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Signposts or Weathervanes? The Curious Case of Corporate Social Responsibility and Conflict Minerals

Author

Listed:
  • Ozlem Arikan

    (University of Warwick)

  • Juliane Reinecke

    (University of Warwick)

  • Crawford Spence

    (University of Warwick)

  • Kevin Morrell

    (University of Warwick)

Abstract

Corporate social responsibility is often framed in terms of opposing constructions of the firm. These reflect, respectively, different accounts of its obligations: either to shareholders or to stakeholders (who include shareholders). Although these opposing constructions of corporate responsibility are diametrically opposed, they are also much more fluid and mobile in certain contexts, since they can act as discursive resources that are deployed and brought into play in the struggle over shaping what responsibility means. They are less the fixed, ideological “signposts” they might appear, and more like “weathervanes” that move alongside changing rhetorical currents. To show this, we analyse the Securities and Exchange Commission consultation process, and legislation, relating to the provenance of “conflict minerals”. We identify two dialectically opposed camps, each seeking to influence final legislation and with end goals in keeping with the shareholder/stakeholder dichotomy. One camp lobbied for firms to scrutinize their entire supply chain, constructing the firm as a “global citizen” with very wide social responsibilities. The second camp lobbied for a lighter touch approach, constructing the firm as a “trader”, with much narrower social responsibilities. We analyse the complex interplay between these two opposed camps, our contribution being to show how both deploy competing conceptions of the corporation as discursive resources.

Suggested Citation

  • Ozlem Arikan & Juliane Reinecke & Crawford Spence & Kevin Morrell, 2017. "Signposts or Weathervanes? The Curious Case of Corporate Social Responsibility and Conflict Minerals," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 146(3), pages 469-484, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:146:y:2017:i:3:d:10.1007_s10551-015-2935-3
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-015-2935-3
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Lisa Baudot & Zhongwei Huang & Dana Wallace, 2021. "Stakeholder Perceptions of Risk in Mandatory Corporate Responsibility Disclosure," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 172(1), pages 151-174, August.
    3. Wettstein, Florian & Giuliani, Elisa & Santangelo, Grazia D. & Stahl, Günter K., 2019. "International business and human rights: A research agenda," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 54(1), pages 54-65.
    4. Antonio Corvino & Federica Doni & Silvio Bianchi Martini, 2020. "Corporate Governance, Integrated Reporting and Environmental Disclosure: Evidence from the South African Context," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-19, June.
    5. Nicola Dalla Via & Paolo Perego, 2018. "Determinants of Conflict Minerals Disclosure Under the Dodd–Frank Act," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(6), pages 773-788, September.

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