Archive for the ‘Book Reviews’ Category
Author: Ronaldo Munck
Publisher: Kumarian Press Inc.
Year: 2005
Pages: 190
Globalization and Social Exclusion is a classic, a must for people working in international business development, for investors, aid-workers as well as policy makers, politicians and all other people interested in grasping globalization.
This book provides a wide range of perspectives on the different dynamics involved in global investments. It starts with explaining what globalization and social exclusion are and are not, by also discussing social inclusion. Than it continues more on the issue of inequality and applies the concepts on global places, gender (including the sex trade), race and class. Ronaldo Munck takes the readers out of their comfort zone as Globalization and Social Exclusion does not give you the feeling that the global issues are simple or will be solved in an easy manner, if ever.
Globalization and Social Exclusion kicks in hard when it is trying to provide examples of social exclusion which are logical to follow by, for example, empowering excluded groups in order to be included. This creates the lead to social inclusion as a solution, which is then illustrated by examples of specific groups in society which are excluded or discriminated against. As a conclusion, a whole new agenda opens up beyond social exclusion.
Globalization and Social Exclusion definitely provides food for thought and material for further study. In the final chapter, it provides some additional leads moving around the globe, touching different global issues in relation to social exclusion, as market and societies; governance and control; discourse and contestation and last but not least inclusion and empowerment. As globalization is an ever-changing process of transformation, so are the various parameters of economic, social, political, and cultural life in ways that are as yet unclear.
Review by
Saskia Kloezeman, CSR International
Authors: Bill Joiner & Stephen Josephs
Publisher: Jossey-Bass
Year: 2006
Pages: 336
Leadership Agility is an introduction and a guide to becoming a more agile leader. The ability to adapt to, and initiate, change is not only desired in today’s society – it is required. Uncertain working conditions and global competition call for strategic measures to sustained success in business. The book is highly relevant to CSR professionals as it may be used as a tool to initiating and leading change, a task some of us face daily on our quest to challenge business-as-usual. Change is needed if we are to confront and manage the great challenges of our time.
In the face of these challenges, Bill Joiner and Stephen Josephs propose the concept of leadership agility. Their piece is based on years of research and maps out a complex theory on human development. This development is captured in the five stages of agility – expert, achiever, catalyst, co-creator and synergist. The reader is encouraged to identify their current level of agility in order to start growing as leaders. One may also use the book to analyze the leadership agility of managers or organizations.
Joiner and Josephs explicitly explain the different characteristics of each level, and draw upon real life examples from business leaders. The third and last part of the book is a guide on how to move within and beyond your current agility level.
I found the book difficult to understand at first. The theory is complicated, and one should bear in mind that the book requires deep concentration as well as inspiration to read. Identifying one’s own level of agility turns out to be a difficult task and I got more out of the book as I let go of this mission. Leadership Agility is a valuable read that had an impact on me in the end. After reading this book, I have become more aware of how my thoughts and emotions play into my performance and set my direction as a young professional. I feel better equipped to handle everyday situations and decisions and – perhaps – more agile.
Review by
Katja Blomé, CSR International
Authors: Karel Mulder, Didac Ferrer and Harro van Lente
Publisher: Greenleaf Publishing
Year: 2011
Pages: 258
Historically, improving the quality of life has been the main driver for the advent of technology. But the long term effects of new technologies are more often than not unforeseen. And when unwanted side effects of new technologies cause critical damage to our environment, the natural impulse is to turn to other technological developments to replace or reverse the effect of the old ones. Far from being a straightforward process, making technology more sustainable brings to the surface entire sets of problems and paradoxes.
Presented in the form of an academic communication session, the bulk of this book comprises a series of case studies all aimed at improving the economic, environmental or social performance of technologies and resource management. An introductory study and a chapter on conclusions frame the eleven studies looking at materials and energy, urbanisation, transport and water management.
