Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Corporate engagement'
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Tilba, Anna. "Pension funds' investment practice and corporate engagement." Thesis, University of Liverpool, 2011. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.540025.
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Hebb, Tessa. "Pension fund corporate engagement : causes and consequences." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2004. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.410985.
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Arvidsson, Emma-Maria. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Citizenship - between Truth and Reality." St. Gallen, 2005. http://www.biblio.unisg.ch/org/biblio/edoc.nsf/wwwDisplayIdentifier/01648328001/$FILE/01648328001.pdf.
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Crawford, Madeline G. "Employee Engagement: Restoring Viability to a Corporate Cliché." Scholarship @ Claremont, 2015. http://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/1039.
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Employee engagement has taken over the corporate world. Whether it is the media, consulting firms, business leaders or human resources, everyone is talking about it. Despite the buzz in the corporate world and millions of dollars pumped into the industry, employee engagement has remained relatively unchanged and our comprehension of it is hazy. Examining the concept of employee engagement from conceptualization to present day helps provide a solid understanding of its foundation and where major evolutionary failings occurred. Prompted by Gallup’s takeover of the concept – from packaging, selling, measuring and intervening – the essence of employee engagement has been lost in overdrive and is now focused on statistics rather than people. The purpose of this paper is to identify the major flaws in the current state of employee engagement using its past as a basis of restoring viability to the concept.
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Isaacs, Katherine W. "Stakeholder engagement for sustainability : a mixed method study of corporate strategies and engagement outcomes." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/82722.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 2013.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references.
This dissertation contributes to our understanding of the strategies the companies use to engage external stakeholders, as well as the processes and outcomes of engagement. The first essay proposes a framework for evaluating a firm's stakeholder engagement strategy, comprised of eight dimensions that vary on a spectrum from least to most advanced. This essay also proposes six kinds of engagement outcomes: three involving learning and relationship building, and three involving tangible changes. The essay concludes with preliminary findings about engagement outcomes at the two case companies. The second essay uses the first essay's strategy framework to develop and validate scales for measuring each strategy dimension, and test which of these vary together to comprise a higher-order strategy. This type of analysis has not yet been done in the research on stakeholder engagement, which instead relies on descriptive typologies comprised of elements that are assumed, but not proven, to cluster together. The analysis in this paper generated six first-order factors, five of which combined to form a Strategy factor. This was used to score companies in the oil and gas, electric power, and automotive industries. Together, the first and second essays represent a first step towards more precisely defining and measuring the level of sophistication of a firm's stakeholder engagement strategy. The third essay is a fine-grained social psychological analysis of how negotiation frames, interpersonal trust, and issue characteristics interacted in one long-term engagement between a power company and environmental non-governmental stakeholders. The question motivating the analysis is: What prevented the participants from realizing the possibility they envisioned for engagement? I argue that a combination of issue characteristics and relational ambivalence -- the simultaneous presence of interpersonal trust and distrust -- motivated the company to engage in "quasi-cooperation" with stakeholders. Quasi-cooperation is the simultaneous deployment of cooperative and competitive tactics. The discovery by stakeholders of the company's quasi-cooperation triggered a conflict spiral that led to the destruction of the parties' working relationships, ending their engagement. Theoretical implications and practical lessons drawn from this case expand our knowledge of how practitioners might approach long-term engagements differently in the future.
by Katherine W. Isaacs.
Ph.D.
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Shirin, Artyom. "Evaluating the effects of corporate reputation on employee engagement." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/23051.
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This study explores the previously less researched impact of corporate reputation on employees, more specifically on employee engagement. Employee engagement and corporate reputation are concepts that have been receiving attention in both business and academia alike, especially in view of the economic turmoil of the past decade as both constructs have been shown to affect profits. The study was designed in a way to measure the impact of employees’ perceptions of corporate reputation on their engagement with the corporation, while controlling for the state of their psychological contract with the organisation. An online survey of 509 employees from a large South African bank provided the data to which a Structural Equation Model (SEM) emanating from the theoretical background was fitted. The results of the model unequivocally confirmed that corporate reputation perceptions are an important predictor of employee engagement. It was also found that psychological contract breach influences both perceptions of reputation by employees and employee engagement directly. The implication is that corporate reputation can have a strong influence on tangible results through employee engagement.Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012.
Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)
unrestricted
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Sundén, Lydia, and Beatrice Neiderstam. "Employee CSR engagement matters : A study about how to influence employees' CSR engagement." Thesis, Umeå universitet, Företagsekonomi, 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-161140.
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Companies that have a well-formulated Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practice is one step in the right direction of contributing to a prosperous society where future generations are not compromised. Although companies may have a CSR practice, it is not guaranteed that that the practice is effective. Essentially, employees have a key role in the success of the company’s CSR practice. Employees are major actors in carrying out and actualizing the company’s CSR initiatives and without the employees’ willingness to engage in CSR initiatives, the company will fail to uphold a CSR practice. Therefore, it is essential for companies to understand how employees can become engaged in the CSR practice. We have extracted previously identified factors that have played a role in employees CSR engagement, i.e. attitudes towards CSR, organizational identification, management support, training and development, recognition, CSR culture, and internal CSR communication. In order to get a deeper understanding of employee CSR engagement, it was perceived of relevance to examine in what way these factors influence employees’ engagement in CSR. The study has been conducted at a case company operating in the green service support sector. Trough semi-structured interviews, this study consists of experiences and perceptions from both managers and employees. Whilst the study focuses on the employee perspective, managers are included in order to get a more comprehensive understanding of employee CSR engagement. We found that both internal and external factors can be drivers or impediments for employee CSR engagement. Matching values and attitudes towards CSR were found to be drivers, because working with an important societal mission, or consider and value CSR on a personal level positively influence CSR engagement among individual employees. Supportive managerial behaviour, more specifically, inspirational managers, setting clear goals and appropriate recognition was also found to be drivers for CSR engagement. Furthermore, in terms of CSR integration, insufficient CSR culture and internal CSR communication was found to be impediments. This because, employees did not feel they knew how to contribute, nor did they experience that CSR was prioritized. Additionally, two new factors were found; time constraints as an impediment, and social interactions as a driver. Keywords: Corporate social responsibility, employee engagement
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Hjelmqvist, Matilda. "Corporate Climate Initiatives: An Inside-Out Approach to Stakeholder Engagement." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för geovetenskaper, 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-433099.
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The aim of this case study was to explain how voluntary climate initiatives are communicated to employees, and the role of employee involvement as an antecedent for more strategic environmental sustainability work. More specifically, the project explored enabling factors for stakeholder involvement from a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) communication perspective. A flexible research design was structured through qualitative methods and an inductive approach. Semi-structured interviews and corporate sustainability documents from two knowledge-intensive IT businesses were analyzed to understand the internal CSR landscape related to voluntary climate initiatives, like carbon offsetting actions and reduce-reuse-recycle efforts. The theoretical framework used concepts from CSR communication, environmental marketing and stakeholder management. Case study findings indicate that voluntary carbon offsetting initiatives may have a notable impact on building a more distinct company-wide climate change agenda. Furthermore, the study confirmed that employees are important drivers in environmental initiatives and may act as informal sustainability ambassadors by supporting the organizational climate impact work internally (and later externally) – by building credibility from the inside-out.
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Hagedorn, Simon, and Robin Thien. "Corporate Accelerator - A study exploring CA program conditions to foster more successful startup and corporate engagement." Thesis, Internationella Handelshögskolan, Jönköping University, IHH, Företagsekonomi, 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-49067.
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Background: Corporate accelerators (CAs) are a relatively new phenomenon and increasingly used by corporates to increase their level of innovation. However, there are still no best practices on how these CA programs can be structured more efficiently in order to serve the needs of startups and corporates simultaneously. Here, most extant research focuses on the general goals of CA programs and the definition of certain core elements and features which describe a CA (i.e. provision of coworking space; educational programs), while disregarding the objectives of the startups participating. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to understand how current CA programs can be improved, by analyzing the experiences and perspectives of both corporates and startups. It aims to identify, how CA programs can be more successful for corporates and startups. Method: To satisfy the purpose of this qualitative study, an exploratory research approach was selected and a multi-case research strategy applied. Data was gathered through in-depth, semi-structured expert interviews with five managers and three participants of accelerator programs managed by leading multinational corporates. Through a content analysis, we built new theory based on our findings. Conclusion: This study shed light on current difficulties that arise in CA programs such as internal politics and bureaucracy, internal communication, corporate rigidities, and the important tasks of CA managers navigating those issues. Our study contributes to research on CAs by (1) emphasizing current barriers of CAs; (2) presenting suggestions for creating more successful CAs; (3) showing how CA managers can foster interactions between corporate business units and startups: and (4) creating the SET CA model.
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Segel, Kim Rael. "State-corporate social development in South Africa : the role of the state in advancing corporate social engagement." Thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London), 2004. http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/1772/.
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The contemporary South African state seeks to ensure economic growth and global competitiveness whilst simultaneously redressing apartheid legacies. These are its twin imperatives to effect social and economic transformation. This thesis advances the framework of State-Corporate Social Development (SCSD) to describe and explain policies developed by the post-apartheid government to regulate the social and economic practices of business, and policies adopted by businesses in response. The thesis explores state-market dynamics as these relate to policies promoting black economic empowerment (BEE) in South Africa. Against this broad policy rubric, the research explores, within a wider nexus of stakeholder relationships, the interactions between business and government with reference to two sectors: investment companies and tourism. Extensive legislative and institutional mechanisms have been established to ensure a business environment conducive to government's political agenda. A key driver is the imperative to accelerate the integration of black South Africans into the economic mainstream through BEE policies. The state uses multiple levers to offer incentive or apply sanction. It is shown that the state, as a major consumer of goods and services, is itself a primary agent in transforming socio-economic patterns along market principles. SCSD also includes the response of business to evolving policy and environmental conditions. These responses vary according to the business size, nature, sector and value placed on various stakeholding relationships. The thesis employs stakeholder and social contract theory, and qualitative methods, including 135 interviews, to develop and explain SCSD as it pertains to BEE. Using formal and informal social contracts, it is shown how BEE policy shifted from emphasising equity ownership to a broader-based strategy. The strategy relies on multi-stakeholder relationships and drivers offering economic market-based incentives. The thesis draws conclusions regarding the centrality of the state in providing incentives for corporate social development policy in South Africa. It also suggests broader policy lessons relevant to state-corporate relations and the viability of the SCSD approach.
