Preface

doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198259893.002.0006

Front Matter

Preface

Get access

https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198259893.002.0006

Pages

vi–viii

Published:

April 1995

Extract

Large businesses are keen to stress their credentials as good corporate citizens. They wish to be seen as caring employers, playing a part in supporting the communities in which they operate and behaving responsibly towards the environment. Much of this concern can probably be explained in terms of public relations, but whether it can or not company managements are undoubtedly required to make decisions that involve genuine ethical and social-policy choices. In an economy dominated by a comparatively small number of large enterprises the way in which managers make these choices affects us all. Whether decision-making in public companies should be guided purely by considerations of profit or should take account of the interests of third parties and social welfare more generally has been debated at least since Berle and Means raised the issue in 1932. In recent years there has been a resurgence of interest in this and related questions, manifested, for example, in a growing literature on corporate social responsibility, the creation of a number of chairs in corporate responsibility in British business schools, and the foundation of organizations such as Business in the Community to encourage social involvement. Of the numerous explanations for this growth in interest three stand out. The first is an awareness of impending ecological crisis. It may be that merely strengthening regulatory controls will be an insufficient response to the problems of environmental degradation. A shift in attitudes towards the environment on the part of management, involving a reassessment of company objectives, may be necessary as well. Second, changes in the structure of the economy, resulting in part from technological advance and increased international competition, have contributed to persistent unemployment, particularly in large urban areas. The ability of business to make a direct impact on unemployment has focused attention on the possibility of private solutions to this and other economic and social problems, especially against the background of a government ideology unsympathetic to state intervention. Finally the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, as well as pointing up the merits of the market system, has also raised some questions about the virtues of corporate capitalism. It has created opportunities for western businesses to expand their empires, but whether this is the most appropriate response to the challenges presented is subject to dispute. There may also be implications at home. With the abatement of the ‘external threat’ we may feel more comfortable about re-evaluating capitalist institutions, questioning the legitimacy of private power, and demanding increased accountability on the part of corporate leaders.

You do not currently have access to this chapter.

Sign in with email/username & password
Get email alerts
Save searches
Purchase content
Activate your purchase/trial code
Add your ORCID iD

Get help with access

Institutional access

Access to content on Oxford Academic is often provided through institutional subscriptions and purchases. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways:

IP based access

Typically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account.

Sign in through your institution

Choose this option to get remote access when outside your institution. Shibboleth/Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institutionâ€™s website and Oxford Academic.

Click Sign in through your institution.
Select your institution from the list provided, which will take you to your institution's website to sign in.
When on the institution site, please use the credentials provided by your institution. Do not use an Oxford Academic personal account.
Following successful sign in, you will be returned to Oxford Academic.

If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institutionâ€™s website, please contact your librarian or administrator.

Sign in with a library card

Enter your library card number to sign in. If you cannot sign in, please contact your librarian.

Society Members

Society member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways:

Sign in through society site

Many societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. If you see â€˜Sign in through society siteâ€™ in the sign in pane within a journal:

Click Sign in through society site.
When on the society site, please use the credentials provided by that society. Do not use an Oxford Academic personal account.
Following successful sign in, you will be returned to Oxford Academic.

If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society.

Sign in using a personal account

Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. See below.

Personal account

A personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions.

Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members.

Viewing your signed in accounts

Click the account icon in the top right to:

View your signed in personal account and access account management features.
View the institutional accounts that are providing access.

Signed in but can't access content

Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. The institutional subscription may not cover the content that you are trying to access. If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian.

Institutional account management

For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.

Metrics

Total Views 42

32 Pageviews

10 PDF Downloads

Since 10/1/2022

Month:	Total Views:
October 2022	1
November 2022	1
January 2023	2
February 2023	3
March 2023	1
April 2023	1
May 2023	4
June 2023	5
October 2023	7
January 2024	1
April 2024	2
May 2024	1
June 2024	1
August 2024	2
October 2024	1
December 2024	1
January 2025	3
March 2025	2
April 2025	3

Contents

Preface

Extract

Email alerts

Contents

Preface

Extract

Sign in

Personal account

Institutional access

Institutional account management

Get help with access

Institutional access

IP based access

Sign in through your institution

Sign in with a library card

Society Members

Sign in through society site

Sign in using a personal account

Personal account

Viewing your signed in accounts

Signed in but can't access content

Institutional account management

Purchase

Email alerts

This Feature Is Available To Subscribers Only