Acknowledging both the Bruntland Commission definition of sustainability and the vagueness of the term, this volume investigates the complex ways in which different manifestations – or articulations – of sustainability conflict with each other and the way technology is intertwined with economic interests, policy-making, cultural habits or social goals. Can applying the same technology yield completely different and sometimes opposite results? Is it possible that the very process of recycling is damaging to the environment? How long until the end of oil, or the beginning of the hydrogen-fuelled society? These are only a few of the huge number of puzzling questions that scientists and researchers are trying to answer.
With its extensive biography and wide range of topics, the book is an excellent introductory read for anyone trying to get the grips of how sustainability works and how technological developments relate to it.
Review by
Leonard Bacica, CSR International
1. The Quest for Sustainable Business: An Epic Journey in Search of Corporate Responsibility (Wayne Visser)
This book is a journey of two kinds. First, it is an autobiography of Dr. Wayne Visser. Second, the book presents the recent evolution of Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility. The book takes the reader on a voyage from the African continent to Europe, then to Asia Pacific and the Americas with the final destination in the United Kingdom. Review by Karina Yadav. Read more
2. Accounting for Sustainability: Practical Insights (Anthony Hopwood, Jeffrey Unerman and Jessica Fries)
This book is an attempt to encourage the practice of CSR by proposing a “Connected Reporting Framework” and showing examples of how this has been applied in several organisations including Sainsbury’s, EDF Energy, BT, HSBC and others. The book is the outcome of five years of the Accounting for Sustainability (A4S) project started by HRH Prince Charles and supported by a range of sponsors, mostly the big accounting firms.Review by Elaine Cohen. Read more
Download
Editors: Anthony Hopwood, Jeffrey Unerman and Jessica Fries
Publisher: Earthscan
Year: 2010
Pages: 258
Integrated reporting. Connected thinking. Total accountability. Embedding sustainable practices. The business case for sustainability. Interconnectedness. Measure what matters. The jargon abounds. The practice does not. Accounting for Sustainability is an attempt to encourage the practice, adding a little more jargon, by proposing a “Connected Reporting Framework” and showing examples of how this has been applied in several organisations including Sainsbury’s, EDF Energy, BT, HSBC, Aviva, Novo Nordisk and two non-business organisations, the West Sussex County Council and the Environment Agency.
This book is the outcome of five years of the Accounting for Sustainability (A4S) project started by HRH Prince Charles and supported by a range of sponsors, mostly the big accounting firms. The A4S project’s challenge is described as ensuring “that sustainability information is included in mainstream reporting and is strategically important so that it forms part of the decision-making process of the business. This differs from much of the current corporate responsibility reporting which is not connected with the business and its strategic thinking.” The key to this is integration of business processes and the analysis of how ESG factors influence what businesses do and how this impacts the bottom line in the form of an investment with an ROI or a new business opportunity. By calculating the financial impact of such CSR and sustainability programmes, they cannot logically be excluded from financial reporting. This is a move away from sustainability “because it is the right thing to do” and a move towards sustainability as a business case, pure and simple.
The book, after an initial introduction to the rationale for the A4S project and a detailed description of the framework, provides case studies written by a range of (mainly) accounting and finance academics, following interviews and interactions with the companies who have tried to work with the Connected Reporting framework.
The case study that I found most impressive was BT, the global telecommunications company, who published a first Environment Report in 1992. The study of the sustainability evolution at BT shows how the Business Case for CSR was developed, the business benefits BT expects from its sustainability programmes, the drive to assess materiality and the application of a more quantitative assessment of sustainability performance in financial terms.
All in all, Accounting for Sustainability provides a good overview of the challenges and dilemmas companies face as they evolve their sustainability thinking. My surprise was that the case studies served more to share thoughts and experiences rather than to provide absolute proof that A4S and CFR are the only ways to go. The result is more of a discussion and less of a recommendation, leaving some gaps in the actual degree to which the framework actually lives up to expectations. These frameworks clearly have a place in the ongoing debate about the future of (integrated) reporting, and therefore, this book is a useful addition to the body of emerging knowledge in this space.
