The interest in good governance has grown tremendously in the past decade. Corporate scandals, environmental awareness and globalisation have all played their part in raising shareholder and public awareness in how companies should be governed. King provides a history and clear definition of corporate governance. This is followed by essential reading on the duties of directors and the chairman; the five 'corporate sins'; a framework of corporate governance; the relationship between the company and its directors; risk and governance; asking the 'dumb questions'; a code of conduct; and self-evaluation. This book is essential reading for directors and managers, shareholders and stakeholders, and business students. In addition, the principles set forth are equally applicable to non-business entities such as school governing bodies, sports and cultural organisations, non-governmental organisations and government departments.

Over time, corporations have engaged in an aggressive campaign to dramatically enlarge their political and commercial speech and religious rights through strategic litigation and extensive lobbying. At the same time, many large firms have sought to limit their social responsibilities. For the most part, courts have willingly followed corporations down this path. But interestingly, corporations are meeting resistance from many quarters including from customers, investors, and lawmakers. Corporate Citizen? explores this resistance and offers reforms to support these new understandings of the corporation in contemporary society.

The contributors to Corporate Citizen explore the legal frameworks and standards of conduct for multinational corporations. In a globalized world governed by domestic and international law, these corporations can be everywhere and nowhere at once, reaping financial benefits and enjoying the protections of investor-state arbitration but rarely being held accountable for the economic, environmental, and human rights harms they may have caused. Given the far-reaching power and success of the transnational corporation, and the many legal tools allowing these companies to avoid liability, how can governments protect their citizens? Broad-ranging in perspective, colourful and thought-provoking, the chapters in Corporate Citizen make the case that because the success of corporate global citizenship risks undermining national and international democratic governance, the multinational corporation must be more closely scrutinized and controlled – in the service of humanity and the protection of the natural environment.

Looks at issues of corporate responsibility globally, at companies in developing countries facing important challenges within their own countries.

Want to know what s buzzing with corporate citizenship? Look no further. This book shows why global corporate citizenship has been called the topic of the decade and why it matters to each of us, no matter where we live. It explains in plain English the major issues and ideas percolating in current research on the topic. Trust what you discover in the book. The list of contributors to Handbook of Research on Global Corporate Citizenship reads like a Who s Who of corporate citizenship research. Thomas Donaldson, University of Pennsylvania, US This is a unique and eclectic set of essays on a vitally important (but often neglected) topic. The editors are to be congratulated in assembling a distinguished group of scholars, who carefully and expertly guide the reader through the various facets of global corporate citizenship. This is a must read for anyone interested in the social ramifications of the globalization of business activity. John H. Dunning OBE, University of Reading, UK and Rutgers University, US Start with a fact large corporations wield enormous power in the contemporary, globalized economy. Then note the hopes and fears that this fact inspired the potential to harness the profit motive to social needs, but the fear that the profit motive can just as easily wreak havoc. And finally, bring together some leading scholars from around the world to discuss the matter and the result is a hugely impressive collection of essays on one of the burning issues of our time. This volume is definitive the necessary starting point for future debate. Paul S. Adler, University of Southern California, US This volume provides an extensive and comprehensive overview of current research and theory about why and how corporations should play a more active role in fulfilling their global citizenship obligations and responsibilities. Its contributors include many of the most important and influential scholars in the field of corporate social responsibility from both Europe and the US. An important strength of this volume is the diversity and breadth of the dimensions of corporate citizenship that it explores in depth. This volume provides an important resource to scholars, managers, and activists interested in promoting corporate citizenship. David Vogel, University of California, Berkeley, US The Handbook of Research on Global Corporate Citizenship identifies and fosters key interdisciplinary research on corporate citizenship and provides a framework for further academic debate on corporate responsibility in a global society. This exciting and important Handbook provides a unique forum to discuss the consequences of the social and political mandate of business firms and examines the implications of these consequences for the theory of the firm. Leading academics have been invited from various disciplines such as management studies, economics, sociology, legal studies and political science to evaluate the concept of corporate citizenship and to analyze the role of private business in global governance and the production of global public goods. The Handbook is structured in seven sections: theoretical perspectives on corporate citizenship contemporary issues and challenges of global business regulation actors and institutions of global business regulation disciplinary perspectives on corporate citizenship implications for management theory building critical perspectives on corporate citizenship conclusions. This Handbook will be a significant read for academics, postgraduate students and managers interested in the field of corporate citizenship, regulation and corporate responsibility across the social sciences.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) expresses a fundamental morality in the way a company behaves toward society. It follows ethical behavior toward stakeholders and recognizes the spirit of the legal and regulatory environment. The idea of CSR gained momentum in the late 1950s and 1960s with the expansion of large conglomerate corporations and became a popular subject in the 1980s with R. Edward Freeman's Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach and the many key works of Archie B. Carroll, Peter F. Drucker, and others. In the wake of the financial crisis of 2008–2010, CSR has again become a focus for evaluating corporate behavior. First published in 1953, Howard R. Bowen’s Social Responsibilities of the Businessman was the first comprehensive discussion of business ethics and social responsibility. It created a foundation by which business executives and academics could consider the subjects as part of strategic planning and managerial decision-making. Though written in another era, it is regularly and increasingly cited because of its relevance to the current ethical issues of business operations in the United States. Many experts believe it to be the seminal book on corporate social responsibility. This new edition of the book includes an introduction by Jean-Pascal Gond, Professor of Corporate Social Responsibility at Cass Business School, City University of London, and a foreword by Peter Geoffrey Bowen, Daniels College of Business, University of Denver, who is Howard R. Bowen's eldest son.

In a dramatic departure from its voluntary origins, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is rapidly shifting to hold multinational companies accountable for more than traditional shareholder performance. This CSR movement is embracing new environmental, social and governance (ESG) frameworks that both promote global sustainability goals and enhance accountability for negative impacts businesses can have on ‘planet and people’. This collection of essays by leading businesspeople, international civil servants, legal practitioners, academics, and other experts offers a forward-looking and pragmatic perspective that illuminates the major themes in this movement towards increasingly sustainable, transparent and accountable business practices. The collection shows how CSR has evolved to account for societal pressures, environmental, climate change and human rights impacts, international policy imperatives and the practical challenges of regulating commercial activity that transcends borders. The chapters offer an in-depth examination of current issues including: international frameworks and multistakeholder initiatives catalysing foundational change; the shifting emphasis on corporate imperatives to avoid harm to third parties; trends in CSR, focused on assuring the planet's future sustainability and social stability; regulatory initiatives around the globe, including Europe, North America, Asia and Africa; and extended accountability for activities of corporate group members and supply chains. The pressure and business case for companies to incorporate CSR into corporate governance is intensifying with each quarter, shareholder meeting, and regulatory agenda. The integration of CSR and new ESG frameworks into multinational corporate strategy and operations is key to sustainable business models that can generate long-term value for the organization and all stakeholders. Their acceptance as cornerstones of 21st century business practice appears inevitable. Taking full account of the imperative for companies and their lawyers to grapple with the practical and legal challenges in this area, this volume is an invaluable and pragmatic addition to the practitioners’ toolbox at this important juncture in an ever-more dynamic field.