The Corporation as Citoyen? Towards a New Understanding of Corporate Citizenship

Journal of Business Ethics · 2014 · Volume 120 · Issue 4

DOI: 10.1007/s10551-013-2004-8

Abstract

Based on the extended conceptualization of corporate citizenship, as provided by Matten and Crane (Acad Manag Rev 30(1):166–179,2005), this paper examines the new role of corporations in society. Taking the ideas of Matten and Crane one step further, we argue that the status of corporations as citizens is not solely defined by their factual engagement in the provision of citizenship rights to others. By analysing political and sociological citizenship theories, we show that such engagement is more adequately explained by a change in the self-conception of corporate citizens from corporate bourgeois to corporate citoyens. While the corporate bourgeois acts primarily for private business purposes, the corporate citoyen engages in society, performing civil and political rights and duties. As an intermediate actor in society, shaped by the principle of subsidiary task-sharing, the corporate citoyen undertakes co-responsibility for social and civic affairs and actively collaborates with fellow citizens below, beside and beyond governmental regulation.

Keywords

Bourgeois, Citoyen, Corporate citizenship, Corporate social responsibility, Responsibility, Social doctrine, Subsidiarity

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