In recent years, the term Corporate Citizenship became more famous and was used as common vocabulary. However, there is quite a huge discussion and confusion about the term and no general definition exists.
Thus, this paper concentrates on the term ‘Corporate Citizenship’ and discusses the emergence of the terminology. It introduces different perspectives on how to define Corporate Citizenship, mainly the limited view, the equal view and the extended view of Corporate Citizenship. It also discusses and demonstrates some downsides and weaknesses of these perspectives. Additionally, the paper introduces the concept of Global Business Citizenship as contrast to the approaches previously explained.
To get a practical approach as well, the paper takes a closer look on how corporations can implement Corporate Citizenship by introducing several instruments. In order to top the understanding of Corporate Citizenship off, the paper finally focuses on the Top 100 Corporate Citizens judged by the CR Magazine.
It looks at the different categories and data elements of the Corporate Citizenship Lists Methodology in order to broaden the knowledge about the different parts of Corporate Citizenship and to get a better understanding of what can be expected nowadays from firms.
Table of Contents
1. History and Development of the Terminology
2. Different Perspectives on Corporate Citizenship
2.1. Limited view of CC
2.1.1. Weaknesses of the limited view of CC
2.2. Equivalent View of CC
2.2.1. Weaknesses of the equivalent view of CC
2.3. Extended view of CC
2.3.1. Strengths and Weaknesses of the extended view of CC
2.4. Global Business Citizenship
3. Instruments of CC
4. CC today
5. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This paper aims to navigate the conceptual ambiguity surrounding "Corporate Citizenship" by analyzing its historical emergence and examining three distinct academic perspectives: the limited, equivalent, and extended views. Beyond theoretical exploration, the work provides a practical analysis of corporate implementation tools and evaluates how modern ranking methodologies, specifically those of the CR Magazine, reflect the current operational expectations of firm responsibilities.
- Historical evolution and terminology of Corporate Citizenship
- Comparative analysis of limited, equivalent, and extended theoretical frameworks
- Practical instruments for organizational implementation
- Evaluation of the political role of corporations in globalized societies
- Analysis of Corporate Citizenship measurement through CR Magazine rankings
Excerpt from the Book
2.3. Extended view of CC
There are not many people who dedicated themselves to extend the view on CC, but Matten and Crane are one of those. In numerous papers and books, they introduce the so called ‘extended view of Corporate Citizenship’. They take T. H. Marshall’s categorization of liberal citizenship as initial position. According to Marshall (1964), civil, social and political rights are the framework for liberal citizenship.
“Civil rights consist of those rights which provide freedom from abuses and interference by third parties (most notably the government) (…). Social rights consist of those rights which provide the individual with the freedom to participate in society, such as the right to education (…). The third category of political rights moves beyond the mere protection of the individual’s private sphere (…) [they] include the right to vote (…) and, generally speaking, enable the individual to take part in the process of collective will formation (…)” (Matten et al., 2003, p.114).
Matten and Crane (2005) state that the corporation neither has citizenship nor is it an active citizen itself in society. They rather regard corporations as artificial persons who have some of the same rights and obligations as real citizens; however, they are more powerful actors who can impact the real citizens significantly. Hence, the role of the corporations is to get active when governments fail in protecting their citizens.
Summary of Chapters
1. History and Development of the Terminology: This chapter traces the rise of the term Corporate Citizenship in the early 21st century and its connection to megatrends like globalization and technological change.
2. Different Perspectives on Corporate Citizenship: This chapter outlines the theoretical landscape, distinguishing between the limited, equivalent, and extended views of Corporate Citizenship while addressing the criticisms associated with each.
3. Instruments of CC: This chapter identifies practical tools, such as donations and volunteering, that corporations use to implement their citizenship strategies.
4. CC today: This chapter examines contemporary applications by analyzing how the CR Magazine ranks corporations based on environmental, social, and governance data elements.
5. Conclusion: This chapter synthesizes the findings, highlighting the political nature of modern corporations and the ongoing struggle to define their responsibilities in a global context.
Keywords
Corporate Citizenship, Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, Global Business Citizenship, Stakeholder Theory, Corporate Philanthropy, Globalization, Civil Rights, Social Rights, Political Rights, Corporate Accountability, CR Magazine, Voluntary Engagement, Business Ethics, Sustainability
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper examines the concept of "Corporate Citizenship," focusing on the lack of a universal definition and exploring various theoretical perspectives and practical implementation methods.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The work covers historical development, theoretical frameworks (limited, equivalent, extended), implementation instruments, and modern corporate performance measurement.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to provide a comprehensive overview of how Corporate Citizenship is defined, why it is a contested term, and how corporations manifest these responsibilities in practice.
Which methodology is employed in this research?
The author uses a descriptive, literature-based analysis of academic theories combined with a review of current practical methodology applied by the CR Magazine.
What does the main body address?
It covers the evolution of the terminology, comparative views on corporate responsibilities, specific tools like sponsoring or foundations, and the data-driven ranking of companies.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Corporate Citizenship, CSR, Global Business Citizenship, political role of corporations, and stakeholder expectations.
What is the "extended view" of Corporate Citizenship?
The extended view, championed by Matten and Crane, posits that corporations act as political actors that provide civil, social, and political rights when governments fail to protect their citizens.
How is the performance of a "Corporate Citizen" measured today?
Performance is measured using data elements across seven categories—including climate change, human rights, and employee relations—often evaluated by organizations like the CR Magazine to determine corporate transparency.
Does this paper offer a normative or descriptive approach?
The paper adopts a largely descriptive approach, explaining what currently happens regarding corporate behavior rather than prescribing a normative model of how they "should" act.
- Citation du texte
- Ramona Mayer (Auteur), 2014, Perspectives and Instruments of Corporate Citizenship, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/300285
