Abstract
CSR theories and practices which have been diffusing in the management world until very recently refer mainly to reactive strategies of (re-)legitimation of companies vis-à-vis their stakeholders. However, even in light of the challenges posed by today’s economic crisis, the present period can be an extremely favourable moment to move beyond this adaptive approach and to formulate and realize a more advanced view of the social dimension of business as sustainable innovation , i.e. a business model based on a twofold dynamic of ‘valorization of the context’: on the one hand, the inclusion in enterprises’ strategies of social instances and resources oriented to the natural environment and quality of life in and around the workplace; on the other hand, the ability to generate economic value through the creation of social value. Drawing on the findings of a research conducted on a sample of Italian organizations, the paper identifies and discusses three distinctive mechanisms which seem to sustain the production of ‘integrated value ’ in these companies: the balance between cultural tradition and exploration; the tendency to expand in the context and, at the same time, to include it; and human resource practices establishing a direct link between citizenship behaviours in and of the organization. In conclusion, the analysis suggests a wider-ranging perspective on the strategic and competitive implications of CSR practices.
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Notes
- 1.
The project was financed by the Chamber of Commerce of Milan and carried out by a team from the Department of Sociology of the Catholic University of Milan. Apart from the authors, the group consisted of Laura Gherardi, Massimiliano Cossi, and Stefano Santini. The details and final results of the project are included in a book published in Italy: Magatti M. (ed.) (2011), Verso nuovi modelli di business. Milan: Bruno Mondadori.
- 2.
This group was formed by academics, business consultants, and public officials who had previously collaborated with several companies, as well as with the authors, in the area of CSR.
- 3.
Not necessarily or mainly correlated with conventional formal indicators of CSR (e.g. jobs or positions dedicated to sustainability, codes of ethics, social reports, or certifications).
- 4.
In addition to being socially oriented, the cognitive and value maps underlying the creation and management of these companies are sometimes characterized by content which might be defined as alternative and, in certain respects, subversive. A very good example of this is provided by the cultural commitment to the ‘valorizing of waste’ (meaning tangible or intangible waste products, such as news which does not create a stir). This underlies the global business idea behind MEG and Vita’s entry into their sectors: an oxymoron from the conventional viewpoint, according to which ‘waste’ must at best be disposed of under secure conditions.
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Monaci, M., Magatti, M. (2017). Generative Dynamics: What Sustains the Creation of Shared Business Value. In: Zacher, L. (eds) Technology, Society and Sustainability. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47164-8_27
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