| Document Type: |
Article |
| All Authors / Contributors: |
Yves Fassin; Marc Buelens |
| ISSN: | 0025-1747 |
|---|
| OCLC Number: |
4667391075 |
| Notes: |
About the authors Yves Fassin is a Master of Science in Engineering (Ghent University, Belgium) and holds a management degree from the Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School. He combines an entrepreneurial career with academic activity. He was Director of the Industrial Liaison Office of Ghent University, and Secretary-General of the European Venture Capital Association. For the last 15 years he has been Managing Director of an SME in metal construction. He also followed the Executive Program for Growing Companies at Stanford Business School. He was a part-time Professor at different institutions, and he is a Visiting Professor at Ghent University and Research Fellow at the Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School. His recently completed PhD in Applied Economics was awarded the 2008 Emerald/EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Award in the category of Management and Governance. His research interests include entrepreneurship and innovation, stakeholder management, and business ethical, corporate responsibility and corporate governance issues in these fields. Yves Fassin is the corresponding author and can be contacted at: y.fassin@skynet.be Marc Buelens is Doctor in Industrial Psychology at Ghent University. He has worked previously as a scientific staff member at Ghent University, and as an Executive for Artois Breweries. In the past, he served as the General Manager and Managing Director of Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School, where he still is Partner. Professor Buelens currently teaches General Management and Organization at both Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School and Ghent University. His research interests are organizational behaviour, negotiation and executive decision making. |
| Awards: |
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Abstract:
Purpose: – The disconnect between the corporate social responsibility (CSR) rhetoric and the practical reality experienced within companies calls for improved CSR evaluation systems that take into account the hypocrisy content of the firm's communication. The aim of this article is to contribute to the conceptual underpinning of a sincerity/hypocrisy index that positions an organization on a continuum from idealism to cynicism. Design/methodology/approach: – Starting with the analysis of the reasons for the dissonance between message and reality, the drivers of ethical corporate behavior, the intention of the actors and the intensity of effort and of corporate communication were analysed. Findings: – The analysis of the reasons for dissonance between message and reality sheds light on the role of communication in the perception of hypocrisy. An underlying model of a sincerity/hypocrisy index is proposed to position the firm on a continuum from idealism to hypocrisy in function of the degree of congruence or dissonance between communication and reality. Practical implications: – This concept of sincerity index could form a valuable basis for the development of new evaluation instruments for rating agencies, screening institutions and other evaluation bodies. Originality/value: – The instrument can help management to concentrate on the essence of CSR: the effective implementation of a corporate culture with attention for values and responsible business practices.
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