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Vogel, Corina. "Corporate Social Entrepreneurship An Institutional Perspective on Motivation and Process /." St. Gallen, 2008. http://www.biblio.unisg.ch/org/biblio/edoc.nsf/wwwDisplayIdentifier/01654953002/$FILE/01654953002.pdf.
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Sinclair, Marie-Louise. "A model for effective organisational stakeholder engagement : development and evaluation of a systematic approach to corporate-stakeholder engagement management." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2009. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/322.
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The establishment in business of concepts associated with the social bottom line (corporate social responsibility, corporate sustainability, community investment, stakeholder involvement, public participation and societal license amongst them) have focused the attention of communications academics and practitioners alike on the broad area of corporate social performance as a compelling element in the triple bottom line.
Associated with this focus on corporate social performance, has been a burgeoning interest in stakeholder-related concepts of management, together with a drive to enhance the strategic value of corporate communications functions such as stakeholder engagement, community consultation and issues (social risk) management - primarily to improve corporate responsiveness.
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Mann, Candice Jorde. "The relationship between employee perceptions of a corporate brand and employee engagement." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/23259.
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Secondary data defines employee engagement as “a workplace approach designed to ensure that employees are committed to their organisation’s goals and values, motivated to contribute to organisational success and are able at the same time to enhance their own sense of well-being” (Guest, 2009). Corporate branding is defined as “the systematic planned management of behaviours, communication, and symbolism in order to attain a favourable and positive reputation with target audiences of an organisation” (Foster, Punjaisri&Cheng, 2010). This research paper has three research questions which examine the relationship between employee perception of a corporate brand and employee engagement; what impact strong corporate brands have on employee engagement and lastly examines demographical factors that may impact employee engagement.The study design was non-probability and convenience sampling was used. Statistical tools that were used in this study included t-test, correlation analysis, Cronbach’s alpha test and factor analysis. The data was collected from seven organisations namely: MTN, BMW, Absa, McDonalds, KFC, Eskom and Pep which are located within South Africa. The questionnaire was delivered to a 150 respondents across seven organisations.The research results indicate that corporate brand variables: brand awareness, brand loyalty, perceived brand quality, brand leadership, perceived brand value, brand personality, brand organisation and brand differentiation, have a positive influence on employee engagement.The findings from this research can contribute to the body of knowledge within the domain of improving employee engagement within organisations, which will result in increased profitability, reduced turnover, improved working environment and enhanced employee satisfaction. The primary audience for the study will be the academic community and more specifically individuals interested in marketing and general business and managerial practices.Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012.
Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)
unrestricted
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Seppala, Nina. "From silence to constructive engagement : a framework for corporate human rights strategies." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2006. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/63282/.
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This thesis sheds light on the range of strategies that companies can pursue in order to deal with human rights concerns in countries where the host government is responsible for systematic human rights violations. It does so by the comparative analysis of the policies and activities that four companies carried out in two countries: (i) Total and Premier Oil in Myanmar and (ii) Talisman and Lundin in Sudan. The analysis of the cases shows that human rights issues do not only involve material conditions that prevent people from enjoying human rights or constitute a direct violation of their rights, buy they may also pertain to the way in which stakeholders perceive or view a particular situation. The nature of the human rights issue is important because it affects the way in which the issue can be addressed. The analysis of the cases suggests that the activities carried out by the companies to address human rights issues can be separated into five different strategies: (1) direct strategies involving concrete action that companies take to influence the objective conditions that give rise to human rights issues, (2) indirect strategies pertaining to attempts to persuade other actors to take action over the conditions that give rise to issues, (3) information strategies involving attempts to affect stakeholder views through the provision of information, (4) leveraging strategies aimed at affecting stakeholder views through verification measures or appeals to authority, and (5) stakeholder engagement strategies concerned with attempts to affect stakeholder views by increasing mutual understanding between companies and their stakeholders through two-way communication. The present thesis makes two main contributions. First, it sheds light on the little researched area of corporate approaches to human rights. More specifically, it makes a theoretical and practical contribution by classifying activities that companies have carried out to address human rights issues into five types of human rights strategies and identifying factors that affect the choice between the different strategies. No previous research exists on the action that companies have taken in response to human rights issues. Second, the present research draws on and adds value to literature on issues management and stakeholder management by contributing to a better understanding of the ways in which companies address social issues and stakeholder demands. As Wood (1991) observed, there is a lack of research on the vehicles or methods of corporate response to society's changing conditions and expectations. Previous literature has focussed on the identification of issues and stakeholders rather than the behaviours that companies assume to deal with issues and stakeholder demands (e.g., Andriof & Waddock, 2002; Berman et al., 1999).
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Ajide, Olushola. "A critical assessment of corporate community engagement (CCE) in the Niger Delta." Thesis, Robert Gordon University, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10059/2449.
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This thesis makes a new contribution to the field of corporate social responsibility in the area of corporate community engagement (CCE) and public relations in the area of organization-public relationships (OPRs). The thesis focuses on the Nigerian oil and gas industry community relationship in the Niger Delta region. This study provides valuable insights into how CCE works for enhancing stakeholder relationship and other desirable outcomes and thereby contributes to the growing body of knowledge on CSR in public relations. For the practice of CCE, this study reinforces the importance of relationship management as a viable and robust strategy that can bring long-term benefits both to organizations and society in general. A qualitative approach was adopted as it is considered appropriate for the research, which focuses on assessing stakeholders’ views regarding the relationship between oil and gas company and their host community in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Also, exploring how the stakeholders juxtapose their understanding of the relationship determinants between the oil and gas company and their host community. Semi-structured interviews served as the primary source of data collection from various stakeholders during fieldwork in Nigeria. Secondary methods served a crucial but minor role and were used primarily for the purpose of the researcher as a tool to double check the interview findings. Thirty-five respondents provided their views and opinions concerning the relationship between the oil and gas companies and communities in the region. The study uncovered the importance of culture, social awareness, social identity, corruption, insecurity, mediation and weak institutional structures as crucial predictors of relationship determinants for the oil and gas companies during engagement with their host communities. Moreover, this study explored the research on relationship success determinants key constructs (i.e. control mutuality, trust, commitment and satisfaction) to a qualitative assessment. Also, the developed framework emphasised the need for using these factors for assessing and building a successful long term relationship. Another key finding was that there is a significant difference between how multinational oil companies (MNOCs) and indigenous oil companies (INOCs) engage with the community. This finding suggests that the INOCs have a better approach in the engagement of host communities.
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McHugh, James, Gustav Jönsson, and Osama AL-Eryani. "Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Using Stakeholder Engagement in Order to Improve Performance." Thesis, Internationella Handelshögskolan, Högskolan i Jönköping, IHH, Företagsekonomi, 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-44185.
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Andronic, Liviu. "Shareholder Engagement and Corporate Behavior : The Case of Environmental and Social Issues." Thesis, Toulouse 1, 2016. http://www.theses.fr/2016TOU10023/document.
