2009

From “nuts and bolts” to CSR. Standardization and democracy. Sociology of ISO 26000 setting process
PhD Dissertation in Sociology, Department of Social and Political Sciences, Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium
Author: Coline Ruwet

Stakeholder involvement in CSR certifications
PhD Dissertation in Management Sciences Université de Liège, Belgium
Author: Manal El Abboubi

2004

Etude des perceptions et des réactions des consommateurs face aux activités citoyennes des entreprises : Application à deux catégories de produits
PhD Dissertation in Management Sciences, LSM, Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium
Author: Valérie Swaen

Le travail démocratique. Du caractère expressif, public et politique de l'expérience du travail dans les services. Le cas des caissières de supermarchés syndiquées en Belgique
PhD Dissertation in Sociology, Department of Social and Political Sciences, Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium
Author: Isabelle Ferreras

2003

Le contrôle de gestion environnemental : Une approche théorique contingente et une étude empirique du cas des entreprises manufacturières belges
PhD Dissertation in Management Sciences, LSM, Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium
Author: Sophie Marquet-Pondeville

Thesis abstract

The role of CSR in identities dynamics during a period of organizational change

The main objective of this PhD research is to study the influence of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) dimensions on the dynamics of identity in times of organizational change. We would like to investigate if the promotion of CSR attributes can enhance employees’ organizational identification and therefore their acceptance and support to the organizational change. Indeed, it seems that highly identified employees develop more proactive behaviors and attitudes in order to support organization’s objectives.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication campaigns towards the consumer: Analysis of the risks during a CSR crisis

In the last few years, numerous companies have faced crises involving their socially responsible activities (such as Ikea, The Body Shop, Nike…). Our research seeks to examine whether promoting the company as socially responsible is likely to backfire and/or protect the company in the case of a corporate crisis involving CSR matters, which the exiting literature does not currently allow to clearly establish. Furthermore, our research aims at carefully examining the consumers’ psychological processes that could potentially explain such effects and also seeks to uncover the boundary conditions of those effects of CSR communication.

Socio-technical transitions to energy efficiency - a systemic perspective in the IT sector

Strategically integrating energy efficiency requirements into a technological product innovation involves taking into account several key dimensions that go beyond the development of the green technology itself. This qualitative research aims at improving our understanding of the social dynamics taking place when a socio-technical system such as an organization transits towards environmental sustainability. Based on Geels’ multi level perspective framework (MLP), we draw on the actor network theory (ANT) to assess both micro-level processes involved in constructing green technologies and meso and macro-level patterns endogenous and exogenous to the firm and shaping the development and diffusion of those green technologies inside the organization. We conducted an in-depth case-study in a multinational IT company to understand how these social dynamics arise and develop systemically.

Toward the stakeholder company: Essays on the role of organizational culture, interaction, and change in the pursuit of corporate social responsibility

Beyond the traditional objectives of supplying services and goods, companies encounter more than ever before pressures to address and respond to the societal concerns arising from their activities. As a result, environmental excellence and the well-being of people within and outside the organization increasingly represent issues that companies try – to a variable extent – to integrate into the core of their culture, strategy and practices. Such a move towards corporate social responsibility (CSR) isn’t an easy task as organizational embedment of CSR principles entails members of the organization internalizing CSR-related values at all levels and the companies to dialogue and interact with their key stakeholders and the world at large. In accordance with this idea, the three main objectives of this doctoral research project are:

To identify relevant processes and key steps for the integration of CSR principles within the culture, strategy and the daily operations of companies;
To highlight and evaluate the evolutionary nature of the impact of CSR commitments and their communication on the attitude of various stakeholders groups;
To analyze and emphasize the influence and potential roles of these various stakeholder groups throughout the development of the CSR integration processes by companies.

Formation professionnelle continue et justice organisationnelle, de nouvelles perspectives pour la RSE ?Le cas des entreprises de l'habillement au Vietnam et en Belgique

Agir de façon éthique conduit l'entreprise à mettre en place le plan de développement vis-à -vis de ses salariés. La formation des salariés dans les entreprises socialement responsables est au cœur de notre travail de recherche. Par l'identification des réponses des cadres de la fonction RH, l'idée principale de cette thèse serait d'étudier, au-delà des discours sur la RSE, les problèmes éthiques liés à la formation professionnelle continue dans les entreprises dites responsables [éthiques].

