Work

Decontesting Corporate Responsibility for Collaboration: A Case Study of a Cross-Sector Coalition Lobbying for Human Rights Regulation

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This article examines how non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and firms can collaborate on a contested corporate social responsibility (CSR) issue in lobbying the government to regulate businesses. Previous research has established how various contextual, organizational, and interactional factors affect cross-sector collaboration. However, there is little research on specific strategies that organizations can use to collaborate on contested and divisive issues. While research on CSR has introduced decontestation as a way of establishing dominant interpretations or depoliticization of CSR, through an empirical study, we suggest that decontestation can be used as a means of constituting cross-sector collaboration around contested issues and as a strategy for lobbying politicians and the public. We identified different mechanisms of decontestation employed by a Finnish cross-sector coalition in lobbying for human rights due diligence regulation. Our findings expand the literature on CSR decontestation and contribute to a better understanding of how NGOs and firms can form and collaborate in a cross-sector coalition to advance a contested issue.

Source: Business & Society

DOI: 10.1177/00076503251317253

Authors: Visa Penttilä, Frank den Hond, Martin Fougère, Nikodemus Solitander

Institutions: Hanken School of Economics, Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology

Language: English

Topic: Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting

Subfield: Strategy and Management

Field: Business, Management and Accounting

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,900