Transnational Governance and Diffusion of Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives

Kleinprojekte von WU-Assistent/inn/en

The aim of this research program is to understand sources of variation in the ways that nation-states and organizations interpret international CSR initiatives. Today’s complex and highly integrated business environment has not only extended the reach of organizational activity, but also increased the scope and magnitude of irresponsible corporate behavior. As a consequence, corporate social responsibility does not fall neatly within the domain of any traditional regulatory territory.

This research program is comprised of two projects involving scholars from the EU, Canada and China. The first is a new project examining the factors and conditions that lead EU member countries to interpret – and thus respond to – CSR initiatives differently. The focus, in particular, will be on the role of national governments in shaping and structuring transnational CSR governance. The second project is an extension of an ongoing study on how CSR initiatives have unfolded in China in the last decade. It seeks to understand why some Chinese companies have been associated with abhorrent production scandals and labor rights violations, while others have been recognized for outstanding business practices including the prestigious Global CSR Awards and Fortune Magazine’s list of the World’s Most Admired Companies.

The results from these two related research projects are expected to be published in top-tier international management journals.