The use of management control systems in a sustainability context

The aim of this thesis is to investigate the role of management control system to support sustainability development within organization. More specifically, it looks to the capacity of eco-control systems to support environmental strategy in order to increase environmental performance. Also, this thesis has as objective to shed a light on how ecocontrol systems may assist organization to create organizational capabilities providing competitive advantage that lead to financial performance improvement as well as environmental performance improvement.

From “nuts and bolts” to CSR. Standardization and democracy. Sociology of ISO 26000 setting process

This research addresses the question of the democratization of global decision making, focusing on non-state regulations at the international level that have increased over the past thirty years. The setting of multi-stakeholder processes is becoming a prerequisite for non-state actors developing normative instruments in the public policy realm. Is this evolution synonymous of a democratization of these forms of regulation?

This question is addressed through the case study of ISO 26000 developing process. The aim given to this future standard is to provide common guidance to all types of organizations on concept, definitions and method of evaluation linked to their social responsibility. The idea of producing an ISO standard on social responsibility was very controversial and generated a few years of intense debates. Hence new procedural rules were put in place to deal with criticisms fearing the intervention of a non-democratically elected body in the field of public policy. For the first time in ISO’s history, freedom was given to the experts in charge of developing ISO 26000 to change some of its setting process rules. The aim was to improve the inclusivity and the transparency of the procedure. This evolution can be interpreted as an attempt to democratize the International Organization for Standardization (the so-called ISO).

The aim of our empirical analysis is to make an evaluation of this attempt to democratize ISO procedure. Qualitative data - observations, interviews, collection of documents - have been gathered following the process of developing the content of ISO 26000 from 2006 to 2008 in Belgium and internationally. Our evaluation focuses on the potential benefits provided by a democratization of the procedure from an intrinsic point of view – equality of access and influence - and from an instrumental point of view - adhesion to the process and its fruits but also substantial contributions. However, we show that it is impossible to achieve all these objectives.

Stakeholder involvement in CSR certifications

Stakeholder involvement is a managerial challenge for organisations engaged in CSR certifications.

Following a qualitative and an abductive approach, this research offers answers to the following questions:

1- Who are stakeholders to consider in a CSR certification process?
2- How are they positioned in this process?
3- What are internal and / or external factors that can explain the involvement process?
4- How does stakeholder management allows interests convergence in the CSR certification process?

This research brings together the answers to these questions through three empirical studies in two Belgian companies involved in CSR certification.

The author use an interesting dialogue between two theoretical corpus and offers an analytical framework for all those involved in the management of certifications such as scholars, CSR managers, consultants, researchers, students and NGOs.

Etude des perceptions et des réactions des consommateurs face aux activités citoyennes des entreprises : Application à deux catégories de produits

Ces dernières années, la citoyenneté d'entreprise n’a cessé de s’imposer comme un thème majeur de notre société et a mis en évidence le devoir des entreprises de tenir compte de paramètres environnementaux et sociaux tant dans leur fonctionnement que dans leurs politiques de développement à long terme. En dépit de l’attention croissante que les chercheurs en marketing portent à la citoyenneté d’entreprise, la nature de ce concept ainsi que ses implications demeurent vagues. Les recherches concernant les effets de la citoyenneté d’entreprise donnent des résultats contradictoires et ne permettent pas de répondre de manière unanime aux questions que se posent les managers sur les bénéfices associés à une démarche citoyenne. Dans ce cadre, cette thèse vise à développer et à tester un modèle d’impact des activités citoyennes des entreprises sur cinq variables permettant de caractériser les relations que les consommateurs entretiennent avec ces entreprises : la qualité perçue, la satisfaction, la confiance, l’engagement et la fidélité des consommateurs.

Pour atteindre cet objectif, trois études exploratoires ont été réalisées : des entretiens qualitatifs avec des experts et des consommateurs, une enquête internationale et une expérimentation. Ces études ont été suivies d’une enquête par questionnaire portant sur deux catégories de produits (produits cosmétiques et d’hygiène / chaussures et vêtements de sport) et réalisée sur un échantillon de 618 personnes en Communauté Française.

La contribution principale de notre travail est de montrer que les activités citoyennes des entreprises jouent un rôle dans le développement et le maintien de relations de long terme avec les consommateurs, notamment via leur impact sur la confiance des consommateurs. Ce résultat est loin d’être négligeable étant donné l’importance de la confiance dans les processus de décision des consommateurs et dans les résultats économiques des entreprises.

PhD. Dissertations

PhDs in progress

2013

2011

2010

2009

2004

2003

Thesis abstract