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Democracy in Political Corporate Social Responsibility: A Dynamic, Multilevel Account

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  • Jennifer Goodman

    (Audencia Business School)

  • Jukka Mäkinen

Abstract

Political corporate social responsibility (PCSR) calls for firms to implement and engage in deliberative democracy processes and structures, addressing governance gaps where governments are unwilling or unable to do so. However, an underlying assumption that the implementation of PCSR will enrich democratic processes in society has been exposed and challenged. In this conceptual article, we explore this challenge by developing a framework to reveal the dynamics of firms' deliberative democratic processes and structures (meso level), and those at nation state (macro level). Using existing cases as illustrative examples, we demonstrate that despite the public good premise of PCSR theory toward thickening the overall democracy in a society, corporate democratization at meso level can have the opposite effect and may actually erode macro-level democratic control of society and the economy. These findings imply a need for multilevel analysis in PCSR research and greater consideration of state-level public institutions and the responsibilities of business firms toward those institutions. Furthermore, we contribute to the PCSR literature by identifying the disruptive mechanisms

Suggested Citation

  • Jennifer Goodman & Jukka Mäkinen, 2022. "Democracy in Political Corporate Social Responsibility: A Dynamic, Multilevel Account," Post-Print hal-04002327, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04002327
    DOI: 10.1177/00076503211068421
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://audencia.hal.science/hal-04002327
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    Keywords

    Political corporate social responsibility; Deliberative democracy; Democratic institutions; Democratic corporate governance;
    All these keywords.

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