Business & Society current issue

Editorial Announcement

Windsor, D. — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:25:00 PST

From the Editor

Windsor, D. — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:25:00 PST

Organizational Responses to Negative Evaluation by External Stakeholders: The Role of Organizational Identity Characteristics in Organizational Response Formulation

Randel, A. E., Jaussi, K. S., Standifird, S. S. — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:25:00 PST

The authors offer a framework based on the stakeholder, organizational identity, and strategic response literatures to specify how organizational identity influences an organization’s responses to negative evaluation in the public domain by external stakeholders. The framework proposes how the number of organizational identities possessed by an organization and the level of perceived organizational identity threat affect which type of response an organization will adopt. Directions for future research are developed and implications for practicing managers are proposed.

When the Whistle Is Blown: Legal Defenses and Practical Guidelines for Managing Reports of Organizational Misconduct

Peeples, D. K., Stokes, P., Wingfield, S. S. — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:25:00 PST

The recent U.S. Supreme Court opinion in Garcetti v. Ceballos decided that public employees are not necessarily protected under the law if they make statements about alleged improprieties committed by their employers, and can in fact be disciplined for such disclosures. The controversy over this case, combined with the recent publicity surrounding whistle-blower actions, indicates that many people may have incorrect impressions regarding the law in this area. This article focuses on various unsuccessful whistle-blower cases to educate both employers and employees about the limitations of such actions. Based on these scenarios, the authors have provided suggestions for management in how to effectively handle reports of wrongdoing within an organization.

The Impact of External Monitoring and Public Reporting on Business Performance in a Global Manufacturing Industry

Katz, J. P., Higgins, E., Dickson, M., Eckman, M. — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:25:00 PST

This study examines the importance of external monitoring and public reporting on the performance of firms in the global apparel industry. By focusing on the relevance of company reputation in the global community, the authors examine financial performance and stock market reaction to the release of information describing the manufacturing practices of firms made available by a third-party monitor. Using agency theory as a predictive framework, industry-wide changes in market measures of company risk as a result of third-party monitoring are found, suggesting that society values such external reports. The authors’ findings are important to business and society because they bridge the gap in knowledge about how voluntary compliance programs are supplemented by external monitoring and reporting for firms operating in the global environment. This work suggests that external monitoring is valuable to business and society by reducing information asymmetry between the two groups and encouraging accurate assessment of the risks associated with global operations.

"A Necessary Supplement": What the United Nations Global Compact Is and Is Not

Rasche, A. — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:25:00 PST

The United Nations Global Compact is with currently more than 6,000 voluntary participants the world’s largest corporate citizenship initiative. This article first analyzes three critical allegations often made against the Compact by looking at the academic and nonacademic literature. (1) The Compact supports the capture of the United Nations by "big business." (2) Its 10 principles are vague and thus hard to implement. (3) The Compact is not accountable due to an absence of verification mechanisms. This article discusses these three allegations and argues that they rest on a misunderstanding of (a) the nature of the Compact as well as its mandate and (b) the goals it tries to achieve. From this discussion of what the Compact is not, the article then outlines a perspective that classifies the initiative as a necessary supplement to incomplete state and nonstate regulatory approaches in order to illustrate what the Compact is.

NGOs, Social Venturing, and Community Citizenship Behavior

Easterly, L., Miesing, P. — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:25:00 PST

Growing concerns about corporations’ business and accounting practices have contributed to increased scrutiny and the adoption of new laws to govern corporate behavior. Nonprofit nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have also come under investigation for their activities, especially when engaging in social venturing. Because NGOs are largely supported by taxpayer dollars and private donations, their existence is strongly based on fulfilling their social purpose mission. In this study, NGOs reported on this increased scrutiny and how it was especially important for them to act as good corporate citizens, which, in corporate citizenship theory, means being economically responsible, abiding by the law, engaging in ethical and moral management, and ensuring the philanthropy of the social venture. The authors find that these components are key to the sustainability of the ventures and the organizations themselves. Based on study findings, the authors propose "community citizenship behavior" as a broader model for application in social ventures.

Review Essay: "It's the Politics, Stupid!": Reflections on the Role of Business in Contemporary Nonfiction

Matten, D. — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:25:00 PST

This review essay analyzes the 2007 books of Naomi Klein and Robert B. Reich. Both books identify a political role for the private corporation in contemporary capitalism globally. The review article concludes with some remarks on the implication of both books for a future research agenda in management studies in general and the business and society field in particular.

The Business Firm as a Political Actor: A New Theory of the Firm for a Globalized World

Scherer, A. G., Palazzo, G., Matten, D. — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:25:00 PST

Call for Papers for a Special Issue of Business & Society: The United Nations Global Compact--Retrospect and Prospect

Rasche, A., McIntosh, M., Waddock, S. — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:25:00 PST

Climate Change: Challenging Business, Transforming Politics

Okereke, C., Wittneben, B., Bowen, F. — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:25:00 PST