In this work I investigate how executive social connections and executive gender diversity dually affect firm Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), a set of firm policies implemented to benefit the social, economic, and environmental welfare of all stakeholders, and how the changes in CSR driven by executive social connections and executive gender diversity in turn affect a range of corporate policies. This research adds to the social networks, gender, and CSR literature within finance in multiple ways. First, while much past work examines the impact on corporate policy of executive gender or executive social connections in isolation, no major work to date examines the impact of gender dependent executive social connections on corporate policy. Second, this work definitively ties the dual effects of executive gender diversity and social connections to firm CSR. The dual impact of social connections and gender diversity on CSR is shown to affect major corporate policies. In all, this work provides evidence that CSR helps drive important firm polices, including M&A and executive compensation policy, and that CSR is impacted by both a firm’s executive gender diversity and social network connections. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2019. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Bank managers have transacted six trillion dollars of new loans in low and moderate income (LMI) communities because of the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) mandate. CRA originated mortgages accounted for over 42% of the defaulted loans because of limited risk strategies. Based on the Aguilera conceptual framework, the purpose of this exploratory single case study was to explore the strategies CSR bank managers used to reduce the risks associated with lending in LMI communities. Data were collected and analyzed from semistructured interviews of five bank managers working in one financial organization located within the U.S. Northeast. Data also included the use of recorded field notes and review of public documents, such as CSR committee minutes and CSR policies and procedures from the organization's website for methodology triangulation purposes. Data analysis included using deductive and open coding techniques. Three themes emerged from the collection of data, which were to reduce risks, follow government guidelines, and training and develop data analytics. Several strategies developed that showed how LMI lending is competitively profitable notwithstanding banks conventional lending strategies. Approaches were using subsidies, marketing through community events that encourage Veterans to use the program, offering education programs for loan officers, regulators, and homebuyers, and measuring the organization's compliance with CRA regulations. The implications for positive social change include adopting effective strategies that could reduce the risks and make lending more available. The success of this study came through risk reduction, corporate and community alliances, and new ideas involved in changing the negative perception of lending.

Accountability for corporate social responsibility (CSR) and its societal challenges is undetermined, and it is unclear whether business or society should carry these responsibilities. Despite severe criticism from some, many organizations continue to invest in and promote CSR. The purpose of this multiple-case study was to increase the understanding of the phenomenon from the perspective of a purposeful sample of participants who contribute to CSR execution and who were representatives of the 10 organizations identified as active promoters. The participant corporations (case studies), in Europe and North America, were mainly in the telecommunications industry. Study data came from 11 face-to-face, semistructured interviews with chief executive officers (CEOs) and other CSR key participants, a review of corporate archival records, and a review of other sources regarding the effective implementation of CSR in these organizations. The conceptual framework consisted of Carroll'€™s constructs of CSR based on economic, legal, social, and discretionary elements. The constant comparative method was used to analyze the interview data and identify factors leading corporations to continue to engage in CSR. These factors were economic, social impact, legal compliance, or good reputation, sponsored by transformational or adaptive leaderships and endorsed by visionary CEOs. The findings may enlighten and motivate other organizations to engage in CSR programs and connect stakeholders'€™ contribution to a broadened positive social change.

One aspect of leadership strategy is the need to account for the core values of the organization. The purpose of this case study was to explore the perceptions of tribal gaming leader strategies toward sustainability, an action that leads to tribal economic development and stability. The conceptual framework of situational leadership theory was used to guide the scope and analysis of this study. Six tribal gaming leaders from Oklahoma participated in a focus group session; 7 additional tribal gaming leaders from the same gaming organization participated in individual interview sessions. Member checking was used to strengthen the credibility and trustworthiness of the interpretation of the participants' responses. Additionally, company documents were reviewed to triangulate the data. Four emergent themes were identified after data analysis: business value, which was attributed to tribal leaders' alignment to their mission; strategic vision, which included their marketing and overall business environment; collaboration, which was evident wherein the tribal gaming leaders utilized internal and external partnerships to improve local communities and maintain competitive advantage; and communication, which was emphasized for its importance as a daily skill for information sharing. This research explored the strategies necessary for tribal gaming leader choices that could have a significant influence on social progress between the organization and society, environmental protection for the surrounding community, and economic growth for the local economy. The findings from this study may contribute to social change by aiding in the organizational strategy to forecasting; these findings may also aid in the overall business value, prosperity of employees, and the local economy.

