Deliberative Lobbying? Toward a Noncontradiction of Corporate Political Activities and Corporate Social Responsibility?. (October 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lock, Irina; Seele, Peter
• Is Part Of: Journal of management inquiry. Volume 25:Number 4(2016:Nov.)
• Page Start: 415
• Page End: 430
• Publication Date: 2016-10
• Subjects: ethics -- corporate social responsibility -- corporate political affairs -- public affairs -- lobbying; Management -- Periodicals; Organizational behavior -- Periodicals; 658.005
• DOI: 10.1177/1056492616640379
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1056-4926

Abstract

Recently, researchers have claimed that food and beverage corporations should be excluded from the development of public health policy because their lobbying activities strategically undermine the promotion of public health. At the same time, recent political corporate social responsibility (CSR) theory holds that corporations have a responsibility to help solve global public issues. We address this described misalignment and show that corporations may fulfill this "new political role" if they turn to novel forms of corporate political activity (CPA) establishing a minimal standard for not contradicting their CSR. Therefore, we put forward a normative concept called deliberative lobbying based on discourse, transparency, and accountability, which aims to resolve public issues and advance CPA. In three lobbying cases, we show misalignments and contradictions that harm both society and the corporation. We position deliberative lobbing as an argument to maintain self-regulation against critics claiming that corporations should be excluded from all political processes.