Skip to main content
Top
Published in:

01-11-2016 | Schwerpunktthema

Hard soft law or soft hard law? A content analysis of CSR guidelines typologized along hybrid legal status

Authors: Marta Cominetti, Peter Seele

Published in: Sustainability Nexus Forum | Issue 2-3/2016

Log in

Activate our intelligent search to find suitable subject content or patents.

search-config
loading …

Abstract

A CSR guideline is an instrument aimed at guiding companies towards the application of CSR to limit the impact that the company has on society. The main problem concerned with CSR guidelines is that their legal status is blurred and as a consequence, their level of enforceability is not clearly understandable. Therefore, this paper focuses on defining the legal status of CSR guidelines through a content analysis of a sample of 34 CSR guidelines.

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 102.000 Bücher
  • über 537 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Automobil + Motoren
  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
  • Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
  • Finance + Banking
  • Management + Führung
  • Marketing + Vertrieb
  • Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe
  • Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

Springer Professional "Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 67.000 Bücher
  • über 390 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Automobil + Motoren
  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
  • Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
  • Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe




 

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
go back to reference Adeyeye A (2011) Universal standards in CSR: are we prepared? Corporate Governance. Int J Bus Soc 11(1):107–119 Adeyeye A (2011) Universal standards in CSR: are we prepared? Corporate Governance. Int J Bus Soc 11(1):107–119
go back to reference Amao O (2011) Corporate social responsibility, human rights and the law. Routledge Tylor & Francis, London New York Amao O (2011) Corporate social responsibility, human rights and the law. Routledge Tylor & Francis, London New York
go back to reference Dentchev N, van Balen M, Haezendonck E (2014) On voluntarism and the role of governments in CSR: towards a contingency approach. Bus Ethics A Eur Rev 24(4):378–397CrossRef Dentchev N, van Balen M, Haezendonck E (2014) On voluntarism and the role of governments in CSR: towards a contingency approach. Bus Ethics A Eur Rev 24(4):378–397CrossRef
go back to reference Horrigan B (2007) 21st century corporate social responsibility trends – an emerging comparative body of law and regulation on corporate responsibility, governance, and sustainability in Corporate Social Responsibility in the 21st Century. Debates, Models and practices Across Government Law and Business, vol. 4. Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltham, pp 85–122 Horrigan B (2007) 21st century corporate social responsibility trends – an emerging comparative body of law and regulation on corporate responsibility, governance, and sustainability in Corporate Social Responsibility in the 21st Century. Debates, Models and practices Across Government Law and Business, vol. 4. Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltham, pp 85–122
go back to reference Leipziger D (2010) The corporate responsibility code book, revised second edition. Greenleaf Publishing, Shipley Leipziger D (2010) The corporate responsibility code book, revised second edition. Greenleaf Publishing, Shipley
go back to reference Lock I, Seele P (2015) Quantitative content analysis: A method for business ethics research? Business Ethics: European Review 24:24–40. doi:10.1111/beer.12095 Lock I, Seele P (2015) Quantitative content analysis: A method for business ethics research? Business Ethics: European Review 24:24–40. doi:10.​1111/​beer.​12095
go back to reference Lock I, Heath R, Seele P (2016) Where grass has no roots: The concept of ‘shared strategic communication’ as an answer to unethical astroturf lobbying. International Journal of Strategic Communication 10(2):87–100. doi:10.1080/1553118X.2015.1116002 Lock I, Heath R, Seele P (2016) Where grass has no roots: The concept of ‘shared strategic communication’ as an answer to unethical astroturf lobbying. International Journal of Strategic Communication 10(2):87–100. doi:10.​1080/​1553118X.​2015.​1116002
go back to reference Lozano J, Albareda L, Ysa T, Roscher H, Marcuccio M (2016) Governments and corporate social responsibility: public policies beyond regulation and voluntary compliance. Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke Lozano J, Albareda L, Ysa T, Roscher H, Marcuccio M (2016) Governments and corporate social responsibility: public policies beyond regulation and voluntary compliance. Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke
go back to reference Mahmudur Rahim M (2013) Legal regulation of corporate social responsibility. A meta-regulation approach of law for raising CSR in a weak economy. Springer, HeidelbergCrossRef Mahmudur Rahim M (2013) Legal regulation of corporate social responsibility. A meta-regulation approach of law for raising CSR in a weak economy. Springer, HeidelbergCrossRef
go back to reference McBarnet D (2009) Corporate social responsibility beyond law, through law, for law. University of Edinburgh School of Law Working Papers, vol. 2009/03. doi:10.2139/ssrn.1369305 McBarnet D (2009) Corporate social responsibility beyond law, through law, for law. University of Edinburgh School of Law Working Papers, vol.  2009/03. doi:10.​2139/​ssrn.​1369305
go back to reference Nasrullah NM, Rahim MM (2014) Understanding of CSR and its standards. In CSR in private enterprises in developing countries, CSR, sustainability, ethics & governance. Springer, Cham, pp 11–40 Nasrullah NM, Rahim MM (2014) Understanding of CSR and its standards. In CSR in private enterprises in developing countries, CSR, sustainability, ethics & governance. Springer, Cham, pp 11–40
go back to reference Scott C (2008) Reflexive governance, meta-regulation and corporate social responsibility: the Heineken effect. In: Boeger N, Murray R, Villiers C (eds) Perspectives on corporate social responsibility: corporations, globalisation and the law series. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, pp 1–19 Scott C (2008) Reflexive governance, meta-regulation and corporate social responsibility: the Heineken effect. In: Boeger N, Murray R, Villiers C (eds) Perspectives on corporate social responsibility: corporations, globalisation and the law series. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, pp 1–19
go back to reference Seele P, Gatti L (2015) Greenwashing Revisited: In Search for a Typology and Accusation-based Definition Incorporating Legitimacy Strategies. Business Strategy and the Environment. doi:10.1002/bse.1912 Seele P, Gatti L (2015) Greenwashing Revisited: In Search for a Typology and Accusation-based Definition Incorporating Legitimacy Strategies. Business Strategy and the Environment. doi:10.​1002/​bse.​1912
go back to reference United Nations Environment Programme Industry and Environment (1998) Voluntary industry codes of conduct for the environment. Technical report No. 40. United Nations Publication, Herndon, p 8 United Nations Environment Programme Industry and Environment (1998) Voluntary industry codes of conduct for the environment. Technical report No. 40. United Nations Publication, Herndon, p 8
Metadata
Title
Hard soft law or soft hard law? A content analysis of CSR guidelines typologized along hybrid legal status
Authors
Marta Cominetti
Peter Seele
Publication date
01-11-2016
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Sustainability Nexus Forum / Issue 2-3/2016
Print ISSN: 2948-1619
Electronic ISSN: 2948-1627
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00550-016-0425-4