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Cette thèse doctorale traite des investissements socialement responsables sous plusieurs aspects. Nous cherchons tout d'abord à déterminer comment les entreprises répondent à l'engagement des actionnaires sur des problématiques environnementales et sociales. Notre analyse s'est effectuée sur un ensemble de données recensant les propositions des actionnaires lors des assemblées générales des entreprises du S&P 1500. À travers cette analyse nous tentons de mesurer l'impact du vote ou du retrait d'une proposition sur la performance extra-financière de l'entreprise. Après avoir contrôlé d'éventuels problèmes d'endogénéité, nous constatons une association positive entre la soumission de propositions à la fois environnementales et sociales au cours d'une même année et l'amélioration de la performance extra-financière de l'entreprise, à court et à long terme. Les résultats indiquent qu'un engagement actionnarial fort sur des problématiques diverses peut conduire à des changements dans la performance extra-financière des entreprises. Nos travaux de recherche s'attachent également à étudier les dynamiques de vote sous-jacentes aux propositions des actionnaires. Nous essayons de déterminer comment les propositions sur des thématiques similaires, votées (ou retirées) par le passé ou dans la même année, peuvent affecter le résultat du vote pour une proposition d'aujourd'hui. Les résultats obtenus montrent que lorsqu'une thématique a déjà fait l'objet d'une proposition actionnariale par le passé, une nouvelle proposition dans le cadre de cette même thématique recueillerait moins de soutien de la part des actionnaires aujourd'hui. Par ailleurs, un niveau de soutien faible de la part des actionnaires pour une proposition dans le passé signifierait un soutien actionnarial plus réduit pour une proposition dans une thématique similaire aujourd'hui. Nous cherchons aussi à voir dans quelle mesure les informations ESG sont intégrées dans les flux d'informations financières, et notamment à déterminer si les analystes financiers prennent bien en compte l'information extra-financière dans leurs projections financières. Nous constatons que les analystes financiers s'attendent à ce qu'une amélioration dans les avantages sociaux de l'entreprise se traduise par une baisse des bénéfices par action (EPS) à court terme, alors que cet effet n'apparaît pas lorsqu'on se base sur l'EPS réalisé, ce qui laisserait penser que les analystes financiers se trompent dans leurs estimations. Cependant, une diminution des défaillances sur le plan social (i.e. une amélioration de la politique sociale de l'entreprise) se traduit à la fois par une amélioration de l'EPS estimé mais également une hausse de l'EPS réalisé. Par conséquent, les analystes financiers semblent anticiper correctement les impacts positifs générés par l'amélioration dans les défaillances sur le plan social, qui est alors perçue comme un signal positif pour la performance financière de l'entrepriseIn this thesis we examine several aspects surrounding socially responsible investing. First we look into firms' response to shareholder engagement on environmental and social topics. Using data on shareholder-sponsored proposals in S&P 1500 firms, we investigate whether following a voted or withdrawn proposal there are changes in the extra-financial performance of firms. After controlling for endogeneity concerns, we find that being targeted on both environmental and social topics in the same year is associated with improvements in extra-financial performance, both in the short term and in the long term. The results suggest that shareholder engagement on a broad set of issues, as well as stronger shareholder pressure, is more conducive to changes in the extra-financial performance of firms. Further we study the dynamics of voting on shareholder proposals, specifically how past or concurrent votes (or withdrawals) on similar issues may affect a vote on a proposal in the present. We find that when a shareholder-sponsored proposal on a similar issue has already been discussed in the past, such a proposal would gather less shareholder support in the present. Moreover, a low level of past voting support for proposals on similar topics would induce a reduced voting support in the present. In addition we also attempt to quantify whether ESG information is being incorporated into the financial flows of information. More specifically, we seek to determine whether financial analysts incorporate extra-financial information into the financial forecasts. We find that overall financial analysts expect improvements in social strengths to translate into lower earnings per share (EPS) in the short term, whereas this effect isn't detected when using realized EPS, suggesting that the analysts may be wrong in their estimations. A decrease in social concerns (i.e. an improvement) is however reflected in both improved EPS forecasts and an improved realized EPS, suggesting that financial analysts are correct in perceiving positive shifts in (the largely exogenous) social concerns as a positive signal for the firms' financial performance
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Gonzalez, Zlatar Carla Marijanka. "Mining company engagement with universities: A CSR approach." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2018. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/116544/1/Carla%20Marijanka_Gonzalez%20Zlatar_Thesis.pdf.
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The academic literature has focused on understanding mining companies' definition and management of stakeholders, with a focus on indigenous and local communities, and non-government organisations. Although universities are described as important stakeholders in the CSR (corporate social responsibility) documentation of mining companies, mining company engagement with universities is under-researched. This thesis addresses this gap by exploring how, and why, mining companies engage with universities through an exploration of mining company engagement with universities in Chile. This thesis unveils the complexity of mining company engagement with universities, as well as the geographical dimensions of this engagement. This thesis ratifies the academic literature that describes mining companies' CSR practice as a public relations exercise that seeks to legitimise mining operations at different scales.
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O'Riordan, Linda. "Perspectives on Corporate Social Responsibility. Corporate Approaches to Stakeholder Engagement in the Pharmaceutical Industry in the UK and Germany." Thesis, University of Bradford, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10454/5304.
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This thesis addresses corporate approaches to CSR stakeholder engagement in the pharmaceutical industry in the UK and Germany. Its objective is to undertake mainly exploratory qualitative research to investigate how the selected sample manages CSR. The data was primarily accessed and collected from senior executives within major pharmaceutical companies. Multiple research methods were employed to gather rich new empirical evidence which focuses on the CSR practices and perceptions of CSR managers in both countries. To examine how this 'sensitive' sector responds to what could be termed the 'CSR Challenge', a critical realist perspective and six codes were chosen to map the practices and to compare similarities and differences between the two countries. This research contributes to the academic literature in this field by filling significant gaps in an area which was previously under-investigated. Ultimately, the findings are employed to examine a prespecified framework which was originally developed by the author based on secondary data in separate research. Overall, the results inform, re-examine, and improve this recently published framework. The updated explanatory framework which results from the research is the main conceptual contribution of the thesis. It serves as a management tool which includes the contextual factors which influence decision-makers' practices and perceptions portrayed as a set of inter-related management steps. This new conceptualisation is designed to be of practical use for decision-makers when managing their stakeholder engagement activities. As a result, this research is essentially applied and normative in nature. In addition, this work presents an original contribution to the literature in its field which should be of interest to academics.
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au, skrempl@iinet net, and Sandra Krempl. "Reviving Spirit in Corporate systems." Murdoch University, 2006. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20071126.110753.
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The underlying context of this work is the mismatch between the systems that we need to comply with and what our spirit and intuition wants and needs. The thesis questions the relevance of spiritless corporate systems set up to serve the best interest of human beings and other living things. Corporate systems have been established to comply with governing laws, to facilitate transaction of money and provide financial accountability to stakeholders and clients spiritless matters. Corporate systems are ill equipped to protect our emotional and spiritual boundaries, our tangible and intangible links to the past and to the future. Spirit, which is the essence of life, is often not understood, discussed or included in the planning, development and implementation of the very systems that govern and impact on our lives and our communities. If spirit is included it is often well intended but rhetorical. Spirit needs to be revived and provided time, place and purpose, not only in our broader lives but also in our work cultures. Without spirit, facts have no meaning or relevance to life.
This thesis searches for solutions to fill this spiritual gap in corporate systems, drawing on the experiences and lessons gained through engaging with communities and corporate systems in Australian and international contexts. The search covers a study of oral tradition(spirit),the impact of the lack of credibility afforded to oral tradition, developing and trialling common-ground terminology and frameworks befitting both corporate and spiritual systems across different industry sectors, the isolation of arts and culture from other sectors, the role of community development arts practices, and aspects of social science and urban development theories.
The research traces the development and implementation of a cultural planning program for Western Australia through policy development at State government level and then framework development undertaken through Community Arts Network WA. The development of this cultural planning program draws on the contribution of diverse industry sector partners and this thesis research explains how their perspectives can contribute to the revival of spirit in corporate systems. The partnerships involved are business planning, town planning, community psychology, vocation, education and training, and sustainability.
Having contributed to the development of the broader frameworks for the implementation of cultural planning across the State and beyond, this research delves further into addressing the issue of reviving spirit in corporate systems through refining the First (spirit) and Third Person (corporate) approach to cultural planning. This method is based on a key Spirit Catalyst called The First and Third Person Systems. This key Spirit Catalyst provides a guide for balance between spirit and corporate systems. There are a total of seven secondary Spirit Catalysts cited. Comparisons and contrasts between First and Third Person cultural planning process and strategic planning are provided. Principles and protocols and tools for evaluating spirit have been developed as part of the process. In keeping with the first person nature of spirit, personal narrative is used wherever possible to give life and meaning to facts and other planning and management processes.
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Perunicic, Darko, and Elena Alexandrova. "Do Well by Doing Good : Engagement of Smålands SME’s in CSR." Thesis, Jönköping University, JIBS, Business Administration, 2007. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-713.
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Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) prevail in their business communities and constitute the base of many nations’ economies. As a reason it is vital that SMEs show their active engagement and relatedness of their CSR activities making them at the core of their business strategies, as well as maintain their role as responsible citizens in their communities.CSR activities and practices being mainly developed by large corporations impede the way they can be applied on their smaller counterparts; ultimately leading to different results. SMEs require different solutions and run in different settings, which afford them unique opportunities to become sustainable enterprises. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the level of CSR engagement in Småland, Sweden. The study was divided into two parts, social (community wise) and environmental. We aimed to understand the reasons behind engagement and non-engagement in this matter. Also, it was important to find a pattern for future development of CSR among SMEs. We relied on previous research conducted for SMEs around Europe, and compared mainly the results from Sweden to our research findings.
This study was largely done by using the quantitative survey method, where a questionnaire was designed to collect the results. Descriptive and exploratory statistics is at the core of interpreting the results. Some of the findings were confirmed by previous research while the rest were either unprecendeted or surprising, both in a positive and negative way. The CSR involvement was highly related to the size of the companies, in total more than half of the companies were involved to some extent. The main reasons for involvement in local communities were ethical as well as to satisfy own employees. The reasons for non-engagement were due to lack of resources, time and money, but also the fact that many companies simply never thought about engagement. When it comes to the environmental part, the results showed that companies act very responsibly. They are also aware and compliant to legislations and have environmental policies. Again, ethical reasons were the main driving force behind environmental concerns for the companies, but also the enhancement of the image was a chief reason. In general, companies do not seem to find economical benefits behind the engagement in CSR and less than half of the companies that engage in social responsibilities today are planning on continuing in the near future. Social involvement is voluntary and companies choose to do it mainly because of ethical reasons. On an overall basis, the engagement of SMEs in social activities is quite weak to moderate, while in environmental engagement the results are to some extent more optimistic. However, we cannot allege that a handful of Smålands SMEs see the full business benefits of engagement and as a result they cannot be said to be working towards ‘doing well by doing good’. Policy makers, municipalities and larger firms need to support the SMEs in their further engagement.
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Harris, Neil David John, and n/a. "Corporate Engagement With Planetary Sustainability: The Case of the Non-Renewable Resource Extractive Sector, Australia." Griffith University. Australian School of Environmental Studies, 2006. http://www4.gu.edu.au:8080/adt-root/public/adt-QGU20070109.140640.
