How might we study international business to account for marginalized subjects?

Durepos, Gabrielle; Prasad, Ajnesh; Villanueva, Cristian E.

doi:10.1108/cpoib-03-2016-0004

Cited by 16 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Interestingly, there are complex reasons why the CSR cases in developing economies are at odds with those of industrialized nations. The issue of defining what constitutes good management practices revolves around an array of deep-rooted questions of designed institutional deficiencies, socio-economic disequilibrium, environmental turbulence [10,11], historical bias, and academic hegemony [12][13][14][15]. CSR broadly refers to the organization's socio-economic, legal, ethical, and discretionary obligations toward society and the environment [16,17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Institutional Voids and the Philanthropization of CSR Practices: Insights from Developing Economies

Ahen

Amankwah‐Amoah

2018

Sustainability

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Corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices and conceptions vary across sectors and nations. However, there is a general tendency among academics and practitioners to present CSR in Africa as activities characterized by philanthropy due to the existence of institutional voids. This review of the current literature demonstrates that weak institutions lead to weaker bargaining powers designed through the historical and geopolitical institutional frameworks of international business and global governance systems. Accordingly, multinational corporations (MNCs) take advantage of such weaknesses to define CSR on their own terms by replacing the ideal responsible and sustainable innovations with ad hoc philanthropy that diverts the attention from the negative consequences of neoliberal 'structures of accumulation'. This is akin to aid that hardly contributes to structural changes, but rather leads to complacency, corruption, dependency, boutique projects, disguised exploitation, and the misuse of corporate political power to achieve corporate bottom lines. The implications of the results are vast, and they are generalizable to all weaker institutional settings. Thus, weaker institutions create the necessary regulatory, political, economic, and governance climate that perpetuates a pattern of abuses and ethical violations that are then masked with philanthropy. It is argued that the fundamental institutional and geopolitical contexts within which MNCs interact with nation states cannot be ignored in any comprehensive analysis that seeks to meaningfully shed light on the comparative differences of CSR practices. The neglect of the web of contextual, historical, and geopolitical issues in which CSR is entrenched and framed diverts attention from the origins of the socio-economic and environmental questions to philanthropy as a final solution, which has hitherto been perpetuated with undesirable outcomes.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Institutional Voids and the Philanthropization of CSR Practices: Insights from Developing Economies

Ahen

Amankwah‐Amoah

2018

Sustainability

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“…During the introduction phase of each interview, it was explicitly acknowledged to each participant that the project aimed at privileging their viewpoints and experiences as local employees of a global firm (cf. Durepos, Prasad, and Villanueva 2016). Participants were subsequently elicited to bring forth stories that would make them reflect on their 'local worker identity' (cf.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neo-colonial dynamics in global professional service firms: a periphery perspective

Sayed

Agndal

2019

Culture and Organization

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This article analyses neo-colonial dynamics at peripheral units of a Western global professional service firm. Drawing on postcolonial theory, an empirical study at global news agency Reuters' subsidiaries in Mumbai and Bangalore shows how socio-ideological and technocratic control mechanisms allow subsidiary workers to elevate their status, while still cementing their role as dominated in the global hierarchy and silencing any resistance. Thus, on the one hand, it might appear that the global service firm provides periphery units the opportunity to become equals of core units, representing a 'nurturing' role achieved by instilling aspirational values and shaping imaginations. On the other hand, coercive and universalising routines such as performance assessments highlight the ambivalent nature of global firm initiatives to incorporate the periphery on an equal footing with core units, demonstrating the countervailing nature of contemporary power relations.

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“…The term “indigenous” is used in the management literature in reference to what is native to or natural of a place, a country or a community. In general, cultures remaining outside the “European identity” (Long and Mills, 2008) are those laid within the concept of “other societies” (Banerjee and Linstead, 2004, p. 222), while the study of local or regional practices, as opposed to the epistemic tradition of international business’ governing, remains urgent (Durepos et al , 2016). Authors such as Crawley and Sinclair (2003, p. 362), for instance, classify Aboriginal communities in Australia as “indigenous people” as, in reference to the later colonisation of the country, they represent what was native to those lands.…”

Section: The Ethicality Of Jeitinho As An Indigenous Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

The duality of the Brazilian jeitinho

Park

Nunes

Muratbekova‐Touron

et al. 2018

CPOIB

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Purpose This paper aims to deepen the understanding of the impact of cultural and national idiosyncrasies on businesses. The authors concentrate on the cultural particularity of the Brazilian jeitinho to assess the ethicality of the concept in buyer–supplier relationships. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 Brazilian professionals working for both national and international companies, allowing for the analysis of the context in which the Brazilian jeitinho is perceived either as positive or negative in terms of ethics. Findings The authors propose five distinct dimensions (harm to third parties, seriousness of the issue, formality of relationships, personal benefit and assessed pertinence of rules and laws) to the assessment of Brazilian jeitinho as creativity, corruption or more nuanced classifications between them and offer a reviewed definition of the practice. Practical implications The results of the study may offer new insights into the Brazilian business environment. Deeper comprehension of the contexts in which jeitinho is used and its different connotations may optimise the relations between foreign and Brazilian companies and between foreign and Brazilian professionals and employees. Originality/value Within the context of intensified international trade, global supply chains and geographically spread operations, an understanding of cultural and national idiosyncrasies may provide managers with a powerful tool to conduct their business more effectively. With the economic emergence of countries such as China, Russia and Brazil, local practices are also gaining increased importance as they seem to have a direct influence on management in these places and beyond.

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How might we study international business to account for marginalized subjects?

Cited by 16 publications

References 23 publications

Institutional Voids and the Philanthropization of CSR Practices: Insights from Developing Economies

Institutional Voids and the Philanthropization of CSR Practices: Insights from Developing Economies

Neo-colonial dynamics in global professional service firms: a periphery perspective

The duality of the Brazilian jeitinho

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