A stakeholder approach to corporate social responsibility, reputation and business performance

Purpose - This paper aims to investigate business managers' assessment of stakeholders' influence on corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. The key stakeholders included "employees" and "unions" as internal and "public", the "media" and the "government" as external stakeholders. The purpose was to estimate the influence of stakeholders that managers perceive as important. Moreover, the study sought to identify association between the CSR construct and corporate reputation and in turn whether this influences business performance. Design/methodology/approach - This study uses a mail survey with a random sampling of senior managers sourced from Dun & Bradstreet's Australian business database, focusing on large organizations (i.e. minimum $10 million p.a. reported sales and minimum 100 employees) as the selection criteria. A conceptual model was developed and tested using structural equation modeling. Findings - The results identified that "employees" and the "public" are perceived to be the influential stakeholder groups in CSR decision-making. There was evidence of a positive relationship between the CSR construct and reputation, which in turn influenced market share, but not profitability. Research limitations/implications - This study examined a cross-section of organizations using Dun & Bradstreet's database of Australian businesses and may not fully represent the Australian business mix. The effective response rate of 7.2 per cent appears to be low, even though it is comparable with other research in the CSR area. There may have been some self-selection by the respondents, although there were no statistically significant differences identified in the corporate characteristics of those invited to participate and those responding with usable questionnaires. Practical implications - Managers can adopt a stakeholder-influenced CSR strategy to generate strong corporate reputation to improve business performance. It is important to ensure that the interests of "employees" and "public" stakeholders are addressed within organizational strategy. Respondents were less concerned about government stakeholders and thus government involvement in organizational CSR may need to be revisited. Social implications - The major concern that emerges from these findings is the absence of the perceived importance of regulatory stakeholders on firms' CSR activities. Regulatory controls of CSR messages could reduce or eliminate inaccurate and misleading information to the public. Originality/value - The analysis explains the perceived relative influence of stakeholders on CSR decisions. It also provides an understanding of the link between organizational CSR reputation and organization's performance.

Not for personal gratification, or for contention, or to look down on others, or for convenience, reputation, or power : Cultura Animi in Bacon’s 1605 Apology for the proficiency and advancement of learning

This paper examines the apology for the life of the mind Francis Bacon gives in Book I of his 1605 text The Advancement of Learning. Like recent work on Bacon led by the ground-breaking studies of Corneanu, Harrison and Gaukroger, I argue that Bacon’s conception and defence of intellectual inquiry in this extraordinary text is framed by reference to the classical model, which had conceived and justified philosophising as a way of life or means to the care of the inquirer’s soul or psyche. In particular, Bacon’s proximities and debts to the Platonic Apology and Cicero’s defence of intellectual pursuits in Rome are stressed, alongside the acuity and eloquence of Bacon’s descriptions of the intellectual virtues and their advertised contributions to the theologically and civically virtuous life.

Post-crisis: rebuilding a company, a reputation, a community

It is well recognised that when an organisation experiences a crisis caused by a natural disaster,publics are less likely to apportion responsibility to that organisation. This contrasts with crisesinvolving events such as product tampering, accidents or management transgressions where thelevel of organisational control is perceived or judged to be greater (Coombs, 2000, p. 86). In 2012,biomedical company Gambro’s manufacturing plant, based in Medolla, a small town of 6000 in theModena region of Italy, was hit by a devastating series of earthquakes. Damage to the plant hadsignificant and immediate impact for employees, customers and other key stakeholders, as operationsceased in the wake of the earthquakes.This chapter will reflect on Gambro’s crisis management response and their crisis communicationstrategies in response to the earthquakes and the ensuing rumours. An analysis ofGambro’s crisis response shows they acted to counteract stakeholder concerns and leveragewell-established stakeholder relationships. As Coombs (2000, 2006, 2007a, 2007b) makes clear,relationships are central to effective crisis management, and, although stakeholders often view anatural disaster as being removed from the organisation’s responsibility, this concession may not exist in a prolonged recovery period or where the stakeholders face a life or death outcome. Thesewere the very conditions Gambro faced. So, a relational approach can add depth to the attributionalanalysis of such a crisis (Coombs 2000, p. 86). To extend the analysis of crises caused bynatural disaster and Gambro’s crisis response, the chapter will also examine crisis communicationstrategies of similar disaster case studies.The international medical-technical company Gambro, headquartered in Sweden, has 13 productionfacilities in more than 90 countries, and employs more than 8000 people worldwide. Gambrohas operated in the Medolla region of Emilia-Romagna since the early 1960s.

Trust in B2C e-commerce : the New Zealand Maori internet shopper

This chapter identifies relevant factors of Maori trust in terms of encouraging online shopping of B2C e-commerce by Maori in New Zealand. The concepts of trust, risk and reputation are used to explore the uptake of Internet shopping in a B2C context by Maori, a minority-but significant-racial group, in New Zealand. Reputation and adoption of e-commerce in Maori culture emanates from family and tribe, typically by word of mouth. This chapter suggests that specific cultures like the Maori have different elements in their trust of e-commerce, which needs to be addressed to encourage broader use.

