Xu Kang

Corporate (Social) Responsibility under Authoritarianism (eBook, ePUB)

Interpretation, Communication, and Implementation in China

• Format: ePub

Produktbeschreibung

This book provides an in-depth exploration of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the authoritarian context. It challenges prevailing CSR frameworks, which largely derive from liberal democratic contexts and overlook how political institutions shape the conceptualisation and practice of corporate responsibility. By situating CSR within China's political-economic system, the book sheds light on how CSR is dynamically interpreted, strategically communicated, and selectively implemented by corporate and state actors.

Drawing on a mixed-method research design, the study analyses both qualitative and quantitative evidence. The analysis integrates policy documents, regulatory frameworks, CSR and sustainability reports from Chinese corporations, and in-depth qualitative interviews with corporate managers, NGO leaders, and experts. The findings highlight how CSR in China emerges through the normative interplay between market logics and power politics, involving various actors, including enterprises, state entities, and NGOs. The book also presents a critical account of how Chinese companies strategically adapt CSR discourses to align with governmental priorities while navigating complex stakeholder relationships.

A book of vital interest to researchers in business ethics, international business and Asian studies, it will also appeal to practitioners and policymakers seeking to enhance strategies and policies for responsible business conduct.

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: Taylor & Francis eBooks
• Seitenzahl: 184
• Erscheinungstermin: 7. November 2025
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9781040643068
• Artikelnr.: 75615726

Autorenporträt

Xu Kang is a researcher at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg and currently serves as an Ernst Mach Fellow at Vienna University of Economics and Business. His research focuses on responsible business conduct, corporate social responsibility, business and human rights, and sustainability governance.

Inhaltsangabe

List of Figures and Tables
Abbreviations
Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 CSR in Authoritarian Contexts
1.2 Research Method
Chapter 2 Polymorphous Corporate (Social) Responsibility in the
Business-State-Society Relations
2.1 The Emergence of CSR in the Context of the State Retreat
2.2 The Conceptualisation and Operationalisation of CSR
2.2.1 Evolving Historical Foundations
2.2.2 Late 20th Century: Defining and Operationalising CSR
2.2.3 2000s and Beyond: Strategic CSR and Globalisation
2.3 Institutionalising CSR on the Global Stage
2.3.1 Towards Business and Human Rights Amidst the State Return
2.4 From Soft Law to Hard Law: Recasting the State's Role in CSR Governance
Chapter 3 Contextualising Authoritarian State: China's Authoritarian
Capitalism and Corporate (Social) Responsibility
3.1 Critical State Concept and the Analytical Toolkit
3.1.1 From Pluralism to Elite and Structuralist Theories
3.1.2 Post-Structuralist Interventions and Strategic-Relational Approach
3.2 Constructing the Authoritarian State
3.3 China's Contemporary Authoritarian Capitalism
3.4 The Evolution of Business-State-Society Relations and CSR in China
3.4.1 Late Qing Dynasty to Republic of China
3.4.2 Founding of the People's Republic of China to the Cultural Revolution
3.4.3 Post-Reform and Opening Up Era
Chapter 4 CSR Interpretation: Symbiosis of Market Supremacy and Power
Politics
4.1 Discourse on Market Supremacy
4.2 Discourse on Power Politics
4.3 Polymorphous Discourse Interplay Amidst Market and Authoritarian Power
Politics
Chapter 5 CSR Communication: In Clinging and Pursuit of Capital and Power
5.1 Selective Communication: Chinese Corporate Governance for CSR
5.1.1 Decision-Making Level Priorities and Shareholder Communication
5.1.2 Operational Level Discrepancies and Supplier Communication
5.2 Navigating Up and Down: Actors Alongside the Social Relation of the
State
5.2.1 GONGOs as Mediators Between State and Corporate
5.2.2 Strategic Adaptation of NGOs in Power Dynamics
5.2.3 State Control, Business Lobbying, and Social Advocacy under
Authoritarian capitalism
Chapter 6 CSR Implementation: (Ir)responsible Business Conduct under
Authoritarian Capitalism
6.1 Greenwashing vs. Value Chain Compliance
6.2 Dual Facets of Redwashing
6.3 CSR Implementation Amidst Authoritarian Capitalist Realities
Chapter 7 Conclusion
7.1 Understanding the Recent Business and Human Rights Development in China
7.2 Whither CSR under Authoritarianism?
Reference