Relies On an Ethical Corporate Culture
Leading the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of
Value Shared - A Dissertation in Management Proposal
Introduction
- Rationalization of the Objectives of this Academic Investigation
- 20th Century Business Realities
Impetus of this dissertation proposal centres on having a clear understanding that business management challenges in the 21st century having the marketing edge relies on sustainable direction providing the best practices aligned to the ethical corporate culture. This is particularly important in establishing transparency within the CSR of valued shared to all its stakeholders including employees, customers, suppliers, government, and the local community and greater community it does business and remains a part. Meeting this task as a business management expert looks at completing research filling a gap in what the existing literature already recognizes having limited research. Within the limited research, findings recommend needing further study on the fundamental benefit of companies having and maintaining an ethical corporate culture in all its activities but never as importantly as its actions aligned to the CSR goal in value share of its operation as essential to having a marketing edge over the competition.
At no other time in the history of the world has the challenge of a marketing edge considered the importance of the value-shared component connected to the organizational CSR. This 20th century reality of global business and having a market edge pragmatically demands attention and a genuine academic focus in research options. Therefore, the fundamental underpinnings of the rationale of this research proposal on sustaining a strong marketing competitive advantage relying on an ethical corporate culture leading the CSR actions in achieving the value shared goals establishes its pertinence as a PhD management research project.
- Statement of the Problem
The problem is best management practices in having and maintaining a strong marketing advantage relies on an architecturally sound ethical corporate culture leading the CSR actions for achieving the value shared goals connected with all established stakeholders.
- Objectives
- RQ1
Objective one will establish the need how substantiating the fundamental significance of an architecturally sound ethical company culture influencing all activities aligned to ethical practices provide a marketing competitive edge.
- RQ2
Objective two will provide the statistics on how the practices of an ethical company culture directs the behaviour of its management activities connected to CSR in accord with achieving its value shared goals relating to its importance in creating and sustaining a strong marketing advantage.
- RQ3
Objective three will provide the statistical findings of the research sampling feedback establishing the industry point of view about the importance of CSR value share as a vital management strategy for creating and sustaining a strong marketing advantage
- Literature Review
Since the beginning of the 21st century increased interested in CSR continues as a growing movement in the business world internationally. Defining CSR emerges as a business organization’s accountability to give back to the society it within it operates and in the case of the thesis of this proposal, this aligns to value sharing (Martin et al 11).
This growing awareness of the CSR obligation to society aligns to the 21st century modern business attitude exhibiting a more proactive stance because of the complexities business organizations face in today’s society in gaining a strong market advantage over the competition. Rarely, does the successful business enterprise today exist in a vacuum with the organization profits the concern of a single person, or a family, and even a group of owner investors. The evolution of contemporary business organizations proving the force behind the societal transformation that puts them in the centre of this complex global community with specific demands of the businesses they spend money on products and services (Sims 71-72).
One expert writes:
The fact remains corporate executive officers (CEO) must show their “worth his or her salt would fail to recognize the moniker corporate social responsibility and most have a plan for it. And yet the paradoxical, even oxymoronic quality of this assignment for social stewardship remains. (McMillan 15) [Sic]
The significance of the ethical corporate culture shows it as the fundamental element behind this realization of the significance of the transparency the CSR operation provides in meeting the complex demands of the changing demographics of society. In fact, having an organization built upon the ethics of a well-designed architecturally sound company culture remains the axiom of best practices for a modern business organization. The importance of this directly relates to any business achieving the critical marketing edge aligned to CSR implementing value-shared applications in its operation (Betz 2001; Epstein and Birchard 2000; Hartnell et al 2011; Martin et al 2009; Porter 1980; McMillan 2007; Ostroff et al 2013).
As the cornerstone of architecturally well-designed business infrastructure, an ethical company culture exists as collective values and shared beliefs of the key players in the management hierarchy. This, in turn, influences throughout the organization to include all stakeholders in the expected ethical behaviour of all associated with the company including the understanding of the importance to gaining the marketing edge over the competition through CSR value shared activities (Schein 7).
An ethical company culture powers the CSR behaviour to such an extent it remains debated what defines it. While culture remains an abstract, nonetheless the influence it has on creating social and organization behaviour resonate outside a conscious awareness yet, demands the ongoing attempt at understanding this dynamic because cultural forces – in the business setting enable society the opportunity “to understand ourselves better” (Schein 7).
The current and dominant paradigm of CSR centres upon the idea of creating “shared value” (Regan et al 1). The realm of CSR proactive practices focuses on increasing its business opportunities with the goal of profits while at the same time creating both social and environmental benefits to the community. This also means improving effective operations throughout the organizational profit chain whether it is in the supply chain or in the distribution chain. Incorporating the CSR approach using the shared value concept toward building a marketing advantage continues growing in popularity between both corporate leaders and among academicians according to Vogel (20 as cited in Regan et al 7).