A comparison of trace element concentrations in cultured and wild carp (Cyprinus carpio) of Lake Kasumigaura, Japan

The concentrations of 13 elements were determined in the muscle, liver, intestine, kidney, and gonads of cultured and wild carp caught at two sites in Lake Kasumigaura, Japan, between September 1994 and September 1995. Despite having a reputation for being heavily polluted, the carp were not heavily burdened with metals. Our results suggest that despite their dietary differences, the wild and cultured fish were accumulating and distributing metals in the same manner and that aquaculture practices are not increasing metal concentrations in these fish. Metal concentrations were lowest in muscle, and did not exceed established quality standards for fish. The differences in metal concentrations between cultivated and wild carp are negligible and should pose no health problems for consumers of either type of fish.

Ethical behaviour: the means for creating and maintaining better reputations in arts organisations

Arts organisations, unsure of the level of continued government funding available and confronted with the need ever to improve, are seeking new ideas upon which they can focus. At a time when leadership and governance in arts organisations have changed in line with cultural expectations, how is their ethical stance assessed? How does their ethical stance impact on reputation? The challenge to build a good reputation starts at the top of the organisation; however, traditionally, one type of arts organisation, art museums, has focused on the activities level. In an age of globalisation, economic restructuring and technological change, museums therefore may be seen as a contradiction. Traditionally seen as temples for the muses, today’s museums are being challenged to be ethical for society and to build their reputation. As a solution, proposes a cooperative model of cultural organisational ethics that attempts to provide a framework by which arts organisations can put in place ethical artefacts that enhance organisational reputation, rather than detract from it.

Positive psychology and the demise of defamation

Defamation is one of the more complex and fluid areas of the law and varies considerably across the Australian jurisdictions. There are moves to unify defamation law. The threshold issue that is raised in any such process is whether there is in fact a justification for continuation of defamation law. Recent advances in happiness studies and positive psychology suggest that the chief interest protected by defamation law, reputation, is over-rated and is not in fact conducive to human well-being. What others think of us is not relevant to our well-being. Anecdotally it seems that people spend much time and energy in a bid to impress others in the hope that they will grow in the estimation of others and the world at large. Hence, the results of the studies into human well-being so far as reputation is concerned may appear counter-intuitive. Nevertheless, the studies are far more convincing than lay assumptions. People are often wrong about what is in their interests. This is recognised in the concept of regret. Individuals yearn for some things, but sometimes when they acquire them they discover that the journey was wasted. Reputation is one such thing. Defamation law perpetuates the myth that reputation is intrinsically important. Defamation should be abolished. In its place, a new cause of action should be introduced whereby damages are awardable for misleading and deceptive communications which cause damage to the individual who is the subject of the communication. This cause of action should be modelled on the misleading and deceptive conduct provisions of the Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth).

"Who 'curls up' with Ulyses? a study of non-conscripted readers of Joyce"

This article presents a study of non-conscripted readers of the journal "James Joyce Quarterly". In Who Reads "Ulysses," Julie Sloan Brannon demonstrates the mobilization of academic opinions disempowering the common reader. From a survey conducted in 2003-2004, the respondents had read Joyce's works for a long time since they were considered modern classics and because of Joyce's iconoclasm and reputation for obscenity. Some considers its texts as cultural capital which is independent of its literariness.

Promoting the reuse and recycling of building demolition materials

The demolition of constructed structures has earned a negative reputation for the construction industry due to the enormous amount of waste that is sent to landfills. Demolition waste reuse and recycling is, therefore, significant; it is a new and illustrative perspective on demolition waste management from the viewpoint of the building material lifecycle. It is discovered that demolition waste reuse and recycling plays important roles in value transformation for building material lifecycle, local economics,
sustainable environment and nature resource conservation. In this research article, the authors aim to pinpoint demolition waste management in the lifecycle of building materials, and to examine various economic and environmental aspects of demolition waste reuse and recycling. In addition, the barriers, limitations and solutions for improving the implementation of demolition waste reuse and recycling are discussed in the article.

Postgraduate international students from Asia: factors influencing satisfaction

The growth in the international education market within the next two decades will be dominated by Asia, accounting for almost 70% of the global demand for international higher education (Bohm et al., 2002). The market attractiveness with significant pecuniary and non-pecuniary gains from full-fee paying students will result in a more competitive environment for higher educational institutions around the world seeking to improve their market position. Student satisfaction is a key strategic variable in maintaining such a competitive position with long-term benefits arising from student loyalty, positive word of mouth (WOM) communication and image of the higher educational institutions to meet the challenges of increasing global competition, rising student expectations of quality, service, and value for money. This process requires educational institutions to carefully analyse these key factors contributing to student satisfaction and therefore develop strategies accordingly.

Using logistic regression analysis with factor scores and aggregated satisfaction scores, this study examines the relative importance of factors and their impact on the satisfaction levels of international postgraduate students from four Asian countries studying in Australian universities. The study concludes that the dominant factors that impact on student satisfaction are quality of education, student facilities, reputation of the institutions, the marketability of their degrees for better career prospects, and the overall customer value provided by the universities.