Shareholders as norm entrepreneurs for corporate social responsibility

Journal of Business Ethics

Volumn 94, Issue 2, 2010, Pages 177-191

  Sjöström, Emma ^a  

^a STOCKHOLM SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS   (Sweden)

Author keywords

Corporate social responsibility; CSR; Freedom of expression; Human rights; Norm entrepreneur; Shareholder activism; SRI

Indexed keywords

EID: 77954174843     PISSN: 01674544     EISSN: 15730697     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1007/s10551-009-0255-1     Document Type: Article

References (54)

1. Acharya, A. (2004) How ideas spread: Whose norms matter? Norm localization and institutional change in Asian regionalism. International Organization, 58(2): 239-275.
2. AP3: 2006, 'AP3 Writes a Letter to Yahoo', http://www. ap3. se/en/Admin/News/2006/AP3+writes+a+letter+to+Yahoo. htm. Accessed 7 Jan 2009.
3. BBC News: 2006a, 'Google Censors Itself for China', http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/technology/4645596. stm. Accessed Online 6 Mar 2006.
4. BBC News: 2006b, 'Microsoft Considers China Policy', http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/technology/6102180. stm. Accessed Online 22 July 2008.
5. Calvert: 2007, 'Issue Brief: Human Rights', http://www. calvert. com/sri_IBHumanRights. html. Accessed Online 7 Jan 2009.
6. Campbell, C. J., Gillian, S. L. & Niden, C. M. (1999) Current perspectives on shareholder proposals: lessons from the 1997 proxy season. Financial Management, 28(1): 89-98.
7. Carroll, A. B. (1999) Corporate social responsibility: Evolution of a definitional construct. Business Society, 38(3): 268-295.
8. Cisco: 2002, 'Proposal No. 5', in Annual Report 2005, http://www. cisco. com/web/about/ac49/ac20/ac19/ar2002/proxy/index. html#proposal5. Accessed Online 7 Jan 2009.
9. Cisco: 2003, 'Proposal No. 4', in: Annual Report 2005, http://www. cisco. com/web/about/ac49/ac20/ac19/ar2003/proxy/index. html#proposal4. Accessed Online 7 Jan 2009.
10. Cisco: 2005, 'Proposal No. 6', in Annual Report 2005, http://www. cisco. com/web/about/ac49/ac20/ac19/ar2005/proxy/proxy2005. html#proposal_no6. Acces- sed Online 7 Jan 2009.
11. Cisco: 2006, 'Proposal No. 5', in Annual Report 2006, http://www. cisco. com/web/about/ac49/ac20/ac19/ar2006/proxy/index. html#proposal_no5. Accessed Online 7 Jan 2009.
12. Cisco: 2007, 'Proposal No. 8', in Annual Report 2007, http://www. cisco. com/web/about/ac49/ac20/ac19/ar2007/proxy_statement/index. html#Proposal8. Accessed Online 7 Jan 2009.
13. CNET News. com: 2006, 'Microsoft Censors Chinese Blogger', http://news. com. com/Microsoft+censors+Chinese+blogger/2100-1028_3-6017540. html. Accessed Online 22 May 2006.
14. Committee on International Relations: 2006, 'The Internet in China: A Tool for Freedom or suppression?', Transcript from Hearing, http://www. foreignaffairs. house. gov/archives/109/26075. pdf. Accessed 8 Jan 2009.
15. Dann, G. E. & Haddow, N. (2008) Just doing business or doing just business: Google, Microsoft, Yahoo! and the business of censoring China's Internet. Journal of Business Ethics, 79(3): 219-234.
16. David, P., Bloom, M. & Hillman, A. (2007) Investor activism, managerial responsiveness, and corporate social performance. Strategic Management Journal, 28: 91-100.
17. Finnemore, M. & Sikkink, K. (1998) International norm dynamics and political change. International Organization, 52(4): 887-917.
18. Fung, A. (2003) Deliberative democracy and international labor standards. Governance - An International Journal of Policy, Administration, and Institutions, 16(1): 51-71.
19. Google: 2007, 'Proposal No. 5', in Schedule 14A Information, http://investor. google. com/pdf/2007_google_proxy_statement. pdf.
20. Graves, S. B., Rehbein, K. & Waddock, S. (2001) Fad and fashion in shareholder activism: the landscape of shareholder resolutions, 1988-1998. Business and Society Review, 106(4): 293-314.
21. Hetcher, S. (2000) The FTC as Internet privacy norm entrepreneur. Vanderbilt University Law Review, 53(6): 2041-2062.
22. Hoffman, A. J. (1996) A strategic response to shareholder activism. Sloan Management Review, 37(2): 51-64.
23. Human Rights Watch: 2006, 'Race to the Bottom. Corporate Complicity in Chinese Internet Censorship', Report, http://www. hrw. org/reports/2006/china0806/. Accessed Online 23 Nov 2007.
24. Ingebritsen, C. (2002) Norm entrepreneurs. Scandinavia's role in world politics. Cooperation and Conflict, 37(1): 11-23.
25. Keck, M. & Sikkink, K. (1998) Activists beyond borders. Advocacy networks in international politics. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.
26. Koh, H. H. (1998) The 1998 Frankel Lecture: Bringing international law home. Houston Law Review, 35: 623-681.
