative research approach, this study found that not all attributes contribute to positive reputation and intentions. The impact of each attribute varies across different stakeholder groups and across brands. Using a sample of 419 automobile customers and 300 Malaysia national car dealers, this study shows that only corporate personality has a positive and significant influence on corporate reputation and it is consistent across both groups and brands. Corporate responsibility, on the other hand, is found to have a positive influence on corporate reputation assessed by customers, but is not significant for dealers. The effect of customers' and dealers' satisfaction on the products is rather mixed. Results from this study provide empirical evidence that reputation should not be measured using a multidimensional single construct in order to draw a more accurate conclusion. This study also contributes to practice as it provides a distinct view for corporations to establish good rapport and to assist in developing effective strategies for the relevant groups of stakeholders. Recommendations are also discussed to provide focus for future research.

No abstract available. / Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / gm2014 / Centre for Human Rights / unrestricted

This thesis examines the implementation of Community Corporate Responsibility (CCR) practices among ten subsidiaries of Multinational Corporations (MNCs) in Sri Lanka and the different factors which influence such implementation. Within this context, it specifically focuses on examining the internal factors residing within the MNC as an organisation and those factors which exist outside in the institutional environment of the host country. The study combines three broad theoretical domains: Corporate Responsibility implementation literature, International Business Strategy literature and Neo-Institutional theory. It uses a qualitative research methodology based upon the interview method. Qualitative interview data collected through sixty-two in-depth interviews with managers of the ten subsidiaries and key institutional actors in the host country were analysed using descriptive coding, interpretive coding and conceptualisation to arrive at the findings. The findings showed that non-specialist functional departments were mainly responsible for implementing CCR practices, indicating a lack of strategic and structural integration of CCR practices. The findings reinforces the dominant role of the MNC headquarters in implementing CCR practices within subsidiaries operating in a developing country, indicating that 'power' relationships between subsidiary and parent is an important denominator in internal organisational practices implementation. Furthermore, dynamic and complex relationships were found between the subsidiaries and the Sri Lankan government and other institutional actors indicating the existence of a strategic approach towards legitimisation by iii subsidiaries, using CCR practices. Based upon these findings, this research proposes the need to conduct future studies across different MNCs and their subsidiaries located in multiple developing countries to further examine the implementation of CCR practices as it would enable public policy makers and business managers to better influence the global CSR of MNCs.

This thesis examines the implementation of Community Corporate Responsibility (CCR) practices among ten subsidiaries of Multinational Corporations (MNCs) in Sri Lanka and the different factors which influence such implementation. Within this context, it specifically focuses on examining the internal factors residing within the MNC as an organisation and those factors which exist outside in the institutional environment of the host country. The study combines three broad theoretical domains: Corporate Responsibility implementation literature, International Business Strategy literature and Neo-Institutional theory. It uses a qualitative research methodology based upon the interview method. Qualitative interview data collected through sixty-two in-depth interviews with managers of the ten subsidiaries and key institutional actors in the host country were analysed using descriptive coding, interpretive coding and conceptualisation to arrive at the findings. The findings showed that non-specialist functional departments were mainly responsible for implementing CCR practices, indicating a lack of strategic and structural integration of CCR practices. The findings reinforces the dominant role of the MNC headquarters in implementing CCR practices within subsidiaries operating in a developing country, indicating that ¿power¿ relationships between subsidiary and parent is an important denominator in internal organisational practices implementation. Furthermore, dynamic and complex relationships were found between the subsidiaries and the Sri Lankan government and other institutional actors indicating the existence of a strategic approach towards legitimisation by iii subsidiaries, using CCR practices. Based upon these findings, this research proposes the need to conduct future studies across different MNCs and their subsidiaries located in multiple developing countries to further examine the implementation of CCR practices as it would enable public policy makers and business managers to better influence the global CSR of MNCs. / Bradford University School of Management