This remains a direct connection to the influence of an ethical corporate culture. Organizations having no ethical foundation as expressed in its culture, or a business organization having lost touch with the existing one risks failing establishing a market advantage as offered through a viable CSR positioning in the company. Management hierarchy sets the momentum for this proven marketing tactic in gaining the respect, loyalty, and sustainability of the stakeholders up and down the value share line (Johnson and Phillips 277).
- Conceptual/Methodology and Model
The conceptual framework of this scholastic investigation incorporates mixed methodology including qualitative, quantitative, case study, and triangulation. The qualitative aspect derives from creating a questionnaire for the target sampling population as part of the data. The quantitative methodology incorporates the use of the Likert Scale statistical outcomes as applied to the responses of the questionnaire in creating charts from the information. The triangulation application to the methodology enhances the outcomes of the findings as more legitimate than if not using it according to the inherent limitations and stands as a rationale for the mixed and multiple methodology of this proposed research
- Discussion
- Critique of Relevant Research
The literature review of the research linked to how best management practices having and maintaining a strong marketing advantage relies on an architecturally sound ethical corporate culture leading the CSR actions for achieving the value -shared goals connected with all established stakeholders shows explicit gaps. The previous literature review establishes the increasing understanding among contemporary business enterprises understanding of the importance of CSR as a critical underpinning of organization operations aligned to the concept of value-share with the stakeholders and the influence this has on creating and sustaining a marketing competitive edge. However, the even the existing literature rarely points out these organizations as defining examples of how an ethically founded company culture powers the CSR stance on value sharing as not only a smart business tactic but as a morally conscious application of the company ethical practices.
For too long the consumer in particular remains vocal in their disdain of large business corporations reporting profits yet not contributing to the community they exist and to the stakeholders that pragmatically continue sustaining these profits. Turning around this negative view of the business industry in general held by society has no instant remedy. What literature that does exist There exists globally recognized business organization held up as examples of the ideal ethically founded company culture that proves its CSR commitment in numerous ways to the value-sharing concept (Mitchell 26).
The dynamics of these business organizations having a recognized marketing competitive edge directly links to the CSR value share operation. In fact, as a marketing tactic the CSR as an accountability effort promoting the concept of value-share does provide the potential for positive outcomes. This connects to the psychological underpinnings of the public buying behaviour in general (Mitchell 26).
While literature on marketing tactics shows far more outcomes of research about the psychological demographics of the consumer, again, only recently has some research emerged with findings that relate the significance of the evolution of the consumer. This relates to the fact that for approximately a century, Western societies’ business marketing tactics connected to discovering the psychological vulnerability of the consumer and using this information for creating marketing campaigns directly intended to persuade the buying behaviour of the public (Mitchell 26).
Consequently, while abundant literature reveals the psychological susceptibility of the typical consumer in the past century as connected to persuasive advertising schemas now prove less reliable in marketing plans aimed at gaining the share of marketing no matter the product or service outside specialized enterprises. The fickle nature of today’s consumer buying behaviour demands understanding this is a better educated, focused on getting value for money spent, and is more capable of applying intellectual reasoning about spending money. The significance of these facts connected to the proposed research of this discourse directly looks at the disastrous route ahead for any business organization in the 21st century viewing these findings through “the lens of the mid-20th-century behaviourist psychology upon which most marketing theories (continue)” (Mitchell 26).
This discovery of the malleability of human behaviour directly links to marketing purposes however, for the purpose of this proposed study clearly researching the limited but nonetheless valid indications that the public spending behaviour demands more accountability of what is the value share to society from the profits their money provides businesses (Benjamin 35). No percentages exist using the superficial and short-term marketing tactics some refer to as “bunch bag” campaigns relying on selling goods and services using the correct stimulus encouraging the correct buying response from the consumer. This holds no promise of sustainability for building a market advantage and keeping it (Mitchell 26). Therefore, the benefit derived from the proposed research presented here looks at contributing to the slim body of existing reports on the literal demand that 21st century business having a market advantage directly links to the value share actions of the CSR.
- Conclusion
The scholastic endeavour presented in this proposed business management research in business management looks to explore the realistic benefits of an ethically bound company culture influencing CSR proactive measures incorporating value sharing connected to all stakeholders as a measurable marketing advantage goal. According to the previous outline of this proposed research, the discussion included statements about the clear psychological marketing tactics typical over the last century in business gain tactics. Exploring this in an academic manner offers a distinct and clearly significant opportunity for adding the findings to the meagre existing body of literature on this timely and vital business issue.
The psychology of the idea of CSR influencing consumer buying behaviour still exists but the underlying foundation of how this influences not only society’s spending but also society in general in a beneficial manner is the point of the difference suggested here. The intrinsic challenges 21st century business operations face demands proactive changes in the manner they operate in gaining marketing advantages. The success of doing so incorporating the use of the CSR value-sharing ideology to gain the market advantage relies on the organization having the powerful leadership of a strong ethically based company culture. This is the fundamental focus of this scholastic research proposal to your institution in the management PhD program.
Works Cited
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