Adapted from a review originally published on www.csr-books.com
Review by
Elaine Cohen, Beyond Business Ltd.
The Quest for Sustainable Business: An Epic Journey in Search of Corporate Responsibility
2013
Author: Wayne Visser
Publisher: Greenleaf Publishing
Year: 2012
Pages: 256
This book is a journey of two kinds. First, it is an autobiography of Dr. Wayne Visser, one of the world’s top 100 thought leaders in Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility, and a Top 100 Global Sustainability Leader. Second, the book presents the recent evolution of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) or as Dr. Visser’s coined the term – Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility.
The Quest for Sustainable Business takes the reader on a voyage from the African continent to Europe, then to Asia Pacific and the Americas with the final destination in the United Kingdom. Incidentally, this route reflects the life journey of the author, who was born in Zimbabwe and spent his childhood in South Africa, and who now lives in London, UK.
With the CSR concept much promulgated in Western society, the book can be a surprising discovery of CSR undertakings in the developing world. For example, the book highlights a number of market and government initiatives in Kenya, Nigeria, China and India. Nevertheless, it is somewhat disappointing that the author does not elaborate on the state of CSR in Russia – a country with world’s largest energy resources and forest reserves.
The book can be valuable to anyone who is interested in the diverse and contested concept of CSR and its development in different parts of the world. As the reader discovers along the journey, drivers for CSR range from economic, political, social, cultural and even geographical characteristics. The latter becomes apparent when comparing the Netherlands and Australia. How does this happen? Perhaps it would be better to let the reader find out what a difference can be made by the immediate need for a remedy and how this can transform the identity of a nation.
Review by
Karina Yadav, CSR International
Author: Dave Ulrich and Wendy Ulrich
Publisher: McGraw-Hill
Year: 2010
Pages: 304
This book is about both the why and the how of meaning at work.
The why refers to the human search for meaning that finds its way into our organisations, a search that motivates and defines us. The how gets us into the practicalities of how leaders facilitate that search personally and among their employees. It provides specific tools and principles to help leaders put meaning to work.
Divided into 10 chapters, this book covers a variety of topics including the economic value of creating an abundant work culture based on meaning. It provides a tool for the creation of an “abundant organisation”. It highlights seven questions to help leaders reach the abundance objective–
1 – What am I known for?
2 – Where am I going?
3 – Whom do I travel with?
4 – How do I build a positive work environment?
5 – What challenges interest me?
6 – How do I respond to disposability and change?
7 – What delights me?
The authors devote a separate chapter to each of these seven questions, focusing on real-world situations.
The book targets “leaders”. Ulrich defines leaders as meaning-makers – they set the direction that others aspire to, they help others participate in doing good work and good works, they communicate ideas and invest in practices that shape how people think, act and feel.
As one of the classics of CSR in business is employees’ engagement, Ulrich book designs a map to transform employees into stakeholders, so that they in turn become the organisation’s CSR advocates when interfacing with other stakeholders.
Finally, it is important to mention that the creation of meaning applies to countries as well as companies. One example shows how sustainability drives happiness to nations. Bhutan is a small country located in South Asia. Although most countries use the GNP index to measure national prosperity, this country established a Gross National Happiness (GNH) index to measure its progress. The GNH index assesses the progress of sustainable development, preservation of cultural values, conservation of the natural environment, and establishment of good governance. Even with a low GNP, Bhutan citizens are considered among the happiest in the world. For this small country, true happiness and well-being are reflected in sustainable education, health, and environment.
Review by
Adil El Menyari, CSR International
Author: Bob Willard
Publisher: New Society Publishers
Year: 2009
Pages: 129
The most distinctive feature of the book is that it is a guide. The author underlines the importance of leadership as a means to sustainable transformation steps, where “leadership” is defined as the capacity to translate vision into reality. Another important issue is that one must primarily identify the issue of leveraging in a company and the people needed to make it happen. In the book, the process of change within companies is displayed clearly via visual tools. The second chapter is devoted to how one can change the process of the company one owns through seven steps. It should be noted that all the chapters are closely related and complementary to each other and the book as a whole is very easy to read. One can also find some questions in the book which challenge one to think about the process that currently exists in one’s given company.
