Research in this strand includes studies of societal inequality, comparative corporate social responsibility, and the role of firms in international development.

Sub-themes

  • Accountability and trust in organisations
  • Inequality and marginalisation
  • Corporate responsibility and sustainability
  • Global governance, ethics, and business in society
  • The impact of globalisation and neoliberalism on organisations

We are engaged in a sustained body of research that is dedicated to understanding the interconnections between organisations and the societies in which they are located. Empirical sites vary from the local to the global but are united in the desire to better understand how organisations shape, and are shaped by, the societies in which they operate.

Research includes studies of societal inequality, comparative corporate social responsibility, the practice of sustainability in MNEs, and the role of firms in international development. We further include issues such as accountability and trust, and focus particularly on power relations with and between organisations and society.

The studies employ diverse theoretical lenses and have led to publications in top academic and practice-focused journals including:

  • Academy of Management Annals
  • Business History
  • Human Relations
  • Journal of Business Ethics
  • Journal of Management Studies
  • Organization Studies
  • Public Management Review

Sample projects

  • Inequality, institutions, and organisations
  • CSR, public policy, and global market governance
  • Africapitalism: exploring the role of the private sector in Africa's development
  • Whither Public Service Broadcasting? Investigative journalism in the age of neo-liberalism
  • The dynamics of school district consolidation: race, economics, and the politics of educational change
  • Childhood obesity policy: understanding the disjuncture between policy formulation and implementation