From CSR to Public Value: Review of a Classic

For almost 40 years, Archie B. Carroll shaped the corporate social responsibility (CSR) discourse into a four-dimensional pyramid framework. The theoretical framework of the American scientist was later adapted to corporate citizenship and sustainability approaches. The four layers of the pyramid postulated by Carroll - structured from foundation to apex as economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic (or discretionary) responsibilities - drew considerable attention from the world of corporate management. The model has been considered the ultimate standard.

New Carroll pyramid focusing on public value

Particularly due to its overwhelming success, a constant improvement of the approach is required. An important criticism of the Carroll pyramid concerns the identification and ordering of the four dimensions, which are inadequately justified theoretically. Therefore, Prof. Dr. Timo Meynhardt (HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management and University of St. Gallen) and Prof. em. Dr. Peter Gomez (University of St. Gallen) propose an alternative approach in their latest article "Building Blocks for Alternative Four-Dimensional Pyramids of Corporate Social Responsibilities" (http://bit.ly/299A4x2). It builds on the public value concept and integrates a microfoundation of psychological research into basic human needs. According to the new approach, responsibility is what the social environment recognizes as serving or promoting the commo n good. Drawing on their findings from the Swiss Dialog process, the authors have developed a new pyramid with a clear focus on public value. Meynhardt comments, "The advantage of our alternative pyramid logic is that it may be contingently adapted to different cultural contexts, because it allows adaptive internal reordering."

Meynhardt, Timo; Gomez, Peter: "Building blocks for alternative four-dimensional pyramids of corporate social responsibilities", in: Business & Society (2016), DOI: 10.1177/0007650316650444

About HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management

HHL is a university-level institution and ranks amongst the leading international business schools. The goal of the oldest business school in German-speaking Europe is to educate effective, responsible and entrepreneurially-minded leaders. HHL stands out for its excellent teaching, its clear research focus, its effective knowledge transfer into practice as well as its outstanding student servi ces. The courses of study include full and part-time Master in Management as well as MBA programs, a Doctoral program and Executive Education. According to the Financial Times, HHL ranks first in Germany and fifth globally for its small business ownership focus within the M.Sc. and EMBA programs. HHL is accredited by AACSB International. http://www.hhl.de

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Pressekontakt
HHL gGmbH
Volker Stößel
Jahnallee 59

04109 Leipzig
Deutschland

E-Mail: volker.stoessel@hhl.de
Homepage: http://www.hhl.de
Telefon: 0341-9851-614