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to develop and contribute with an improved understanding of socially responsible investing and its barriers within the asset management sector. To accomplish the purpose of this research, four areas have been investigated; sustainability, business models, socially responsible investing, and barriers for socially responsible investing. Method – Since the research aimed to use the existing theory, and at the same time explore and gain understanding within the area of sustainable, or responsible, investments, the research approach had iterative characteristics with theoretical and empirical findings. Therefore, an abductive research approach was chosen. For the gathering of data, a multiple case study was conducted by interviewing people working within asset management companies. For the analysis of the data, constant comparison, multilevel interviews, and thematic analysis were used. Results – First, the results indicate that socially responsible investments have greatly affected the business models for asset management companies, and responsible investments are starting to become more of a hygiene factor than a way of differentiation. Second, the most significant barrier for the increase of responsible investments is preconceptions and lack of knowledge. This barrier is rooted in an underlying issue, that is lack of transparency regarding asset management companies’ investments. Furthermore, the findings indicate that government actions within the market invested in, was not such a grand barrier as presented in the literature. Theoretical contributions – The main theoretical contribution with this research is the identification of the barrier preconceptions and lack of knowledge, as this is not highlighted in the literature, but among the asset management companies it was highly significant. By analyzing the findings with an institutional theory lens, it is an understandable behavior as there are no incentives for change, hence the managerial contributions consist of regulations.  Managerial contributions – The practical contributions with this report is the need for reformed regulations in the industry where asset management companies are operating, in order to increase transparency. By seeing the issue through the lens of institutional theory, it is unlikely for self-regulations to happen as the incentives are not great enough. For self-regulation to happen, the agency costs need to surpass the costs for increased responsible investments, as it would generate enough incentives for a change to happen.

This study investigates the relationship between profit-making corporations and the not-for-profit sector within Australia. The broad field of corporate social responsibility, or CSR, is discussed, narrowing to the activity of corporate philanthropy and corporate social investment. The latter is defined as being philanthropy with strategic intent, in order to build capacity within the recipient organisation which in most cases will produce beneficial outcomes for the donor as well (Tracey, 2003). The title of this study has used the term ‘philanthropic contract’ (Broadbent, 2001; Kouzmin, 2007) to describe the relationship between commercial organisations and charitable ones and the unwritten societal expectation, that the corporate sector will support the work of members of the not-for-profit sector. This study also uses the term ‘social capital’ (Putnam, 1995) to describe one of the principle areas of benefit for companies who participate.The aspect of the relationship between the two sectors that formed the focus of this study is defined as being the interaction between the two that involves financial contributions and those of goods and services as well as expertise, information and influence flowing from profit-making companies to not-for-profit organisations.The direction of the research is to advance toward an understanding of why corporations engage in this practice and toward a conclusion as to whether corporate social investing is a mutually beneficial exchange. Finally, the study highlights examples of engagement processes, and advice from those participating. The inclusion of these in the study is designed to provide valuable learning for other corporations, and not-for-profit organisations, contemplating entering into their own philanthropic partnerships.Through ten qualitative interviews this inquiry investigated the attitudes toward this relationship of various stakeholders including the management of not-for-profit organisations, representatives of relevant associations and social commentators. It became apparent that the previously well-publicised opposition to publicly listed companies supporting the not-for-profit sector, proffered by organisations such as the Australian Shareholders’ Association, had largely evaporated.Case studies involving five profit-making corporations, operating within Australia, were then undertaken and the views of their senior management sought as regards their motivations, aims, and outcomes. Overwhelmingly their experiences were positive for the corporation, the organisations they were funding, and the members of the community that the recipients were in turn supporting.Corporate benefits reported included increased ability to attract quality staff, enhanced ability to retain staff, significant development for staff that actively participated, improved corporate culture and the building of social capital leading to enhanced reputation which supported the corporations licence to operate, future objectives and long term sustainability.It is hoped that these insights along with the advice offered up by those individuals and organisations that participated in the study will benefit others and promote greater participation in corporate philanthropy and social investment within Australia. vii

Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / This thesis contributes to debates regarding the future of organised labour, the ability of global civil society networks to influence the practices of powerful institutions, and the value of non-state forms of corporate regulation. It focuses on the anti-sweatshop movement’s campaigns targeting three transnational corporations (TNCs) which design and market sportswear—Nike, Reebok and Adidas. These three TNCs are members of the Fair Labour Association (FLA), a voluntary, non-state regulatory system negotiated between participating companies and a number of civil society organisations. The thesis assesses how the FLA’s processes, the companies’ own labour programs, and interventions by labour activists are combining to influence sportswear workers’ rights to form trade unions and bargain collectively. The thesis is based on decentred, institutionalist characterisations of the firm and its regulation. From this perspective, an effective system for regulating corporate labour practices must powerfully insert discourses promoting workers’ rights into the internal debates, power plays and resulting regularised processes which produce corporate behaviour. Whereas many theoretical approaches portray voluntary regulatory initiatives as antithetical to state regulation, this thesis is influenced by those institutionalist thinkers who argue that effective voluntary initiatives can help build the political will necessary for regulatory reform by states. Research methods employed in this thesis include interviews with Indonesian workers, FLA board members, company representatives and anti-sweatshop activists. This research indicates labour compliance staff within Nike, Reebok and Adidas have made serious, if inconsistent, efforts to persuade suppliers to respect labour rights. These efforts have been undermined by their colleagues in buying departments, who have intensified demands that suppliers produce cheaply and quickly. Partly as a result of this tension, the labour programs of Nike, Reebok and Adidas have only contributed to improved respect for trade union rights in a relatively small number of sportswear factories, and in some cases these improvements have proved fragile. The FLA’s regulatory system relies on participating TNCs threatening to cut orders if their suppliers fail to comply with the FLA’s labour code. This thesis argues that if TNC compliance staff could also offer incentives—such as higher prices or more stable, long-term ordering relationships—then it would enhance their ability to convince suppliers to respect trade union rights. Such a change would require TNCs to give a higher priority to labour rights than to cost-minimisation. Unfortunately, within Nike, Reebok and Adidas, labour rights and other ethical agendas appear to be in the process of being subsumed into a more dominant discourse associated with profit-making and growth, so that labour compliance staff must establish the “business case” for each aspect of their regulatory work. The anti-sweatshop movement has a loose, networked form of organisation which has proved remarkably successful in putting public pressure on sportswear corporations to accept responsibility for labour conditions in their supply networks. If the movement wants to see substantial improvements in respect for sportswear workers’ trade union rights, then it needs to persuade sports companies to go further and make costly improvements to their labour rights programs. Relatively broad agreement across the movement on a system of rating companies’ progress would likely help achieve this ambitious goal, not least by offering opportunities for re-invigorating the movement itself.

<p>This thesis aims to determine what CSR issues stakeholders in the wind power industry careabout and how stakeholders want to be involved in these issues. The objective is furthermoreto test and improve the theory of stakeholder involvement – the normative idea thatstakeholder management should strive for maximum stakeholder involvement.The study is carried out using a case study, o2, an important actor in the wind power industryin Sweden. Five stakeholder groups are included in the study, customers, capital providers, inthe form of a major bank and a private equity company, NGO’s and lastly regulators.The study contributes directly to the stakeholder management practices in the wind powerindustry by giving guidance on how to prioritize among different stakeholder groups as wellas to the untested theory of stakeholder involvement by applying the theory to a real casestudy.The result of the study suggests that stakeholders value environmentally related CSR issuesmore than socially related CSR issues. In particular the issues of emissions and flora & faunaare classified as the most important CSR issues for the wind power industry to manage.Furthermore, the theory of stakeholder involvement is shown to be misleading for thestakeholders closest to the company, the once with a direct contractual stake (customers andcapital providers). However, it is shown to be directly applicable, and useful, to thestakeholders more external to the company (NGO’s and regulators).</p>

