The Library
Future roles of business in society: the expanding boundaries of corporate responsibility and a compelling case for partnership
Tools
UNSPECIFIED (2005) Future roles of business in society: the expanding boundaries of corporate responsibility and a compelling case for partnership. FUTURES, 37 (2-3). pp. 151-168. doi:10.1016/j.futures.2004.03.033 ISSN 0016-3287.
Research output not available from this repository.
Request-a-Copy directly from author or use local Library Get it For Me service.
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2004.03.033
Abstract
The roles and responsibilities of business in society, in particular global business, are being defined more broadly by an expanding range of stakeholders. This paper aims to review these changes and their implications in order to understand better the likely future expectations of business in society and the way in which leading companies are setting new standards of responsible business practice. It begins by tracing trends within corporate social responsibility debates, and then draws on empirical research and observed stakeholder demands of business, to argue that the boundaries of corporate responsibility are advancing both internally and externally.
Internally, these boundaries are changing in terms of the increased responsibility of corporations towards their direct and indirect internal stakeholders. This is shown through innovations in business practice to achieve enhanced social justice in the workplace, improved governance, and more accurate disclosure of non-financial risk. This paper provides a context for this discussion by examining emerging international law, guidelines and voluntary initiatives, regulatory frameworks, and risk review procedures that increasingly seek to redefine corporate responsibility by establishing new norms of best practice and behaviour. These boundaries are also expanding externally, as society increasingly expects global business to work with others to provide solutions to humanitarian crises and endemic problems facing the world. This paper explores how some companies are doing this by applying core competencies in ways that integrate social development and business goals. It suggests, in turn, that the challenges of these expanding boundaries of responsibilities are best addressed through strategic partnerships.
This paper concludes that there are new multi-stakeholder convened global governance frameworks evolving that are encouraging businesses of the future to re-invent themselves as a 'force for positive good' in society. This involves going beyond the paradigm of simply 'doing no harm', and way beyond previous expectations of business as being only about shareholder value. This prediction is supported by examples drawn from the practice of global companies that are already innovating to fulfil this wider role. (c) 2004 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Subjects: | H Social Sciences > HC Economic History and Conditions H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor |
||||
Journal or Publication Title: | FUTURES | ||||
Publisher: | ELSEVIER SCI LTD | ||||
ISSN: | 0016-3287 | ||||
Official Date: | March 2005 | ||||
Dates: |
|
||||
Volume: | 37 | ||||
Number: | 2-3 | ||||
Number of Pages: | 18 | ||||
Page Range: | pp. 151-168 | ||||
DOI: | 10.1016/j.futures.2004.03.033 | ||||
Publication Status: | Published |
Data sourced from Thomson Reuters' Web of Knowledge
Request changes or add full text files to a record
Repository staff actions (login required)
View Item |