Full textAbstract:
It is increasingly being recognised that global natural resource consumption levels exceed planetary limits and that the present trajectory of industrial development is not sustainable. To achieve a more viable existence necessitates a fundamental shift in priorities from the prevailing economic growth-centred, consumer driven philosophy to one that marries aspirations for economic growth with long-term environmental and social considerations. This shift in priorities requires significant contributions and action at the global, national and local levels by the primary 'wheels' of sustainability: government, corporations and civil society. Over the past 100 years, corporations have become the most powerful institution on the planet with both the financial resources and institutional capacity to take the lead role in shaping a sustainable future for humankind. Yet, within and between industry sectors and across geographic locations there has been great diversity in the extent and level of corporate commitment and engagement in societal efforts relating to planetary sustainability. Hence, greater understanding of what drives corporate interest and involvement in ecological sustainability will become increasingly critical to promoting corporate engagement in processes and practices to secure a long-term future for humanity. However, there has been limited explanatory research oriented upon developing an understanding of the processes and factors associated with corporate 'eco-change'. In recognition of this shortcoming in the literature, the present study utilised the case of the non-renewable resource extractive sector of Australia to examine corporate engagement with processes and practices for planetary sustainability. Specifically, it sought to construct and evidence an explanation of the external and internal factors that have promoted and/or retarded corporate engagement with planetary sustainability in the non-renewable resource extractive sector (NRRES) of Australia. Guided by grounded theory methodology, an instrumental case study of the NRRES in Australia was undertaken. The NRRES was chosen as this sector's profile, visibility and activities over the past twenty years have meant it has come under mounting pressure to incorporate the concept and principles of planetary sustainability into its ethos and operations. As such, the sector represents the opportunity to study this phenomenon within a dynamic context of sectoral and corporate responses to evolving societal expectations. The research was undertaken in three phases and the principal research method was in-depth key informant interviews with purposively sampled members of the sector's stakeholder groups. Each NRRES corporation is situated at the centre of a web of interconnected interests or 'stakes' necessitating efforts to balance the various stakeholder interests to maintain the institution's license-to-operate and secure a long-term existence. The thesis constructs an explanation of the societal drivers of NRRES corporate engagement with planetary sustainability, organised as the three categories of government, civil society and the corporate sector. These three groupings of stakeholders have been clustered into the broad category or theme of Activating Engagement, which recognises their collective role as the stimuli for NRRES corporation engagement in processes and practices for planetary sustainability. While the theme of Activating Engagement emphasises the importance and interrelatedness of the roles and actions within and between the three primary wheels of sustainability, of particular note is the evident rise of civil society as a more active societal stakeholder and more salient driver of corporate uptake of social and environmental issues. As the identified external drivers play a critical role in motivating NRRES corporation engagement, it is a corporation's particular characteristics that ultimately determine the extent and level of uptake of strategies to demonstrate corporate social responsibility. The thesis develops an explanation of the internal factors mediating NRRES corporate engagement comprising the factors of leadership, resources, structures, culture and understanding. These factors are conceptualised as the theme of Capacity for Engagement, which identifies their collective importance in a NRRES corporation's preparedness, impetus and capability relating to interest and participation in planetary sustainability. While all of the five factors are seen as essential to meaningful NRRES corporate engagement, the thesis identifies leadership as the most critical factor in Capacity for Engagement. Based on the findings of the research, several explanatory frameworks are developed. These frameworks aid in deepening our understanding of the NRRES corporate engagement process, in particular, the interconnections between the factors impeding and facilitating corporate interest and engagement with processes and practices for planetary sustainability. As such, these frameworks will make a substantial contribution to building our understanding of how the various factors and their components or 'pieces of the puzzle' interact and interrelate with each other to generate corporate engagement. The frameworks are the culmination of the research and, coupled with the more detailed explanations of their constituent factors, enhance our knowledge and understanding of the dynamics of NRRES corporation engagement with planetary sustainability. This enhanced understanding is significant and could be of considerable value in informing and targeting efforts to advance the depth and breadth of NRRES corporation engagement with processes and practices for planetary sustainability. To advance the standing of the study's findings, a series of case studies could be undertaken targeting the investigation of NRRES corporate engagement in other geographic locations and within different industry sectors.
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Harris, Neil David John. "Corporate Engagement With Planetary Sustainability: The Case of the Non-Renewable Resource Extractive Sector, Australia." Thesis, Griffith University, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/366179.
Full textAbstract:
It is increasingly being recognised that global natural resource consumption levels exceed planetary limits and that the present trajectory of industrial development is not sustainable. To achieve a more viable existence necessitates a fundamental shift in priorities from the prevailing economic growth-centred, consumer driven philosophy to one that marries aspirations for economic growth with long-term environmental and social considerations. This shift in priorities requires significant contributions and action at the global, national and local levels by the primary 'wheels' of sustainability: government, corporations and civil society. Over the past 100 years, corporations have become the most powerful institution on the planet with both the financial resources and institutional capacity to take the lead role in shaping a sustainable future for humankind. Yet, within and between industry sectors and across geographic locations there has been great diversity in the extent and level of corporate commitment and engagement in societal efforts relating to planetary sustainability. Hence, greater understanding of what drives corporate interest and involvement in ecological sustainability will become increasingly critical to promoting corporate engagement in processes and practices to secure a long-term future for humanity. However, there has been limited explanatory research oriented upon developing an understanding of the processes and factors associated with corporate 'eco-change'. In recognition of this shortcoming in the literature, the present study utilised the case of the non-renewable resource extractive sector of Australia to examine corporate engagement with processes and practices for planetary sustainability. Specifically, it sought to construct and evidence an explanation of the external and internal factors that have promoted and/or retarded corporate engagement with planetary sustainability in the non-renewable resource extractive sector (NRRES) of Australia. Guided by grounded theory methodology, an instrumental case study of the NRRES in Australia was undertaken. The NRRES was chosen as this sector's profile, visibility and activities over the past twenty years have meant it has come under mounting pressure to incorporate the concept and principles of planetary sustainability into its ethos and operations. As such, the sector represents the opportunity to study this phenomenon within a dynamic context of sectoral and corporate responses to evolving societal expectations. The research was undertaken in three phases and the principal research method was in-depth key informant interviews with purposively sampled members of the sector's stakeholder groups. Each NRRES corporation is situated at the centre of a web of interconnected interests or 'stakes' necessitating efforts to balance the various stakeholder interests to maintain the institution's license-to-operate and secure a long-term existence. The thesis constructs an explanation of the societal drivers of NRRES corporate engagement with planetary sustainability, organised as the three categories of government, civil society and the corporate sector. These three groupings of stakeholders have been clustered into the broad category or theme of Activating Engagement, which recognises their collective role as the stimuli for NRRES corporation engagement in processes and practices for planetary sustainability. While the theme of Activating Engagement emphasises the importance and interrelatedness of the roles and actions within and between the three primary wheels of sustainability, of particular note is the evident rise of civil society as a more active societal stakeholder and more salient driver of corporate uptake of social and environmental issues. As the identified external drivers play a critical role in motivating NRRES corporation engagement, it is a corporation's particular characteristics that ultimately determine the extent and level of uptake of strategies to demonstrate corporate social responsibility. The thesis develops an explanation of the internal factors mediating NRRES corporate engagement comprising the factors of leadership, resources, structures, culture and understanding. These factors are conceptualised as the theme of Capacity for Engagement, which identifies their collective importance in a NRRES corporation's preparedness, impetus and capability relating to interest and participation in planetary sustainability. While all of the five factors are seen as essential to meaningful NRRES corporate engagement, the thesis identifies leadership as the most critical factor in Capacity for Engagement. Based on the findings of the research, several explanatory frameworks are developed. These frameworks aid in deepening our understanding of the NRRES corporate engagement process, in particular, the interconnections between the factors impeding and facilitating corporate interest and engagement with processes and practices for planetary sustainability. As such, these frameworks will make a substantial contribution to building our understanding of how the various factors and their components or 'pieces of the puzzle' interact and interrelate with each other to generate corporate engagement. The frameworks are the culmination of the research and, coupled with the more detailed explanations of their constituent factors, enhance our knowledge and understanding of the dynamics of NRRES corporation engagement with planetary sustainability. This enhanced understanding is significant and could be of considerable value in informing and targeting efforts to advance the depth and breadth of NRRES corporation engagement with processes and practices for planetary sustainability. To advance the standing of the study's findings, a series of case studies could be undertaken targeting the investigation of NRRES corporate engagement in other geographic locations and within different industry sectors.Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Australian School of Environmental Studies
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Coom, Michael. "The Effect of Physical Activity on Work Engagement and Resilience Among Corporate Employees." Thesis, University of Canterbury. Psychology, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10092/7368.
Full textAbstract:
A lack of work engagement among employees is costing US businesses a reported $300 billion a year in lost productivity, while absenteeism, turnover, workplace stress, and health care costs are also accounting for the same degree of financial loss. To investigate the effect of physical activity (PA) on work engagement (WE) and resilience among corporate employees, 200 employees from a range of corporate New Zealand businesses took part in a 16-week workplace-based health initiative known as the Global Corporate Challenge (GCC), which was aimed at increasing levels of PA among employees. Participants recorded their amount of PA through the use of a pedometer that uploaded daily levels into an online personal database provided by the GCC. Self-reported measures of WE and resilience were assessed both prior to, and following the challenge. The study provided support for the hypotheses that both WE and resilience would increase after participation in the GCC, however, contrary to further hypotheses, increasing levels of PA did not improve WE and resilience among participants. The results of this study may assist organisations in achieving not only a workforce better equipped to handling the challenges and stressors of today‟s workplace, but organisational success, and financial performance.
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Inci, Serdar [Verfasser]. "Shareholder Engagement : Chancen, Risiken und Kompatibilität mit der deutschen Corporate Governance / Serdar Inci." Baden-Baden : Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, 2018. http://d-nb.info/1160311684/34.
