Communicating corporate social advocacy (CSA) in polarized times: A Stoic turn from dancing to wrestling

IF 7 3区 管理学 Q1 BUSINESS
Ganga S. Dhanesh
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Abstract

In an age of increasing stakeholder activism, seen in movements like Fridays for Future, MeToo, and Black Lives Matter as well as demands from socially conscious consumers, companies are expanding their roles beyond corporate social responsibility (CSR) and publicly addressing contentious social and political issues via corporate social advocacy (CSA). However, as stakeholders become more divided along ideological and sociopolitical lines, CSA can often lead to backlash from polarized audiences, damaging the company’s reputation, relationships, and legitimacy. This raises the question of whether it is prudent for companies to engage in CSA in polarized times. Can companies endure potential repercussions like consumer boycotts, disaffected employees, and irate politicians and investors? This article critiques the limitations of current approaches to communicating corporate societal responsibilities and explores Stoicism—an ancient Hellenistic philosophy—as an alternative lens to answer these difficult questions. As a denomination of applied philosophy and practical ethics, Stoicism offers not only a philosophical rationale for CSA but also actionable principles to deal with agitated and divergent voices in polarized times. This article discusses four selected Stoic thoughts and provides practical advice for managers on whether and how to effectively engage in CSA amid polarized times. Recommendations include aligning CSA efforts with corporate identity, prioritizing factors within the organization’s control, remaining flexible and adaptable when encountering obstacles, and adopting reflective practice.
在两极分化的时代传播企业社会倡导(CSA):从跳舞到摔跤的斯多葛式转变
在利益相关者行动主义日益高涨的时代,比如“未来星期五”(Fridays for Future)、“我也是”(MeToo)和“黑人的命也是命”(Black Lives Matter)等运动,以及具有社会意识的消费者的要求,企业正在扩大自己的角色,超越企业社会责任(CSR),并通过企业社会倡导(CSA)公开解决有争议的社会和政治问题。然而,随着利益相关者在意识形态和社会政治方面的分歧越来越大,CSA往往会导致两极分化的受众的强烈反对,从而损害公司的声誉、关系和合法性。这就提出了一个问题:在两极分化的时代,企业参与CSA是否明智?企业能承受消费者抵制、员工不满、政客和投资者愤怒等潜在后果吗?本文批评了当前沟通企业社会责任的方法的局限性,并探讨了斯多葛主义——一种古希腊哲学——作为回答这些难题的另一种视角。斯多葛主义作为应用哲学和实践伦理学的一个分支,不仅为人文社会主义提供了哲学基础,也为在两极分化的时代应对激动和分歧的声音提供了可操作的原则。本文讨论了四种斯多葛学派的思想,并为管理者在两极分化的时代是否以及如何有效地参与CSA提供了实用的建议。建议包括将CSA工作与企业标识结合起来,优先考虑组织控制范围内的因素,在遇到障碍时保持灵活性和适应性,以及采用反思实践。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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来源期刊
Business Horizons
Business Horizons BUSINESS-
CiteScore
17.70
自引率
5.40%
发文量
105
期刊介绍: Business Horizons, the bimonthly journal of the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, is dedicated to publishing original articles that appeal to both business academics and practitioners. Our editorial focus is on covering a diverse array of topics within the broader field of business, with a particular emphasis on identifying critical business issues and proposing practical solutions. Our goal is to inspire readers to approach business practices from new and innovative perspectives. Business Horizons occupies a distinctive position among business publications by offering articles that strike a balance between academic rigor and practical relevance. As such, our articles are grounded in scholarly research yet presented in a clear and accessible format, making them relevant to a broad audience within the business community.
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