Irene M. Herremans

An investigation of corporate social responsibility reputation and economic performance

Abstract During the 1980s there was a rapid growth in the United States of ethical, or socially responsible, investing Popular wisdom suggests that investors following this strategy may be trading off economic returns for psychic utility. However, in this paper we show that large U.S. manufacturing companies with better reputations for social responsibility outperformed companies with poorer reputations during the six-year period 1982–1987, and provided investors better stock market returns and lower risk. The implications of these findings for the information content of accounting systems in a social welfare context, and for prescriptions in the business policy literature advocating a proactive social policy, are discussed.

Extended VAIC model: measuring intellectual capital components

Purpose – In the intellectual capital (IC) literature, only a few studies have analyzed the relationships among the components of IC and organizational success. This study sets out to extend the current models to provide further insight into the role of IC in organizational performance.Design/methodology/approach – The study provides a theoretical discussion designed to push the measurement of IC into a more rigorous and comprehensive domain.Findings – As this is a theoretical paper, several hypotheses are presented for testing in the future.Practical implications – Recognizing the most influential elements of IC on organizational performance would help organizations to understand better the organizational capabilities they possess. In addition, the suggested extension would enable researchers to use archival resources to do cross‐company comparisons.Originality/value – The suggested extension to the VAIC model builds on several IC models that have not been well‐connected in the literature previously.

Ethical behaviours in organizations: Directed by the formal or informal systems?

Past research has focused on individual culpability with the assumption that individuals will further their own self interest over that of the organization, given an appropriate opportunity. In contrast, this research shifts the focus from individual motivation to the influence of the formal and informal control systems of organizations on ethical behaviours. An open-ended interview approach was used to collect data. It was found that pressures within the informal system were the dominant influence in the resolution of ethical issues. The dominance of the informal system, however, varies according to the economic position of the organization.

Environmental management systems at North American universities

The purpose of this study is to determine what initiatives have been undertaken by universities across North America in implementing environmental management systems (EMS). Many universities have discovered that their activities can have significant impacts on the environment. As a result, some institutions have implemented systems to help them organize activities in order to recognize and reduce adverse environmental effects. This paper contributes to our understanding of these systems. A framework is developed that identifies important characteristics of effective EMS currently in use at some North American universities. The framework also provides guidance for those universities that have not yet developed effective EMS.

Developing Awareness of the Sustainability Concept

Abstract In this article, we discuss the use of the sustainability triad as a framework for teaching sustainability in the classroom. We use a short case study of a national park to show how the triad can be used to determine if its three dimensions (economic, social, and environmental) are congruent or in conflict with each other. The tool is helpful in understanding sustainability in a concrete rather than abstract form.

Intellectual capital management: pathways to wealth creation

Purpose – The management of intellectual capital (IC) within organizations depends on appropriate organizational structures and characteristics. This paper seeks to argue that certain structural, cultural, and climate characteristics will lead to more effective IC management.Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews the theoretical and empirical IC literature, as well as the literatures regarding organic environments, trust, participative decision making, and creative renewal processes, to develop a model relating to the antecedent conditions necessary for the management of IC.Findings – The model developed will assist researchers in the identification and exploration of variables linked to the effective management of IC within organizations.Practical implications – It is concluded that managers of organizations need to create organic structures, build trust with employees, encourage creative renewal, and develop participative decision‐making processes.Originality/value – By integrating several fiel...

Multidisciplinary Decision Making Through Experiential Learning: Perspectives from Practical Trials

Recently many business management programs in institutions of higher learning have undergone significant change in orientation, content, and delivery. In order to ensure that the graduates acquire the education and skills needed in the organizations of the future, these institutions have attempted to bridge theoretical underpinnings with practical content. In so doing, administrators and instructors have given more emphasis to deliberate integration of discipline-specific material. In this article we draw on previous research in both adult and experiential learning to develop an innovative approach for role-playing using case studies in management education. However, unlike the traditional use of cases, our approach builds an experience around the case study company by surrounding learners with additional props to use in the decision-making process. We describe an experiential learning process that provides an opportunity for integration while capitalizing on the characteristics of adult learners. We have used the approach successfully in MBA programs in both Canada and the United Kingdom to challenge students to resolve some of the complex, multi-dimensional issues facing todays organizations. We have also found this approach to be transferable to other learning situations.

Organizational culture, climate and IC: an interaction analysis

Purpose – This study aims to empirically investigate the role of organizational culture and climate in supporting intellectual capital (IC) management systems. Specifically, it seeks to investigate the relationship between organizational characteristics (culture and climate) and IC management systems in the Middle East (Iran and Lebanon) and Canada.Design/methodology/approach – Data were gathered via a survey instrument and statistical analysis was used to test for significance between dependent and independent variables. Then a two‐stage hierarchical multiple regression was used to test for the nature and effects of country of origin as a moderating variable.Findings – The findings suggest that both culture and climate play significant roles in developing management systems for IC. In addition, for country, when organizational climate improves, Middle Eastern respondents perceived an even greater improvement in IC management systems compared to their Canadian counterparts.Originality/value – There is lim...

Management planning and control: Supporting knowledge‐intensive organizations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop propositions for empirical validation regarding appropriate management planning and control systems (MPACS) in knowledge‐intensive organizations.Design/methodology/approach – The propositions were developed from interviews with members of a knowledge‐intensive virtual organization that is known for its innovative practices regarding intellectual capital (IC) development and surveys from low to middle range managers, using a semi‐structured questionnaire, from a variety of companies. Trends in responses permitted us to identify issues of importance in developing innovative MPACS for knowledge‐intensive companies.Findings – The paper proposes that two variables, the level of IC intensity and the uncertainty of knowledge, are important for determining the degree of adaptive versus generative characteristics that an organizations MPACS should contain. Regarding IC, the paper further proposes that organizations must give careful thought to ensure that both ada...

Shell Canada: over a decade of sustainable development reporting experience

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate what motivated Shell Canada, a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, to be one of the first companies in the world to report its environmental initiatives in 1991. It aims to explore how Shell Canada, driven by a set of core values and business principles, continues to make strides in the quality of its sustainability reporting and communication.Design/methodology/approach – Shell historical reports and documents were reviewed and interview data gathered from company personnel.Findings – The paper reveals that Shell Canada has gained a reputation for striving toward stakeholder engagement and transparency in its reporting as well as through its actions.Practical implications – The paper offers advice to other companies as to how to improve their corporate communications regarding their environmental and sustainability performance.Originality/value – The paper demonstrates Shell Canadas efforts to initiate transparent sustainable development reporting and s...