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Nussmüller, Eva, Lukas Lengauer, and Franz Tödtling. "Motives and influencing factors of corporate regional engagement. Industry and company specific patterns." Institut für Regional- und Umweltwirtschaft, WU Vienna University of Economics and Business, 2009. http://epub.wu.ac.at/1658/1/document.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
Traditionally, regional endowments are viewed as external variables when it comes to location choices of companies. In most concepts on location choices and regional economics companies are thought to view the local labour market, the local innovation system or the general quality of life in a region as given and chose the location that best suits the company's needs. Increasingly however, scholars from different research fields are providing arguments to reverse that view and show that there can be good reasons for a company to engage in improving its location despite implicit externalities. In this paper we try to systematically analyse issue of corporate engagement in regions. We will show how strong and in which fields companies engage in their respective region, how this engagement can be related to their existing regional integration and what differences appear between industries and types of companies in this respect. In this study we draw upon extensive interviews with over thirty companies from three industrial sectors in the Austrian region of Styria: the metals industry, which dates back to medieval times and has gone through a deep process of economic restructuring, the automotive industry, the first industry in which a comprehensive cluster policy approach was applied in Austria and the software industry, a rather young industry that experienced high growth rates in the past years. We will conclude that even though there are differences between the industries and types of companies in terms of scope and scale of regional integration and regional engagement, there is a strong correlation between the two: the higher the regional integration, the higher corporate regional engagement and vice versa.Series: SRE - Discussion Papers
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Supanti, Daraneekorn. "Investigating Determinants of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Engagement in the Thai Hotel Sector." Thesis, Griffith University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/367142.
Full textAbstract:
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become an integral part of the modern business paradigm (Porter & Kramer, 2006a) and correspondingly, research interest in CSR has grown among hospitality academics (Sheldon & Park, 2011). However, published CSR works tend to revolve around three core areas: debating the nature of CSR (e.g., Levy & Park, 2011), impacts on firm performance (e.g., Inoue & Lee, 2011), and customers’ or employees’ perspectives toward CSR (e.g., Tsai, Tsang, & Cheng, 2012). Less attention has been given to understanding why firms engage with CSR, despite researchers calling for a better understanding of the key factors driving CSR engagement, including a fuller discussion about the concept of engagement (e.g., Aguinis & Glavas,
2012; Graci & Dodds, 2008). Therefore, this thesis aims to investigate: What are the determinants of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Engagement in the Thai hotel sector?
In this thesis, the term CSR engagement describes the business practices relating to social, cultural, and environmental issues, including their reasoning and motivation for managing and adopting policies, practices, and future intentions. A review of the literature in CSR highlights several issues, including a focus on studies examining environmental practices, rather than a broader spectrum of CSR activities.Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Griffith Business School
Griffith Business School
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Chavez-Luna, Luis, Kevin Horna-Cerna, Mathias Mäckelmann, and Eliana Gallardo-Echenique. "Rituales corporativos y el compromiso laboral del colaborador en un banco peruano." Associacao Iberica de Sistemas e Tecnologias de Informacao, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/10757/656664.
Full textAbstract:
This study explore the existence of a possible relationship between participation in corporate rituals and the employee commitment to the company. This case study examines the “Banco de Crédito del Perú (BCP)”. Questionnaires where designed using Microsoft Forms. A convenience sampling of 379 employees participated in this study. As revealed in the findings, there is no relationship between the employee commitment and the number of rituals in which he participates. Millennial collaborators mostly participate in only 1 to 2 rituals within the company with 27% and 31% respectively; being the Halloween contest the ritual that has the highest ratio of millennials who do not participate.
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Nordin, Neda. "Embedded Corporate Sustainability as a Driver for Competitiveness." Thesis, KTH, Industriell ekonomi och organisation (Inst.), 2015. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-170725.
Full textAbstract:
Sustainability is increasingly requested by society due to rising global issues. However the majority of companies, particularly the large and hierarchical ones, face huge challenges in properly integrating sustainability in their business, and most importantly - in understanding the opportunities sustainability offers both for their competitiveness and shared value creation. The purpose of the thesis is to holistically define and explain the major aspects that are critical for win-win corporate sustainability (CS) embedding into large established companies. Firstly, a framework of CS embedding has been developed which is supported by a simple CS three-stage model to be used in assessing the CS integration stages and processes in a company. The framework in particular focuses on three major CS aspects: strategic and operational integration, innovation, and organisational culture. Secondly, the created model is applied in the case study of the large power company Vattenfall AB in order to assess its overall CS implementation situation, the challenges it faces and the stage of CS practices. The analysis resulted in structured findings and a list of major strategic recommendations to advice the company on CS advancement. The outcomes of the study can be applied as learning material in other large conservative companies of similar complexity that struggle with sustainability performance. The research has contributed in filling the knowledge gap of understanding how CS embedding works, its major aspects, challenges and opportunities it provides. The framework developed for embedding CS when used in conjunction with the CS three-stage model could be used for further empirical research or alternatively for practical application by companies themselves.
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Carter, Liam Leslie. "Investigating the relationship between corporate brand personality and employee brand commitment." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/25805.
Full textAbstract:
Corporate brands in today’s business landscape are complex and multifaceted, with employees playing a critical role in the building of those brands. As employee brand commitment forms an important part of building a corporate brand, it would be beneficial to understand the drivers of employee brand commitment in order to better understand the corporate brand. One of the main aspects of employee brand commitment is the personality of the corporate employer brand. This research aims to determine the relationship between corporate brand personality and employee brand commitment. By utilising the Corporate Brand Personality Scale and employee brand commitment measures, a quantitative survey was administered to 250 members of an online research panel. Exploratory factor analysis was used to determine the most common elements of the Corporate Brand Personality Scale. Thereafter, regression analysis was performed to determine the role of brand personality in predicting an employee’s commitment to their corporate brand. The results of this study show that factors of corporate brand personality have a significant influence on employee brand commitment. Further discussion into factor analysis shows that progressive and steadfast personality traits have a significantly positive effect on employee brand commitment, whilst supercilious personality traits have a negative effect on employee brand commitment.Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2011.
Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)
unrestricted
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Levillain, Kevin. "Les entreprises à mission : Formes, modèle et implications d’un engagement collectif." Thesis, Paris, ENMP, 2015. http://www.theses.fr/2015ENMP0010/document.
Full textAbstract:
Depuis plusieurs années, on observe une vague d'adoption de nouveaux statuts de société dans le droit commercial de plusieurs Etats. En stipulant dans leurs statuts leurs finalités, ces sociétés réinterrogent les buts de l'entreprise et apparaissent comme un paradoxe pour la littérature sur la gouvernance : un tel engagement n'est-il pas de nature à restreindre la flexibilité stratégique et à nuire au contrôle de l'action des dirigeants ? Ne risque-t-il pas de dissuader les associés ? L'objet de cette thèse est d'expliquer le phénomène des « entreprises à missions », leurs motivations, mais aussi de caractériser le modèle de gouvernance alternatif qu'elles dessinent et sa portée en sciences de gestion.L'analyse du processus de conception des premières formes de société à mission américaines vient, en premier lieu, enrichir le modèle du contrat de société, en montrant que celui-ci peut avoir des effets restrictifs sur les finalités du collectif s'il ne contient que des engagements sur les ressources investies, ou une répartition des droits et des intérêts des parties prenantes.La thèse propose, en second lieu, une modélisation de la mission : en spécifiant des propriétés désirables, mais potentiellement inédites, de l'action collective, la mission appelle la conception de nouvelles stratégies pour construire des intérêts collectifs et des biens communs nouveaux. Ce modèle rend visible, au-delà des nouvelles formes de société, une classe plus large d'organisations « à missions » dont on retrouve de nombreuses déclinaisons, dans l'histoire et actuellement.Enfin, la thèse examine les outils de gouvernance des entreprises à mission. L'étude d'une série de cas contrastés montre des dispositifs originaux articulant contrôle de l'exploration stratégique et mécanismes de solidarité. La mission ouvre ainsi des perspectives fécondes sur les régimes possibles de la solidaritéIn recent years, several states have introduced new corporate forms into their commercial law, which requires the commitment of shareholders towards a “mission”. By stipulating their purposes in their documents, these companies appear as a paradox for literature on corporate governance: would such a commitment not hamper strategic flexibility and undermine the monitoring of management? Is it not likely to deter shareholders' investments? The aim of this thesis is to explain the emergence of "mission-driven companies", to understand their motivations, but also to characterize the alternative model of governance they draw and the significance of this model in management science.First, the analysis of the process of emergence and design of these mission-driven forms in the United States enables us to enrich the classical model of the corporate contract, by showing that such a contract can have restrictive effects on the collective purposes if it only contains a commitment on invested resources, or provisions on the distribution of decision rights or value created to stakeholders.The thesis proposes, in a second step, a model of the "mission": by specifying desirable, yet potentially inventive, properties of the upcoming collective action, the mission calls for the design of novel strategies aiming at building new commons and collective interests. This model reveals, beyond the new legal forms, a wider class of “mission-driven” organizations, of which we can observe numerous variations both historically and currently.Finally, the thesis examines the systems of governance of mission-driven companies. A study of contrasting cases shows original devices combining control of the strategic exploration and solidarity mechanisms. The mission thus opens fruitful perspectives to explore new possible systems of solidarity
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Weber, Manuela. "The business case for corporate societal engagement development and evaluation of value creating societal strategies." München Oekom-Verl, 2008. http://d-nb.info/989736903/04.
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Juschus, Alexander. "Shareholder engagement in a new environment and its positive impact on corporate governance in Germany." Thesis, Durham University, 2007. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/1838/.
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Abedi, Shamsabadi Hussein. "Corporate Governance and Dividend Strategy: Lessons from Australia." Thesis, Griffith University, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/365571.
