Abstract
The pharmaceutical sector, an industry already facing stiff challenges in the form of intensified competition and strategic consolidation, has increasingly become subject to a range of pressures. Crucially, in common with other large-scale businesses, pharmaceutical firms find themselves ‹invited’ to respond positively to the corporate ‹social’ responsibility (CSR) expectations of their stakeholders. Consequently, individual managers will almost certainly be obliged to engage in some form of stakeholder dialogue and this, in turn, means that they will have to make difficult choices about which practices to adopt. This real-world management predicament runs parallel to an academic interest in CSR stakeholder dialogue theory and models. Accordingly, the approach of this paper is to focus primarily on the academic debate surrounding stakeholder dialogue, by reviewing past attempts to research and theorise the subject, by identifying gaps and weaknesses in the literature, and by proposing a new analytical model. The central aim of the proposed new model is to offer a unified, structured, systematic, and comprehensive approach to CSR decision making whilst simultaneously providing a practical framework for CSR executives who face the challenge of responding in an effective manner to stakeholders. The model outlined here is currently being employed to conduct international comparative empirical research into stakeholder dialogue practices amongst UK and German pharmaceutical firms. In the longer term the intention is to use the model to undertake international comparative research encompassing a broader range of countries and industries.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Acutt J. N., Medina-Ross V., O’Riordan T.: 2004, Perspectives on Corporate Social Responsibility in the Chemical Sector: A Comparative Analysis of the Mexican and South African cases, Natural Resources Forum, 28, 302–316
Baker, M.: 2004, ‹Emerging Issues in CSR – Drugs for AIDS in Africa’, www.mallenbaker.net/csr/CSRfiles/aids.html, accessed 5th October 2004
Blum-Kusterer M., Hussain S. S.: 2001, Innovation and Corporate Sustainability: An Investigation into the Process of Change in the Pharmaceuticals Industry, Business Strategy and the Environment. 10(5), 300–316
Bowmann-Larsen L., Wiggen O.: 2004, Responsibility in World Business: Managing Harmful Side-Effects of Corporate Activity, USA: United Nations University Press
Brammer S., Pavelin S.: 2004, Building a Good Reputation, European Management Journal, 22(6), 704–713
Burke L., Logsdon J. M.: 1996, How Corporate Social Responsibility Pays Off, Long Range Planning 29(4), 495–502
Business and Human Rights: 2003, ‹Business and Human Rights Dilemmas and Solutions’, in R. Sullivan (ed.), Insight Investment UK, with a Forward by Mary Robinson (www.duurzaam-ondernemen.nl, accessed 8th March 2005)
Carroll A. B.: 1999, Corporate Social Responsibility: The Evolution of a Definitional Construct, Business and Society 38(3), 268–295
Carroll A., G. Beiler: 1978, Landmarks in the Evolution of the Social Audit in A. Carroll (ed.), Managing Corporate Social Responsibility (Boston, Little, Brown and Co.)
Castka P. et al: 2004, How Can SMEs Effectively Implement the CSR Agenda? A UK Case Study Perspective, Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 11, 140–149
Challen P.: 1974, Corporate Planning for Social Responsibility, Long Range Planning, 38, 44
Clark C.: 2000, Differences Between Public Relations and Corporate Social Responsibility: An Analysis, Public Relations Review 26(3), 363–380
Crane A., Matten D.: 2004, Business Ethics: A European Perspective. (NY, USA: Oxford University Press)
Cropanzano R. et al: 2004, Accountability for Injustice, Human Resource Management Review, 14, 107–133
CSR Risk Map** Initiative: 2004, ‹Human Rights and Business Risk in the Pharmaceutical and Chemical Sectors’, www.iblf.org/csr/csrwebassist.nsf/webprintview/blf2d3.html, accessed 7th October 2004
Daniels J., Radebaugh L.: 2001, International Business: Environments and Operations, (New Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc.)
Deresky H. (2000) International Management: Managing Across Boarders and Cultures. (New Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc.)
Epstein M, Roy M.: 2001, Sustainability in Action: Identifying and Measuring the Key Performance Drivers, Long Range Planning 34, 585–604
Esrock S. L., Leichty G. B.: 1998, Social Responsibility and Corporate Web Pages: Self-Presentation or Agenda-Setting? Public Relations Review, 24(3), 305–319
Fairbrass, J.: 2006, ‹UK Businesses and CSR Policy: Sha** the Debate in the EU’, Working Paper 06/31, School of Management, University of Bradford. October 2006
Fairbrass, J.: 2008, ‹Corporate Social Responsibility in Europe: The EU and National Policy Models Compared’, Working Paper 08/03, School of Management, University of Bradford, February 2008
Fairbrass, J., L. O’Riordan and H. Mirza: 2006, ‹Corporate Social Responsibility: Differing Definitions and Practices?’, Working Paper 06/05, School of Management, University of Bradford, February 2006
Freeman R. E.: 1984, Strategic Management: A stakeholder Approach, (Massachusetts: Pitman Publishing Inc.)
