Corporate power and democracy: A business ethical reflection and research agenda

被引:1
|
作者
Kroll, Christian Martin [1 ,3 ]
Edinger-Schons, Laura Marie [2 ]
机构
[1] Univ Mannheim, Business Sch, Mannheim, Germany
[2] Univ Hamburg, Fac Business Econ & Social Sci, Hamburg, Germany
[3] Univ Mannheim, Sustainable Business, Business Sch, D-68161 Mannheim, Germany
来源
关键词
corporate power; democratizing organizations; legitimacy; political corporate social responsibility (PCSR); stakeholder engagement; POLITICAL ACTIVITY; SOCIAL-RESPONSIBILITY; PARTICIPATION; FIRM; LEGITIMACY; GOVERNANCE;
D O I
10.1111/beer.12608
中图分类号
F [经济];
学科分类号
02 ;
摘要
Corporations significantly influence the public and political spheres. In light of this corporate power in society, academics have criticized the lack of legitimization (i.e., the legitimacy gap) and highlighted a potential divergence between corporate resource allocation and the needs and preferences of the public (i.e., the social issues gap). To address these problems, democratizing organizations has been proposed as a potential solution. In line with this, the authors argue that an increase in corporate power outside the economic realm should be counterbalanced by more democratic corporate governance (i.e., an internalization of democracy). While important groundwork exists, academic attention to these topics remains limited. The authors provide an overview of the literature linking corporate power and the claim for democratizing organizations, advocate for legitimization, identify research gaps, and develop a research agenda to inspire and guide future research efforts. The paper's findings suggest the importance of conceptual and empirical research on the micro-, meso-, and macro-levels and the cross-level effects, which is needed to advance this incipient research area. Future research must (1) clearly define corporate power and discuss how democratizing organizations can contribute to more legitimate organizational decisions, (2) unveil novel approaches for more democratic corporate governance, and (3) understand the organizational- and individual-level factors necessary for the successful realization of democratic organizations.
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页码:349 / 362
页数:14
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