Natalia Vidal

The Recent Evolution of Corporate Responsibility Practices in the Forestry Sector

SUMMARY Corporate responsibility is a constantly evolving concept that implies a necessary process of adaptation for businesses. This study investigated this evolution, and in particular, the changes in responsible practices by top forest companies over a five year period (2000 to 2005). The results of this study indicate that the global forestry sector seems to be moving towards a greater balance among environmental, social, and economic responsibilities. In general, the forest companies that were included in this study have been moving away from purely environmental issues to include economic and social issues in their corporate responsibility practices.

Chain of custody certification: an assessment of the North American solid wood sector

Abstract Chain of custody certification is having a growing influence in the marketplace for forest products. Chain of custody certification refers to the generic process of tracking materials from forest to market. Its growth has been promulgated by increasing channel and/or market concerns related to sourcing wood products manufactured with raw materials from environmentally certified sources. Information on how North American solid wood products companies are addressing chain of custody certification is scarce. However, it is critical for the further development of this concept. A survey of primary wood products manufacturers was conducted in order to determine the current status of chain of custody certification in Canada and the United States. Accredited certification bodies in North America were also interviewed by telephone. Results indicate that approximately 50% of solid wood producers will be certified by 2007 and that the acquisition of benefits from chain of custody certification may be a key factor in increasing adoption levels. A cluster analysis and a determinant function analysis suggest that company size is an important variable to be considered when analyzing the adoption of chain of custody certification by primary wood producers. According to these analyses, larger companies are more likely to be chain of custody certified than smaller companies. In addition, larger companies seem to be more cognizant of the benefits resulting from chain of custody certification. The costs of implementing chain of custody certification are also related to company size, with a general trend towards lower costs for larger companies.

Adoption and Implementation of Corporate Responsibility Practices A Proposed Framework

Defining and implementing Corporate Responsibility can be a challenge for many businesses. The identification of patterns in the processes of adoption and implementation of Corporate Responsibility practices can help managers to administer these processes more ably. In this research note, the authors identify four factors influencing the adoption and implementation of Corporate Responsibility practices: (a) internal drivers; (b) organizational structures; (c) attributes of practice; and (d) formal processes. Results indicate that there is also a continuous improvement component, meaning that the adoption and implementation of Corporate Responsibility practices are cyclical, rather than linear, processes.

Designing and Teaching Business & Society Courses From a Threshold Concept Approach

This article examines the redesign of an undergraduate course in Business & Society using a threshold concept approach. Business & Society courses may be troublesome for students because they depart from the premise that business is limited to creating value for shareholders. We argue that Business & Society courses contain a web of threshold concepts (i.e., ethics, corporate social responsibility, and sustainability) that need to be understood in unison. The redesigned course should help students understand our threshold conception that business has social, environmental, and economic responsibilities that are interconnected and interdependent. This study shows that multiple, interconnected theoretical concepts can serve as threshold conceptions in certain disciplines. In addition, we also demonstrate that progressive assessments throughout the course as well as empirical methods can help instructors identify student evolution through the liminal space.