Full textAbstract:
Corporate governance in Australia has become important according to both academic and managerial perspectives. The governance system is a dynamic force which has been evolving continuously. A series of corporate collapses and the recent global financial crisis have encouraged most countries including Australia to develop their governance systems, and policy makers to develop a code for the role of governance (Aguilera & Cuervo-Cazurra, 2009; Beekes et al., 2011).
The common law system for corporate governance in Australia is similar to the Anglo-Saxon so-called “outsider” system of ownership and control, which is typical of the board structure in the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (Dignam & Galanis, 2004). This governance mechanism is a framework of rules, practices, systems, and relations by which a company and its authorities and managers are controlled and directed. This involves balancing the interests of insiders (managers) and outsiders (such as customers, shareholders, financiers, and government). Therefore, the structure of this governance can influence the way the objectives of a company are set and achieved, the way that performance is optimized, and how risks are monitored and assessed.Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Griffith Business School
Griffith Business School
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Torstensson, Johanna. "Investigation of Inconcistencies in Climate Policy Engagement amongst Major Corportations." Thesis, KTH, Hållbar utveckling, miljövetenskap och teknik, 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-231261.
Full textAbstract:
This report investigates inconsistencies in climate policy engagement of 16 major corporations in five industrial sectors and analyses which problem areas are significant in the inconsistency of their engagement. The purpose of this report was to scope the area of inconsistent climate policy engagement on behalf of the company GES International – Global Engagement Services, who offers advisory services in responsible investment. This report has been performed through a literature review and is partly based on a report on corporate carbon policy footprint by the independent organisation InfluenceMap. All companies investigated in this report are to some extent supporting the climate agenda of the Paris Agreement, including limiting global warming to below two degrees. Nevertheless, 14 of the 16 companies are at the same time showing a negative climate policy engagement. The problem areas leading up to this inconsistency that have been detected in this report are; when companies are taking part in organisational relationships that are unsupportive of climate change mitigation strategies, when companies are against climate legislation, the unwillingness of companies to change their own industrial sector and companies showing mixed signals on the same policy topic. The conclusions that can be drawn from this report is that there are substantial inconsistencies in the climate policy engagement of companies and it can be difficult to assess what the company’s true stance on climate engagement is. Some measures to improve on consistency is for companies to review their policy engagement and be transparent on what their actual stance climate engagement is, however this transition can take time.Den här rapporten undersöker inkonsekvenser inom klimatpolicy engagemang hos 16 av världens största företag, inom fem olika sektorer, och analyser vilka problemområden som är betydande inom motsägande klimatengagemang hos företagen. Syftet med rapporten är att granska området kring inkonsekvent klimatpolicy engagemang på uppdrag av företaget GES International – Global Engagement Services, som erbjuder rådgivning inom hållbara investeringar. Rapporten har utförts genom en litteraturstudie som delvis är baserad på en rapport om företags påverkan på klimatet genom policys som är utgiven av den oberoende organisationen InfluenceMap. Samtliga företag som undersöks i den här rapporten visar sig till viss del stödja klimatagendan i enlighet med Parisavtalet, vilket inkluderar en höjd global temperatur på max två grader. Trots detta visar sig 14 av de 16 företagen ha en distinkt negativ klimatpolicy engagemang som strider mot deras erkännande av Parisavtalet. De identifierade problem i den här rapporten som leder till motsägande klimatengagemang hos företagen är; när företagens organisatoriska relationer som arbetar strategiskt mot att förbättra klimatförändringar, när företagen strategiskt arbetar för att motverka lagstiftande om klimat, när företag är emot att inkludera sin egen sektor i klimatarbetet och när företagen visar olika åsikter inom samma ämne. Slutsatsen som kan dras från den här rapporten är att det finns substantiella motsägelser i företagens klimatpolicy engagemang och det kan vara svårt att avgöra vilken som är den sanna inställningen hos företagen. För att för att göra företagens klimatengagemang mer konsekvent kan företagen till exempel granska sina egna engagemang och vara transparenta med vad deras egentliga inställning till klimatet är. Omställning till ett mer konsekvent klimatengagemang hos företagen kan ta lång tid.
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Emmanuel, Chidiebere, and Eva Eriksson. "The role of CSR engagement in the Internal Brand Building process : An exploratory study of Service firms." Thesis, Umeå universitet, Företagsekonomi, 2016. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-122888.
Full textAbstract:
This study explores how service firms incorporate CSR activities within the internal brand building process. It was found that CSR does influence and is implemented in every stage of our theoretical framework of the internal brand building process. The study was based on interviews conducted on managers and employees of service firms in the Netherlands and in Sweden. CSR is an evolving concept, increasingly becoming important in affecting the consumption decisions of service firm’s customers. Service firms are now resorting to incorporating CSR in their internal brand building to appeal to consumers. Consumers who are trying to minimize the inherent risk in buying an intangible product typical of a service product are now shifting their focus from the firm’s product to the firm itself. The purpose of this study was to explore if and how CSR influences the internal brand building processes of service firms. We did not seek to generalize the findings. We carried out eight interviews where the respondents were able to broadly shared their thoughts and opinions. The research questions we sought to answer were: In what way does CSR influence the internal brand building process in service firms? And, how do service firms implement CSR in their internal brand building process? It was found that the service firms do define CSR as a responsibility for their Employees, Community, Environment, Clients/Customers as well as Ethical Responsibility. We also found out that CSR influences the internal brand building in service firms through their employees, brand audit, brand identity, brand positioning and brand communication, which we then included in our empirical developed model of the internal brand building processes in service firms. CSR is implemented in service firm’s employees’ management through employee education, training, recruitment and motivation. CSR is implemented in a service firm’s brand audit through a flat/hierarchical organizational structure, multicultural organization, ethics, sustainability, transparency and honesty. CSR is implemented in a service firm’s brand identity through quality assurance, creativity/innovation and compliance. CSR is implemented in a service firm’s brand positioning through partnership, accessibility, quality, trust. CSR is implemented in a service firm's brand communication through intranet, meetings, publications and teams. Future researchers are recommended to study service firms that are equally divided based on their size, age and wealth to get a deeper understanding. More employees could also be studied since employees might have different viewpoints and since it is found that employees are the most important asset for service firms.
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Rusinowska, Magdalena, and Victoria Traverso. "Social Good and Stakeholders' Engagement in the Pharmaceutical Industry : Case Study of AstraZeneca Corporate Responsibility Practices." Thesis, Mälardalen University, School of Sustainable Development of Society and Technology, 2009. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-6429.
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Private organizations are facing organizational field pressures which need to be addressed from an economic and ethical point of view in order to be sustainable in the long term. The present research study analyzes the role of the Pharmaceutical Industry as a provider of a social good and its responsibility towards its organizational field and stakeholder network. On the one hand it is argued that the mentioned industry should be profitable in order to make investments in research and development; while on the other hand, the industry must demonstrate engagement in the social sphere because of the good it commercializes, human health care. The Role of Organizational Policies, Codes and Structure will also be studied in order to deepen the understanding of the organization strategy towards Corporate Responsibility Practices.
This research project presents a case study of AstraZeneca Sweden Corporate Responsibility practices. In this study an Analytical Framework is developed based on institutional theory, the stakeholders' model, deliberative democracy model and business ethics. The mentioned framework will contribute to the understanding of AstraZeneca's Corporate Responsibility practices. The role of the company towards the demands from the outside world that causes the organization to respond and act will be addressed as well as the role of Policies, Codes and Organizational Structure in the Corporate Responsibility practice of the organization. We argue that the managerial response should be based upon a deliberative engagement method, in which all the interest parties are included in the decision making process.
The study is supported by two interviews which were conducted with key actors and extensive secondary data.
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De, Beer Elise. "The influence of coaching on the work engagement and burnout indicators of a corporate leadership group." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/95642.
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Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2013.The key objective of this mixed method research study was to establish the influence of coaching on the work engagement and burnout levels of a corporate leadership group. Previous literature reviews support the importance and impact of work engagement and burnout on business performance, leadership success and continuity. Leaders are under increased pressure to grow business and deal with the diverse business challenges. A highly-engaged leadership team with low levels of burnout thus becomes critical to sustained and successful business. Work engagement and burnout levels in leadership need to be proactively managed and supported in order to remain competitive in business. The literature review of this study furthermore positions coaching, whether group or individual, as impactful leadership and change interventions. To eliminate the possibility of bias and add to the credibility of the study, triangulation was included in the quasi-experimental study. The study included an analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data on the impact of coaching on work engagement and burnout levels. Quantitative data was collected at three intervals over the period of a year, using a work engagement and burnout measurement instrument in the form of a self-administered questionnaire. Qualitative data was collected through in-depth individual interviews with all participants and coaches, which occurred after all interventions and measurements were completed. This study provides quantitative and qualitative supported insights into the influence of coaching on the work engagement and burnout levels of an executive leadership team in a specific service area of a corporate organisation. Insights were obtained about the variance of work engagement and burnout levels at a group level, after voluntary group and individual coaching interventions. These variances were compared to those of the work engagement and burnout levels of the control group, who received no coaching interventions. The study established that coaching has a statistically significant positive impact on the burnout levels of both the experimental and control groups, due to the ‘carry-over’ effect of the measurement and communication process. This positive impact on burnout can therefore not be solely ascribed to the coaching intervention. The study also established that coaching has a positive impact on leadership work engagement, but which is not statistically significant. Improvements to the measurement and coaching processes are required in order for the coaching support programme to become a sustainable and even more effective part of leadership support in the organisation. The study confirmed previous research on the existence of burnout and engagement challenges in leaders. It also confirmed research that positions coaching as an effective leadership support mechanism. The recommendations are that work engagement and burnout be measured continuously in the organisation as part of its business management cycle to ensure awareness, proactive support and management of work engagement and burnout in leaders. Coaching is recommended as an effective mechanism to assist leaders with their engagement and burnout challenges. Due to the study’s limited scope, recommendations for future research, such as comparative studies, extension studies with larger sub-samples, longitudinal studies and on-going practice in the field have been made.
