Normative Grounds for Corporate Social Responsibility (NGCSR)

In this project the starting point of analysis is the claim that firms, or those who act behalf of the firm, have to assume so called corporate social responsibility(CSR). Researchers have put forward many definitions of CSR, but the idea of corporation's, or firm's, commitment to CSR usually includes the general thesis that they have a duty to assume constraints which may transcend jurisdictional constraints, for example that they are obligated to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It is sometimes claimed that this kind of interpretation of CSR is threatening to the existing corporate ways of thinking, organising and behaving, and might be thought to imperil traditional bottom-line goals. Another central theme of the project is the dispute between agency and stakeholder theories of the corporation. This dispute can be characterized as a struggle between the economic views of the corporation and those views which, instead of efficiency, place the need for understanding ethical implications in a central role. This dispute is not only academically interesting, because these theories have also managerial implications.    

The task of this project is to study argumentation made for and against different normative views of the firm, and arguments put forward about its proper role in society, and, based on that, to articulate in concrete terms what kind of conclusions can be drawn about the firm, it's character and its responsibility vis-à-vis society or its legitimacy as a social institution. Theoretical frameworks for analysis of the themes in this project will be mainly derived from relevant philosophical sub-disciplines.

This project will be implemented at the department of philosophy in the University of Turku. The project is led by Professor Eerik Lagerspetz. Researcher in the project is Jaani Kuusela (M.Soc.Sc.). Minimum objective for this project is to produce one doctoral thesis by the end of the year 2008.

Contact information:
Professor Eerik Lagerspetz, University of Turku, email: Eerik.Lagerspetz(at)utu.fi
Researcher Jaani Kuusela, University of Turku, e-mail: Jaani.Kuusela(at)utu.fi, tel. +358 02 3336981, (GSM)  +358 05 520 8719