Detail Discursive construction of CSR among Trade Unions   Oleh:  Golob, Urša ; Podnar, Klement Jenis: Article from Proceeding Dalam koleksi: The 2nd International CSR Communication Conference Aarhus, 18-20 September 2013), page 1-5. Fulltext: Discursive construction of CSR among.pdf (80.55KB) Isi artikel Although corporate social responsibility (CSR ) may be foremost perceived as a business concept, it is concerned with redefining the role of business in society and is thus a topic that is prone to a wider public debate (Brammer et al., 2012). Recently, several attempts have been made to understand CSR beyond the discourse dominated by the business-centred approach (e.g. Burchell and Cook, 2006; Brammer et al., 2012). Brammer et al. (2012) argue that all corporations do or not do is in fact a matter of public concern; they have a decisive impact on such matters as consumerism, employment, social inequality, and environmental quality. Additionally, within the globalisation context practices and studies have shown that the concept of CSR differs widely among different parts of the world. Hence, a visible stream of scholars has turned to institutional theories to find ways to explain the complexity of liaisons between business and society. Allowing the institutional theories to enter the realm of CSR investigation has had an effect of broadening the debate on CSR . The institutional view on CSR promotes the idea that corporate obligations and actions must be studied in the realm of the whole national system, the social and political context, and past as well as present circumstances (Roome, 2005). Thus, material practices and symbolic constructions might influence how CSR is practiced and affect how it is perceived in a specific setting (Jackson and Apostolakou, 2010). However, the studies on CSR that would consider the institutional context and particular understanding CSR can get based on manifestations of power in which CSR is embroiled within the discourse among social actors are still rather absent from the literature. CSR ’s institutional context includes several other important actors and is based on interaction and involvement of social actors as opposed to the idea where business is the leader of the game (Burchell and Cook, 2006). According to this, institutional approach favours processual understanding of legitimacy around CSR over the output and power oriented approach. Corporate acceptance based on the CSR -related practices is placed into a communicative network of stakeholder and societal debate where both the meanings of CSR and the boundaries of legitimacy are constantly being defined and redefined (Joutsenvirta and Vaara, 2009). Debates on CSR can thus be seen as “process of dialectical struggle in which competing discourses seek to colonise and appropriate language, space and practices” (Burchell and Cook, 2006, p. 123). Reflecting the aspects of Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis on relations among actors in discourse, power of the actors to influence discourse and reinterpret CSR meanings from their own perspective represents a significant weapon to define the parameters of discourse (Burchell and Cook, 2006). The evidence shows that non-governmental organizations (NGO s) or other associations that are linked to the welfare state are increasingly seen as important actors and partners in enhancing the legitimacy and impact of CSR in the society (Jamali et al., 2011). Such social actors with otherwise strong societal position that could take part in the CSR discourse are trade unions. Burchell and Cook (2006) suggest that trade unions have been an important actor in the multi-stakeholder dialogue when the meaning of CSR in the EU Green Paper was negotiated. Nevertheless, previous research on trade union involvement in CSR , although scarce, suggests that in most EU countries trade union overall input on CSR topics remains rather weak. Preuss et al. (2006) argue that this is fairly evident in postsocialist countries where trade unions lack power and legitimacy. Exceptions to this are Denmark and Germany, where trade unions claim that they have traditionally been engines of CSR (Preuss et al., 2006). These differences across EU countries suggest that there is a need to study CSR representations in specific contexts that produce frameworks for possible alternative interpretations of CSR from groups outside of the business community. Hence, this paper aims to investigate how trade unions perceive they are involved in the discursive struggles on CSR and to explore the discursive construction of CSR among Slovenian trade unions. This is analyzed through the discursive legitimation strategies as a means of the reproduction of CSR orientations (Siltaoja, 2009; Van Leeuwen, 2007). Opini Anda Klik untuk menuliskan opini Anda tentang koleksi ini! Kembali

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