Journal Articles

To What Extent Is Business and Society Literature Idealistic?

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The purpose of this article is to investigate to what extent is business and society literature idealistic as it advocates the adoption of high moral norms for business performance. The author discusses the central theses of mainstream themes in this literature—corporate social responsibility, corporate social responsiveness, social issues, corporate social performance, stakeholder management, corporate citizenship, business ethics, sustainable development, and corporate sustainability—and evaluates their descriptive accuracy, normative validity, and instrumental power. Poor description of reality, underdeveloped business logic, and questionable prescriptions are indicative of the idealism of these themes. This study reveals many realistic and achievable propositions, which dilute the concern that business and society literature is idealistic. However, three elements in the field—its (rhetorical) criticism of corporate conduct, the predominantly normative notions of its concepts, and its underdeveloped instrumental ideas—underline its idealistic orientation.

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Detail Information

Series Title

Business Society

Call Number

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Publisher

: sage publisher., 2009

Collation

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Language

English

ISBN/ISSN

00076503

Classification

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Content Type

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Media Type

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Carrier Type

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Edition

Vol. 48 no. 1, March 2009.pp. 10-38

Subject(s)

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
Corporate social performance
Business and society
Idealism

Specific Detail Info

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Statement of Responsibility

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