<p>Debatten om affärsetik och företagets sociala ansvar i globala sammanhang med olika naturliga, ekonomiska och kulturella förutsättningar har fått en mer framträdande roll i och med globalisering. Syftet med denna studie är att fastställa hur kulturella och lokala förutsättningar påverkar arbetet inom Corporate Social Responsibility genom att undersöka och jämföra CSR arbetet på hotell i kulturellt och geografiskt olikartade länder. Data för indikatorer för avfallsproduktion, vattenförbrukning, energianvändning, jämlika anställningsmöjligheter, yrkesutbildning och facklig organisering samlades in från hotell i Sverige, Norge, Danmark, Island, Storbritannien, Kina, Saudiarabien, Oman, Egypten och Förenade Arabemiraten och jämfördes mot benchmarks.</p><p>Data från hotellen i de olika länderna jämfördes mot Hofstedes analys av kulturer för att undersöka eventuella samband mellan kulturella aspekter och CSR-arbete. Resultaten visar att det finns en omvänd korrelation mellan Maktdistans och facklig organisering, och även mellan Maskulinitet och andel kvinnor i tjänstemannapositioner. Dessa samband är framförallt tydliga på hotell i Skandinavien och Mellanöstern. Resultaten visar även att politiska system och nivå av ekonomisk utveckling kan påverka nivån på CSR-arbetet. Skandinaviska hotell låg närmare benchmarknivåer med avseende på alla indikatorer jämfört med hotellen i Mellanöstern, vilket bekräftar slutsatser från tidigare studier som visat att utveckling och socialdemokratisk dominans har positiv påverkan på CSR-aspekter. Vidare visar resultaten att äganderättigheter, lokala traditioner och samhällsförväntningar kan påverka CSR arbetet.</p><p>Slutligen visar resultaten, samt bristen på resultat, vikten för hotell att använda sig av ett gemensamt mätningssystem och konsekventa enheter, och av att ha ett centralt rapporteringssystem för miljö- och arbetsfrågor. Utan ett system för att utvärdera och jämföra nivån på CSR-arbetet på olika hotell är det omöjligt att fastställa den relativa effektiviteten av olika satsningar på miljö och arbetsfrågor och därmed svårare att uppnå effektivitet och framgång inom CSR-arbetet.</p>

<p>Datum: 2007-05-31</p><p>Problem: Vilka skillnader och likheter förekommer det i rapporteringen av Corporate Social Responsibility mellan olika världsdelar?</p><p>Syfte: Syftet med denna uppsats är att via en innehållsanalys av ett urval av företag inom gruvindustrin, skapa en förståelse för vilka huvudfrågor som företag väljer att inkludera i sin CSR-rapportering på de olika världsdelarna: Afrika, Asien, Europa, Oceanien och Nord- och Sydamerika. I undersökningen önskar vi urskilja de skillnader och likheter som förekommer i CSR-rapportens utformning beroende på dess ursprung.</p><p>Metod: Med ett positivistiskt angreppssätt och en abduktiv forskningsansats har vi gått in i vår forskning. Utifrån en semikvantitativ innehållsanalys har vi studerat 30 olika gruvföretags CSR-rapporter i sex världsdelar. I studien har vi innehaft ett redovisarperspektiv där vi med objektiva ögon granskat rapporterna.</p><p>Resultat/slutsatser: De slutsatser som vi dragit i denna studie är att det förekommer både skillnader och likheter mellan de olika världsdelarnas utformning av CSR-rapporter inom gruvindustrin. Vi har dels urskiljt skillnader mellan världsdelar, där exempelvis Asien väljer ett större fokus på arbetsförhållanden medan Nordamerika fokuserar mer på utbildning. Skillnader finns även mellan olika ”kontinentgrupper” där Nordamerika, Europa och Oceanien följer samma rapporteringsmönster och på samma sätt har vi kunnat skönja att Asien, Afrika och Sydamerika har en liknande rapportering dem emellan. Detta gör att vi i denna studie har kunnat urskilja två ”läger”, bestående av de växande ekonomierna och ett som utgörs av de rika länderna i väst. Dessa två grupperingar har en CSR-rapportering som skiljer sig åt, dock följer den inom ”kontinentgruppen” samma mönster. Vi har även sett likheter mellan världsdelar och mellan de två ”kontinentgrupperingarna”, dessa har vi exempelvis kunnat urskilja mellan Nordamerika och Afrika där stor vikt ligger vid utbildningsfrågor.</p><p>Antal sidor: 65 sidor exklusive bilagor och referenser</p><p>Antal referenser: 48 st</p>