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Nordlander, Anna, and Jelena Tararyko. "Waste Management - CSR Engagement within the Construction Industry in Sweden." Thesis, Högskolan i Jönköping, Internationella Handelshögskolan, 2011. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-15627.
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Introduction: Over the last few decades there has been a great increase in the attention to Corporate Social Responsibility. Organizations that up until recently have had profit maximization and shareholder value as their only concerns have found themselves in a position where stakeholder demands have created pressure to produce and act on sustainability agendas. Concepts like intergenerational equity, wealth distribution, equality and macroeconomic stability became a part of everyday business language and these days the majority of firms communicate a variety of CSR related issues through annual or separate sustainability reports. Up until recently the construction industry has managed to avoid such demands, however lately, the pressure from various stakeholders such as society, activist groups, governments and external competition, has put the industry among the more environmentally sensitive sectors. Although industry wide CSR involvement has increased within environmental construction management, much is still left to be done. Problem: One area which has received little attention is recycling after demolition. Most companies focus on making new building projects as environmentally friendly as possible, however hardly any attention is geared towards what happens to old buildings being torn down and the lifecycle of the old material. Although construction companies have the legal obligation to recycle hazardous material, much can be improved within the other areas especially regarding the reusing of materials from the demolishing sites which means both environmental and economical aspects are so far being overlooked. Purpose: The authors aim to examine the complexities and challenges facing the construction industry in environmental management of demolition projects, and more specifically the effect this has on the recycling and reusing of materials. Methodology: In order to research the waste management practices on demolition sites the research employs interview studies conducted through qualitative mostly face-to-face and a few telephone interviews. Complementary cases were selected within different categories of the construction industry sectors related to demolition projects: client, construction, demolition and waste management companies’ employees were interviewed. Conclusion: The results show that companies within the construction industry realize the potential negative effects their line of business has on the environment. Sustainability agendas in all cases focus extensively on environmental management, which includes proper disposal of demolition waste. The main benefits for recycling and reusing (in some cases reselling) the material were financial incentives and generated competitive advantage, which resulted in better competitiveness concerning procurement. The main challenges identified are time and monetary constraints. Lack of regulation, common standard that would enable firms to compete equally, and lack of common effort and cooperation towards more efficient waste management practices on demolition sites were identified as main hindering factors for industry wide improvement.
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Tange, Lotte, Annika Löwgren, and Ted Jan Post. "Internal Corporate Communication : Aligning Employees for Strategic Sustainable Development." Thesis, Blekinge Tekniska Högskola, Institutionen för strategisk hållbar utveckling, 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:bth-16400.
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Making a societal transition towards sustainability is a global concern of ever increasing urgency. Succeeding in this mission requires all societal sectors to be on board and contribute. This thesis focuses on the transformation of the corporate sector, namely how Internal Corporate Communication (ICC), i.e. communication between senior management and employees, can be designed to engage employees in working with sustainability. This thesis uses a conceptual model developed for ICC and employee engagement and applies it in the specific context of ICC with regards to sustainability in medium- to large-sized companies in Northern Europe. Through interviewing practitioners working with ICC on sustainability in ‘model’ sustainability companies, the research aims to discern best practices on how to design ICC about sustainability to engage employees. The results show that ICC can be a useful tool when it comes to engaging employees in working with sustainability, and the findings are summarized as guidelines for content creation and methods to use to facilitate engagement creation for sustainability. The discussion elaborates on how these guidelines can be used together with the Strategic Sustainable Development approach to facilitate companies’ journeys towards sustainability.
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Ward, Nora Catherine. "Nature's Patrons: Private Sector Engagement and Powerful Environmentalisms." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2018. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1157630/.
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In this dissertation, I examine the role of private sector engagement in environmental governance. The relationship between mainstream environmentalism and the private sector has moved from one of general hostility to one of constructive engagement in recent times. As a result, the traditional distinctions between environmental non-governmental organizations and private corporations have become blurred, making way for public-private hybrids, facilitated by frameworks of philanthropy, sponsorship, and corporate social responsibility. Connected to these broader reconfigurations in environmental governance are simultaneous alterations in the normative framework of mainstream environmentalism. Ideologically, environmental policy and neoliberalism are now intertwined, entangling assumptions about nature and culture, and reflected in the popularization of environmental protection mechanisms that are deeply embedded in the values of the market economy. Analyzing particular examples of such engagements, and informed by Gramscian theory, I analyze the connections between rising corporate presence in mainstream environmentalism and broader normative and practical change, focusing, in particular, on the frameworks of ecomodernism and the Green Economy. I argue that contemporary private sector engagement in environmentalism leads to the support, production and construction of powerful environmentalisms: environmental ideologies and practices that gain power from, not in spite of, prevailing dominant interests. As such, these powerful environmentalisms tend to produce and reproduce elite processes of capitalist production and prioritize instrumental norms of human-nature relations, while marginalizing others. I conclude by outlining suggestions in support of a democratic environmental politics that represents and recognizes a more diverse array of actors, human-nature relationships, and frameworks of environmental care.
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Andersson, Carl, and Sara Vallin. "Why Bother? : A Multiple Case Study of SMEs’ Engagement in CSR." Thesis, Internationella Handelshögskolan, Högskolan i Jönköping, IHH, Företagsekonomi, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-36142.
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Background: Corporate social responsibility has continuously developed ever since the concept first was introduced in the 1950’s up until today. In its beginning, managers who engaged in CSR did so to improve workforce efficiency. In this day and age, CSR has come to include social, environmental and economic topics and is now about creating value for the society at large. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to find the underlying reasons for why SMEs engage in CSR activities. Method: To properly fulfill the purpose of this study, we have conducted a qualitative case study. The empirical data has been collected through ten in-depth semi-structured interviews with ten different organizations from four different industries. Conclusion: The results show that SMEs believe there are expectations from customers/clients to engage in CSR and by doing so they create a competitive advantage over their competitors. In addition to this, most SMEs that engage in CSR is in the strategic stage of CSR, in activities connected to the environment. Furthermore, there are several industry-related differences as to why SMEs engage in CSR. These differences include factors such as competitive advantage, customer expectations, and requirements to follow rules and regulations.
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Pérez-Rocha, Bertha Guadalupe. "Adoption of voluntary CSR initiatives : tales of the UN Global Compact." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/33268.
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This thesis consists of three empirical studies investigating, from various perspectives, the corporate motivations to join one of the largest voluntary initiatives promoting sustainability: the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC). I employ three different statistical techniques, logistic regression analysis, event history analysis and structural equation modelling. The first study provides evidence from a field experiment on shareholder engagement effectiveness in general and on which tactics are more effective in engaging publicly traded firms. The experiment consists of an invitation letter sent by the Principles for Responsible Investment Clearinghouse, one of the largest worldwide coalition of investors, to encourage companies to sign up the United Nations Global Compact. I use a theoretical model for investor salience in order to understand the impact of the engagement. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first large-scale research on engagement using randomized controlled trials in the academic literature and in practice. The aim of the second study is three fold. First, most academic literature focuses on how the adoption of the UNGC impacts on the implementation of environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) performance; this study addresses how ESG performance shapes the CSR strategy, namely, the UNGC. Next, I explore to what extent the ESG performance of firms adopting the UNGC change over time. Finally, this paper investigates whether the existence of controversies is a determinant for joining the initiative. Results show that, in all cases, ESG performance is significant and positively related to the adoption of the Ten Principles. Furthermore, results show that ESG performance differs across different points in time. Contrary to my expectations, controversies have no influence on UNGC membership. The third and final study examines the effect of the characteristics of the board of directors on the adoption of the UNGC/GRI by US-based firms. I investigate whether and how a CSR oriented board chooses the UNGC/GRI as part of their firms reporting strategy. I also consider the level of environmental and social performance as a mediator for such a decision. Results show that there is a positive and significant relationship between the board and environmental and social performance, and between environmental and social performance and the adoption of voluntary CSR initiatives. This relationship is stronger for social performance and for the GRI. Overall, this thesis provides further evidence about motivations to join the UNGC. The outcomes of this thesis are of relevance for shareholders and investor coalitions, policy makers, and other groups of stakeholders. Theoretically, this thesis adds to the literature on shareholder engagement, strategy and corporate governance.
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Leuner, Julia Bouie. "A change in focus to stakeholder engagement and reputation management aligned to King III recommendations." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/24254.
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As the King III code has been described as the future of corporate governance the question has to be asked whether corporate South Africa is able to translate this international best practice document into best practice implementation. The purpose of this research was to assess how companies and industry experts have interpreted the requirements of King III – Governing Stakeholder Relationships – and to see if there was a change in focus by companies and their boards ‘to stakeholder engagement and reputation management’. Through qualitative interviews the objective of the research was to: • find out to what extent companies had adopted the recommendations on governing stakeholder relationship (King III); • confer with industry experts as to what companies are expected to report on when they adopt King III principles on governing stakeholder relationships; and • ascertain if there was a common understanding of the adoption of King III – Governing Stakeholder Relationships – from a company and industry perspective? For business leaders who have accepted that the sustainability of the system depends on delivering wealth creation and economic return for shareholders and stakeholders, sustainably and responsibly and who have placed stakeholder trust at the heart of their companies’ strategy adopting governing stakeholder relationship – governance element eight – recommendations is in synch. CopyrightDissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010.
Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)
unrestricted
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Macias, Jacqueline J. "Espoused and practiced stakeholder engagement in support of corporate social responsibility within the United States healthcare sector." Thesis, Pepperdine University, 2016. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10141730.
