The role of personal values in corporate social entrepreneurship

Christine A. Hemingway

Research output: Preprint or Working paperWorking paper

Abstract

The literature acknowledges a distinction between immoral, amoral and moral management (Carroll, 1987; Crane 2000). This paper makes a case for the manager as a moral agent, even though the paper begins by highlighting a body of evidence which suggests that individual moral agency is sacrificed at work and is compromised in deference to other pressures. This leads to a discussion of the notion of managerial discretion and an examination of a separate, contrary body of literature which indicates that some managers in corporations may use their discretion to behave in a socially entrepreneurial manner. The underlying assumption of the study is that CSR isn’t solely driven by economics and that it may also be championed as a result of a personal morality, inspired by an individual’s own socially oriented personal values. A conceptual framework is put forward and it is suggested that individuals may be categorized as Active or Frustrated Corporate Social Entrepreneurs; Conformists or Apathetics: distinguished by individualistic or collectivist personal values. In a discussion of the nature of values, this paper highlights how values may act as drivers of our behavior and pays particular attention to the values of the entrepreneur, thereby linking the existing debate on moral agency with the field of corporate social responsibility.
Original languageEnglish
Place of PublicationNottingham (UK)
Number of pages30
Publication statusUnpublished - 2005

Publication series

NameICCSR research paper series
PublisherNottingham University
No.31-2005
ISSN (Electronic)1479-5124

Keywords

  • champions
  • discretion
  • entrepreneurship
  • corporate social entrepreneur (CSE)
  • corporate social responsibility (CSR)
  • moral agency
  • social entrepreneurship
  • social responsibility

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