27. McGuinness, M. (2006) Medellin, norm portals, and the horizontal integration of international human rights. Notre Dame Law Review, 82: 755-842.
28. Monks R., Miller A. & Cook J. (2004) Shareholder activism on environmental issues: a study of proposals at large US corporations (2000-2003). Natural Resources Forum, 28: 317-330.
29. Neubaum D. O. & Zahra, S. A. (2006) Institutional ownership and corporate social performance: the moderating effects of investment horizon, activism and coordination. Journal of Management, 32(1): 108-131.
30. Nilsson, J. (2009) Segmenting socially responsible mutual fund investors. International Journal of Bank Marketing, 27(1): 5-31.
31. OpenNet Initiative: 2005, 'Internet Filtering in China 2004-2005: A Country Study', Report, http://opennet. net/studies/china. Accessed Online 4 Aug 2008.
32. Pozen, D. (2008) We are all entrepreneurs now, Wake Forest Law Review, 43: 283-340.
33. Proffitt, W. T. & Spicer, A. (2006) Shaping the shareholder activism agenda: institutional investors and global issues. Strategic Organization, 4(2): 165-190.
34. Reporters Without Borders: 2005, 'Information Supplied by Yahoo! Helped Journalist Shi Tao Get 10 Years in Prison', http://www. rsf. org/article. php3?id_article=14884. Accessed Online 6 Mar 2006.
35. Risse, T. & Sikkink, K. (1999) The socialization of international human rights norms into domestic practices: introduction. In: Risse, T., Ropp, S. & Sikkink, K. (eds) The power of human rights. International norms and domestic change, pp. 1-38. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
36. Scott, R. (1995) Institutions and organizations. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
37. Segerlund, L.: 2007, Making Corporate Social Responsibility an International Concern. Norm Construction in a Globalizing World. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Stockholm University.
38. Sharma, P. & Chrisman, J. (1999) Towards a reconciliation of the definitional issues in the field of corporate entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 23(3): 11-27.
39. SIF: 2007, '2007 Report on Socially Responsible Investing Trends in the United States', Report. Washington DC: Social Investment Forum.
40. Sjöström, E. (2008) Shareholder activism for corporate social responsibility: What do we know? Sustainable Development, 16: 141-154.
41. Socialfunds. com: 2005, 'Joint Investor Statement on Freedom of Expression and the Internet', http://www. socialfunds. com/pdf/110805/Joint_Statement. pdf. Accessed Online 6 Jan 2009.
42. Spar, D. & LaMure, L. (2003) The power of activism: Assessing the impact of NGOs on global business. California Management Review, 45(3): 78-101.
43. Sparkes, R. & Cowton, C. J. (2004) The maturing of socially responsible investment: a review of the developing link with corporate social responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics, 52(1): 45-57.
44. Sullivan, R. (2003) Business and Human Rights - dilemmas and solutions. Sheffield: Greenleaf Publishing Ltd.
45. Sunstein, C.: 1996, 'Social Norms and Social Roles', Columbia Law Review96(4).
46. Tkac, P.: 2006, 'One Proxy at a Time: Pursuing Social Change Through Shareholder Proposals', Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Economic Review, Third Quarter, 1-20.
47. van Marrewijk, M. (2003) Concepts and definitions of CSR and corporate sustainability: Between agency and communion. Journal of Business Ethics, 44(2/3): 95-105.
48. Vogel, D. (1983) Trends in shareholder activism 1970-82. California Management Review, 15(3): 68-87.
49. Walden Asset Management: 2006, 'Research and Advocacy Brief', http://www. waldenassetmgmt. com/social/action/library/raafall06. html. Accessed Online 7 Jan 2009.
50. Wired News: 2005, 'Microsoft Censors Chinese Blogs', http://www. wired. com/news/culture/0, 1284, 67842, 00. html. Accessed Online 6 Mar 2006.
51. Yahoo!: 2007a, 'Proposal No. 6', in Form DEF 14A, http://yhoo. client. shareholder. com/secfiling. cfm?filingID=891618-07-262. Accessed Online 7 Jan 2009.
52. Yahoo!: 2007b, 'Georgetown Receives $1 Million Gift From Yahoo! To Support Research on International Values and Communication Technology', Press Release, http://yhoo. client. shareholder. com/press/ReleaseDetail. cfm?ReleaseID=237637. Accessed Online 23 Nov 2007.
53. Yahoo!: 2007c, 'Yahoo! Inc Reaches Settlement on Lawsuit. Works to Establish Human Rights Fund', Press Release, http://yhoo. client. shareholder. com/press/releasedetail. cfm?ReleaseID=302980. Accessed On- line 8 Jan 2009.
54. Zadek, S.: 2004, 'The Path to Corporate Responsibility', Harvard Business Review, 82, 125-132.