- 287 views
- 566 downloads
Institutional Imprints: The Enduring Effects of Past Political Regimes on CSR in China
-
- Author / Creator
- Raynard, Mia
-
This research study explores how past political legacies have shaped the ways that Chinese organizations are conceptualizing and responding to recent pressures to engage in corporate social responsibility initiatives. While an established body of research has been devoted to unpacking the economic factors that motivate CSR activities, comparatively few studies have examined how past institutional arrangements may shape and channel contemporary responses to CSR. This oversight is surprising given that it is widely acknowledged that the understanding of corporate social responsibility differs across societies, industries, contexts and time. Employing a mixed-method research design that relies heavily on historical research, I attempt to shed some light on the relationship between past political imprints and contemporary variations in CSR activities. The study contributes to theories of imprinting by showing how the resilience of imprints – and how they manifest in contemporary organizational phenomena – may fundamentally depend upon: (1) the contextual conditions under which the imprints were initially formed; and, (2) characteristics of the geographic community in which the organization is embedded. The study also speaks to a growing body of research on institutional logics and complexity by providing insights into how an organization reconciles efforts to conform to new institutional arrangements with those that have been previously encoded in its structures, practices, routines and norms. The underlying implication is that instead of being dismantled and replaced in succession, past institutional logics leave behind residual manifestations that continue to influence subsequent eras in subtle, but consequential ways.
-
- Subjects / Keywords
-
- Graduation date
- Spring 2016
-
- Type of Item
- Thesis
-
- Degree
- Doctor of Philosophy
-
- License
- This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.