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This qualitative study provides a snapshot into what corporations say and what they do with regard to stakeholder engagement in the context of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and considers the difference in the promises made and the actions taken by corporations in the minds of stakeholders. As the research of CSR questions what a corporation is responsible for and Stakeholder Theory (ST) questions whom the corporation is responsible to, CSR and ST provide conceptual frameworks for the study. A genuine commitment to CSR and stakeholder engagement contributes to sustainability, impacting the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) of an organization. According to the National Research Council, there is an urgent need for corporations within the U.S. Healthcare sector to make such a commitment. As large corporations are established organizations with greater resources to engage stakeholders in support of CSR, many believe they should take the lead. Consequently, this study identified six large-capitalization (large-cap) corporations within the U.S. Healthcare sector, representing six different industries within the sector that complied with Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines, the study’s sampling criteria. Content analysis of Annual Reports to Shareholders, CSR Reports, and RepRisk Reports of the corporations selected for study allowed the researcher to formulate several conclusions. A corporation’s commitment to ESG issues evolves over time, while their level of engagement with stakeholders fluctuates. Further, the communication style of a corporation can influence perceived commitment to ESG issues and stakeholder engagement. Finally, corporations committed to ESG issues and stakeholder engagement are not immune to incidents of ESG risk, which in turn, negatively impacts a corporation’s reputation and impairs sustainability. A critical management approach to improve our nation’s healthcare system is the adoption of a stakeholder orientation in support of CSR efforts. This study reveals a path that corporations within the sector can take to adopt such approaches. The importance of this study lies in the observations shared to further understand if corporations walk the talk with regard to stakeholder engagement in support of CSR and the recommendations offered that hopefully inspire more healthcare corporations to contribute to the transformation required.
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Amozegar, Mahdiyeh. "Tweeting in Times of Crisis: Shifting Personal Value Priorities in Corporate Communications and Impact on Consumer Engagement." Thesis, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/42416.
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Branding in the age of social media is thriving as companies continue to pour resources into digital campaigns in the hope of engaging their customers. The onset of the COVID- 19 pandemic boosted the importance of digital communication channels as physical distancing and lockdown measures disrupted business-as-usual and limited in-person interactions between firms and their customers. By implication, the global crisis pressed companies to deliver brand messages via online content to sustain or build customer relationships. This research focuses first on the branded content of corporate communications during the pandemic, focusing specifically on whether firms used the opportunity to showcase shared personal values. Second, we examine whether using value words in social media messages impacts customer engagement with these messages.
To address these related questions, we collected Twitter data from Fortune 500 firms posted between January 2020 until the end of August 2020, attending to 56,770 firm- initiated tweets (we excluded firm responses to customer messages). The first study examines the personal values expressed in the messages using the Personal Values Dictionary, based on Shalom Schwartz’s original ten-value typology. We argue that the unprompted expression of values in a text is a behavioural indicator of personal value priorities. The findings compare firms’ shifting value priorities over time and association with key events, namely the global pandemic declaration (March 11, 2020) and ensuing lockdowns and George Floyd’s murder (May 25, 2020), and BLM protests. We find that, indeed, companies did shift their value priorities. The second study assesses consumer response to the values companies put forth in their tweets, focusing on social media indicators of consumer engagement (CE), including the number of likes, retweets, replies, and CE correlation with the values promoted in the tweets. We observe a pre- post-crisis shift in CE with value-laden messages. Our findings provide managerial insights that can guide marketers to manage their social media content more efficiently and better align their marketing and branding efforts with customers' values in times of crisis.
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Bäckström, Tove. "Large digital screen as a corporate communication channel : Enhancing the dissemination of information, administration and interaction." Thesis, Umeå universitet, Institutionen för tillämpad fysik och elektronik, 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-144285.
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Public areas are more and more equipped with digital screens that are used to inform or promote a particular product. This is a way to communicate with the people on that area. The idea is to get people's attention, make them read and take in information and possibly buy the product that is marketed. This type of digital display is called digital signage and can also be used as an information channel of a company where information directed to employees and visitors is displayed. CGI Östersund has a screen placed in their office that works as such an information channel. This thesis is about investigating and analyzing the current presentation and creating a new solution with a custom interface that will be more effective and engage more people. The new solution is interactive and clickable with the help of a mouse. A user study has been done using a Kinect sensor to see how many people are watching the screen, how long they look at the screen and from what distance. This data was also supplemented by a survey sent to the employees at CGI Östersund. The result of the user study shows that there was no significant difference between the previous solution and the new one. This may be due to two main reasons: the lack of time in which the experiment was performed and the location of the digital screen that is not currently optimal.
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Chipangamate, Nelson Solan. "The process of constructing and maintaining a social licence to operate in a developing market." Thesis, University of Pretoria, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/79766.
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The aim of this thesis is to demonstrate how a subsidiary of a multi-national corporation (MNC) achieved a social licence, in a Sub-Saharan host country undergoing agrarian transformation. Several foreign companies lost their land to communities in the wake of land conflicts between the legal owners and surrounding communities. However, this is a case of one of a few big landowners that have survived and continued to operate, without suffering substantial vandalism from communities. The study argues this to be an instrumental case of achieving and maintaining a social licence in a context characterised by heighted resource nationalism sentiments.
Extant literature acknowledges that communities’ expectations are rising, rendering a legal licence insufficient. Emphasis is on the need for firms reliant on finite natural resources, such as land, to seek a social licence from communities. Yet, the processes through which such a licence could be achieved and maintained are little understood. The social licence is conceptually and theoretically underdeveloped. Anchoring on legitimacy theory, this study looks across two literatures on social licence and corporate community engagement. It empirically demonstrates how and under what conditions corporate community engagement processes deliver phases of a social licence.
An embedded case study is utilised to capture processes from the perspective of both the firm and the community. The study advances theory of social licence by exploring the processes of an instrumental firm in an understudied but critical agriculture industry.
The study identified transactional, transitional and transformational engagement processes, as essential in building legitimacy and trust which are the basis of dynamic phases of social licence. The researcher proposes three new constructs: context specific community expectations, engagement legitimacy, and corporate community visibility, to advance scholarship on social licencing processes. The study distinguishes firm legitimacy from engagement legitimacy. This paves way for future studies to further develop these concepts in social licence process research. Managers in agriculture and other extractive firms will use the theory built from this study to understand how they can achieve social licence at various levels, thereby mitigating the high social risk associated with losing a social licence.Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2020.
Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)
DPhil
Unrestricted
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Seitz, Bernhard Picot Arnold. "Corporate citizenship : Rechte und Pflichten der Unternehmung im Zeitalter der Globalität /." Wiesbaden : Dt. Univ.-Verl, 2002. http://www.gbv.de/dms/bs/toc/338087605.pdf.
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Busch, Ylvali. "Bang for the Buck : Achieving effective shareholder engagement through dialogues." Thesis, KTH, Skolan för industriell teknik och management (ITM), 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-279607.
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The consolidation of corporate ownership into the hands of large institutional investors has resulted in growing expectations that actors in the financial system should leverage their positions of ownership to improve corporate sustainability. In other words, institutional investors are expected to take a greater responsibility for the transition towards a greener economy by becoming active owners. However, active ownership is not a uniform concept. Instead, the term can imply many different strategies and tools, raising questions of how investors become active owners in a way that yields maximum influence while economizing their resources. Among all the tools investors have available, shareholder engagement through dialogues is suggested to have many advantages. However, previous research has not provided a clear-cut account of the mechanisms by which shareholder engagement through dialogues unfold successfully. Therefore, this thesis aims to contribute to the understanding of when and how engagement dialogue becomes a powerful tool for shareholders in order to improve corporate sustainability. The study is performed in the context of actively managed equity funds, with interviews from both funds and companies. In order to understand how actively managed equity funds can effectively leverage their ownership through engagement dialogues, the focus of this study has been twofold. First, the research has focused on understanding how the internal structures within funds should be designed to support the engagement process. Second, the research has focused on pinpointing the mechanisms that make engagement dialogue between Swedish equity funds and their portfolio companies successful. This has resulted in the development of three frameworks, aiming to facilitate funds to make conscious decisions regarding how they work with shareholder dialogues.Aktieägare har en nyckelroll när det kommer till att påverka bolag till att ställa om till en mer hållbar verksamhet genom att praktisera ett aktivt ägandeskap. Att vara en aktiv ägare kan dock betyda många olika saker, och investerare kan använda sig av en uppsjö av olika strategier och verktyg. Därmed väcks frågan hur investerare praktiserar ett aktivt ägandeskap så effektivt som möjligt. Bland de verktyg som investerare har tillgängliga för att bedriva aktivt ägande så föreslås påverkansarbete genom dialog ha många fördelar. Tidigare forskning har dock inte fullgott redogjort för de mekanismer som gör att investerares påverkansarbete genom dialog blir framgångsrikt. Mot den bakgrunden så är syftet med den här uppsatsen att fördjupa förståelsen för hur påverkansdialog blir ett kraftfullt verktyg för investerare när de försöker påverka företag till att bli mer hållbara. Studien har genomförts i den svenska kontexten med fokus på aktivt förvaltade aktiefonder. Genom intervjuer på både investerar- och företagssidan har studien rörts sig i interaktionen mellan fonder och dess portföljbolag. För att förstå hur aktivt förvaltade aktiefonder kan få inflytande genom påverkansdialoger har studien haft ett tudelat fokus. Fokus har legat på att försöka förstå dels hur interna strukturer bör utformas för att stötta påverkansdialoger på bästa sätt, och dels på vilka mekanismer och kritiska faktorer som behövs för att påverkansdialoger ska bli framgångsrika. Detta har mynnat ut i tre ramverk som alla syftar till att underlätta för fonder att göra medvetna val kring hur de arbetar genom påverkansdialoger