Another impressive section is in Chapter 4. In this section, the topics are explained using paradoxes. Here’s a quote from that section, to give you an idea of what I mean – “You have to do it yourself; you can’t do it alone.”
So who should read this book? First of all, it’s for someone who wants to start the sustainability transformation in a company that he or she owns or someone who wants to review the existing processes in such a company. This is also a great book for people who are open to moving towards new business models, governance systems as well as products and services.
Why should one read this book? Simply put, in order to understand the dynamics in the area of sustainability, to learn some different approaches to this issue, to have a systematic structure in one’s efforts to reach the targets related to sustainability.
Review by
Tolga Yavuz, CSR International
1. The Ethics of Banking: Conclusions from the Financial Crisis (Peter Koslowski)
Did the attitude of the banking industry towards ethical issues play a starring role in the financial crash of 2008? In this book, the recently-deceased expert on ethics and finance Peter Koslowski provides a thorough overview of the ethical requirements relevant to all banking business areas… most of which have been far from fulfilled in recent years. Review by Cristina Carrillo. Read more
2. The Politics of Corporate Social Responsibility: The Rise of a Global Business Norm (Ursula Mühle)
Over the past decade, there has been a global call for businesses to behave in a socially responsible manner. The notion of a socially responsible business has been gaining momentum through the emergence of Corporate Social Responsibility policies, initiatives, and organisations. However, there are few studies addressing how and why CSR has made its way into particular policies and institutional arrangements. Therefore, there is every reason to welcome a new academic work exploring why the world is witnessing the diffusion of CSR. Review by Selena Lucien. Read more
Download
Download (Free for Members. See more about Joining)
Author: Ursula Mühle
Publisher: Campus Verlag
Year: 2011
Pages: 390
Over the past decade, there has been a global call for businesses to behave in a socially responsible manner. The notion of a socially responsible business has been gaining momentum through the emergence of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policies, initiatives, and organisations. However, there are few studies addressing how and why CSR has made its way into particular policies and institutional arrangements. Therefore, there is every reason to welcome a new academic work exploring why the world is witnessing the diffusion of CSR.
Through The Politics of Corporate Social Responsibility: The Rise of a Global Business Norm, Ursula Mühle aims to fill this paucity in the academic literature by offering a novel analysis. Guided by theoretical ideas from international relations, sociology, and neo-institutionalism – as well as by making use of documents, case studies, and interviews from individuals in business, politics and intermediate sector organisations – the book accounts for the success of CSR over the past forty years. To provide a global perspective, Mühle focuses on two global CSR initiatives – the UN Global Compact and the Global Reporting Initiative.
The underlying argument is that CSR is becoming institutionalised as a global business norm, and is being embedded into what Mühle calls the “emerging global welfare sector.” She points out that there has been an increase in interrelations between business, politics (states, IGOs/IOs, industry associations), and the intermediate sector (consulting firms, scientists, NGOs, companies, investment communities) since the 1970s. Importantly, buttressed by the forces of globalisation, business itself has incorporated CSR as a norm and has actively participated in its global diffusion along with other actors.
Although the book attempts to provide a full account of which actors are actively involved in this global diffusion, it only pays lip service to the role of the financial services industry. Despite this minor shortcoming, The Politics of Corporate Social Responsibility provides a stepping stone for future research regarding the evolving corporate social responsibility of business as an auspicious new direction.
Review by
Selena Lucien, CSR International
RSS Feed
Share
E-Updates
Recent Posts
Online Fraud Report || Read More
May 22, 2013
Stakeholder Engagement Report || Read More
May 21, 2013
Global Fraud Report || Read More
May 20, 2013
Thomson Reuters Corporate Responsibility Indices || Read More
May 19, 2013
The World Development Report 2013: Jobs || Read More
May 18, 2013