Get Ethical-Ethical Matters: 2004, ‹Hot Topics – GlaxoSmithKline’, www.ethicalmatters.co.uk/articles.asp?itemID=181, accessed 15th October 2004
Gladwell M.: 2005, The Tip** Point: How Little Thinks Can Make a Big Difference (London: Abacus)
Greenfield W. M.: 2004, In the Name of Corporate Social Responsibility, Business Horizons 47(1), 19–28
Habisch A., Jonker J.: 2005, Corporate Social Responsibility (Berlin, Germany: Springer Verlag)
Handy, C.: 2003, ‹What’s Business for’, in Harvard Business Review on Corporate Responsibility (harvard Business School Publishing Corporation, USA)
Haugh R.: 2003, Getting the Attention of Big Pharma, Hospitals & Health Networks, 77(10), 44
Hoertz Badaracco C.: 1998, The Transparent Corporation and Organized Community Public Relations Review, 24(3), 265–272
Hofstede G.: 1997, Cultures and Organisations: Software of the Mind – Intercultural Cooperation and its Importance for Survival (New York, USA: McGraw-Hill)
Knoepfel I. 2001, Dow Jones Sustainability Group Index: A Global Benchmark for Corporate Sustainability, Corporate Environmental Strategy, 8(1), 6–15
Kotler P., Lee N.: 2005, Corporate Social Responsibility: Doing the Most Good for Your Company and Your Cause (New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons
Maignan I., Ferrell O.: 2003, Nature of Corporate Responsibilities: Perspectives from American, French, and German Consumers, Journal of Business Research, 56, 55–67
Maignan I., et al: 2002, Managing Socially Responsible Buying: How to Integrate Non-Economic Criteria into the Purchasing Process, European Management Journal 20(6), 641–648
Murray K. B., Vogel C. M.: 1997, Using a Hierarchy-of Effects Approach to Gauge the Effectiveness of Corporate Social Responsibility to Generate Goodwill Toward the Firm: Financial Versus Non Financial Impacts, Journal of Business Research 38, 141–159
Newsaic: 2001, ‹Worldwide Incidence and Prevalence Rates’, www.newsaic.com/mwaids.html, accessed 15th October 2004
O’Higgins E.: 2005, Ireland: Bridging the Atlantic in A. Habisch, J. Jonker (Eds.), Corporate Social Responsibility, (Berlin, Germany: Springer Verlag)
O’Riordan, L.: 2006, CSR and Stakeholder Dialogue: Theory, Concepts, and Models for the Pharmaceutical Industry (MRes Dissertation, University of Bradford, Bradford)
O’Riordan, L. and J. Fairbrass: 2006, ‹Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Models and Theories in Stakeholder Dialogue’, Working Paper 06/45, School of Management, University of Bradford, November 2006
Oxfam/VSO/Save the Children: 2002, Beyond Philanthropy: The Pharmaceutical Industry, Corporate Social Responsibility and the Develo** World (London)
Porter M. E.: 1985, Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. (New York, USA: Free Press Edition)
PriceWaterhouseCoopers: 2006, ‹Corporate Responsibility in the Pharmaceutical Industry’, www.pwc.com/servlet/PWCPrintPteview, accessed 19th May 2004
Quist-Arcton, O.: 2001, ‹Drugs Giants Drop Case Against South Africa’, AllAfrica.com, Johannesburg, http://allafrica.comstories/printable/200104190053.html
Ruggie, J.: 2003, ‹The New World of Corporate Social Responsibility’, www.ksg.harvard.edu/cbg/CSRI/publications/ruggie_new_world_of_csr.pdf
Saravanamuthu K.: 2001, What is Measured Counts: Harmonized Corporate Reporting and Sustainable Economic Development, Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 15, 295–302
Stigson, B.: 2002, ‹Corporate Social Responsibility: A New Business Paradigm’, www.isuma.net/v03n02/stigson_e.shtml
Sturdivant F.: 1977, Business and Society, (Homewood: R.D. Irwin Inc.)
Teoh H., Thong G.: 1984, Another Look at Corporate Social Responsibility and Reporting: An Empirical Study in a Develo** Country Accounting Organisations and Society, 9(2), 189–206
Third World Network: 2004, ‹Third World Network: Aids Activists March Against Pharmaceutical Companies’, www.twnside.org.sg/title/against.htm, accessed 15th October 2004
Trompenaars F., Hampden-Turner C.: 2004, Riding the Waves of Culture: Understanding Cultural Diversity in Business, 3rd Edition (London: Nicholas Brealey Publishing)
Veleva V., et al: 2003, Indicators for Measuring Environmental Sustainability: A Case Study of the Pharmaceutical Industry, Benchmarking: An International Journal, 10(2), 107–119
WBCSD: 2002, The Business Case for Sustainable Development: Making a Difference Towards the Johannesburg Summit 2002 and Beyond (World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Geneva, Switzerland)
Weiss J. W.: 1998, Business Ethics: A stakeholder and Issues Management Approach, Forth Worth, USA: Dryden Press
Welford, R.: 2004, ‹Corporate Social Responsibility in Europe and Asia: Critical Elements and Best Practice’, Journal of Corporate Citizenship 13, 31–48
Welford, R.: 2005, ‹Corporate Social Responsibility in Europe, North America and Asia’, Journal of Corporate Citizenship 17, 33–52
Woodward D. et al: 2001, “Some Evidence on Executives”. Views of Corporate Social Responsibility, British Accounting Review 33, 357–397
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
O’Riordan, L., Fairbrass, J. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Models and Theories in Stakeholder Dialogue. J Bus Ethics 83, 745–758 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-008-9662-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-008-9662-y