Universities and the Promotion of Corporate Responsibility: Reinterpreting the Liberal Arts Tradition

The issue of corporate responsibility has long been discussed in relationship to universities, but generally only in an ad hoc fashion. While the role of universities in teaching business ethics is one theme that has received significant and rather constant attention, other issues tend to be raised only sporadically. Moreover, when issues of corporate responsibility are raised, it is often done on the presumption of some understanding of a liberal arts mandate of the university, a position that has come under much attack in recent years. The purpose of this article is to investigate more systematically the nature of the obligations that the university has to promote more responsible corporate behaviour. It does so on the basis of a reinterpretation of the liberal arts tradition from a critical theory perspective. This entails: (1) an initial conceptualization of the roles and functions of the university; (2) an examination of these functions at two formative periods of the liberal arts tradition, the medieval university and the rise of the modern university in Germany in the early 19th century; (3) an investigation of ruptures in the understanding and practices of the liberal arts tradition, resulting in large part from the rise of the bureaucratic state and the industrial capitalist economy; (4) a reinterpretation of the liberal arts tradition from a critical theory perspective; and (5) a systematic elaboration of the obligations of the university vis-à-vis corporations based upon the university's key functions of teaching, research, formation and professional development.     

The Socially-Responsible University: Talking the Talk while Walking the Walk in the College of Business

This article presents a stakeholder-based example of corporate social responsibility (CSR) within a university context. The first section provides a literature review that builds the case for CSR efforts by educational institutions. The next section details aspects of the focal corporate social responsibility program at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg (USFSP) from its early conception to its implementation. The Talking the Talk section describes the overarching mission of the larger university and its influence on the mission of the newly formed College of Business which undertook an ambitious community outreach program in a downtown neighborhood. The execution of the program is discussed subsequently in the Walking the Walk section, with an emphasis on formation of advisory boards, development of appropriate coursework, relevant interactions with external constituencies, and plans for assessment and continuous improvement. The article closes with recommendations for universities considering similar endeavors.     

A Neo-Kantian foundation of Corporate Social Responsibility

‘Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is conceptualized in many ways. We argue that one cannot be indifferent about the issue of its conceptualization. In terms of methodology, our position is that any conceptual discussion must embed CSR in political theory. With regard to substance, we link up with the discussion on whether CSR must be defined on the basis of a tripartite or a quadripartite division of business responsibilities. We share A.B. Carroll’s intuition that a quadripartite division is called for as a basis to define CSR. However, defending the quadripartite division of business responsibilities requires that the distinctions between economic, legal, ethical and discretionary business responsibilities be made intelligible. Carroll’s account is defective in this respect. We argue that contemporary Neo-Kantian political ethics is able to make sense of these distinctions, because of its specific interpretation of liberalism. Interestingly, from a conventional liberal perspective this interpretation of liberalism is atypical, as it extends public morality beyond the domain of the law.

“企业公民”与医药事业的境界

指出了医药行业对企业公民和企业社会责任的忽视,分析了企业公民和企业社会责任在医药行业发展中的对应要求,强调了医药行业在注重经济利益的同时,要充分重视对社会责任的承担,并从医药行业作为社会事业的角度,提出了树立企业公民意识对提升医药事业发展境界的必要性和重要性。     

The Church in the World: Shifting Notions of Ecclesial Identity among North American Mennonites

Abstract : At mid‐century, Harold S. Bender's “The Anabaptist Vision” provided a definition of sixteenth‐century Anabaptist tradition that clarified the self‐understanding of its contemporary Mennonite heirs and by which their faithfulness to the tradition might be judged. Critics of the vision, such as J. Lawrence Burkholder, sought reformulations of the vision's central tension between separation from and integration into “the world,” calling for greater social responsibility and for a recognition that the ambiguities of human existence extend to the church, of necessity qualifying its lived expressions of radical discipleship.     

Dialogue,Pluralism, and Change: The Intertextual Constitution of Bakhtin,Kristeva, and Derrida

In this article I show how the concept of intertextuality as developed by Mikhail Bakhtin, Julia Kristeva and Jacques Derrida can be applied to the political theory of constitutionalism. Such an approach carries with it the valuable democratic idea that all texts in society, including the political constitution, are in a dynamic relationship and reflect social pluralism. By analyzing and comparing intertextual theories, I develop the idea of the constitution as an open and emancipatory interpretative and textual category. I show how intertextual theorizing contributes significantly to the democratization of a modern liberal constitutional order, offering distinct strategies for progressive political and social transformation.     

论企业社会责任的工具性——关于中国式企业文化建设实效性的心理学取向

从19世纪末到20世纪初,随着企业对社会影响力的不断增大,以及工业发展对社会负面影响的日益暴露,社会对企业的关注日益增强。人们开始探讨企业除了追求自身经济利益最大化以外,是否有义务承担多元社会责任?本文试图通过分析,来探讨企业的使命到底是什么?它与承担社会责任存在怎样的关系?该怎样处理好这一关系?     

从"兼济天下"到"独善其身":魏晋南北朝士阶层社会担当意识的弱化

自汉武帝接受董仲舒"罢黜百家,独尊儒术"的建议后,儒家思想即上升为国家意识形态。儒学是一种带有强烈入世色彩的哲学思想和价值观念系统,在个体与整体的关系上,强调整体至上,公利优先的价值取向,使儒家士大夫具有强烈的社会责任意识和使命意识,但是,这种社会担当意识在魏晋南北朝时期特殊的时代氛围中弱化了。关注自我、及时行乐,成了这一时期士大夫的风尚。这一风尚对于促进个体意识的觉醒具有积极意识,但对于社会秩序的整合与重建来说,却不可避免地具有消极影响。     

企业社会责任表现与员工满意度对组织即兴效能的影响

以提升组织即兴效能为出发点,构建了企业社会责任、员工满意度与组织即兴效能三者关系的理论模型;在此基础上,通过对三者各自维度的划分,借助结构方程统计分析方法,重点讨论了企业社会责任表现与员工满意度对组织即兴效能的影响机理。     

The Ethics of Opinion in Academe: Questions for an Ethical and Administrative Dilemma

If we accept that all plagiarism is wrong, the issue is black and white. But are there more challenging questions that color the issue with shades of gray that may influence or help clarify the ethical underpinnings of the act? Does intent matter? Does the venue matter? Does the form of writing matter? What about a professor when working as a private citizen, rather than in his/her academic role? Might plagiarism be mitigated when there is no associated financial gain? Is a writer’s history that exhibits impeccable ethical integrity relevant? Should these factors, and/or other factors, even be considered in a university’s administrative response — or non-response? What might employing an ethical approach contribute to wrestling with the dilemma? The authors explore critical issues that might face a senior academic administrator when confronting the need to respond on behalf of a university to a charge of plagiarism leveled by an influential newspaper against a university professor for a social responsibility-focused opinion-editorial published in this newspaper.     

The study of American religions: critical reflections on a specialization

This essay introduces a special forum on the study of American religions. The essays in the forum consider what role, if any, the discipline of religious studies plays in shaping work within one area of specialization. This introduction attempts to place the issues raised by the contributors within the context of debates about the status of religious studies in the wake of critiques of sui generis approaches to the study of religion. In different ways, the essays argue that some kind of critical theoretical reflection is necessary for religious studies to make sense as a discipline.     

Content analysis of food advertising strategies and ethical implications on South African television

The study aimed to investigate strategies and ethical implications of food advertising in South African television. The sample included 343 food advertisements recorded over two weeks and 224 hours from two major South African TV channels. Results indicate 45 products of food advertisements. Fast food, restaurant and convenience food type had the highest number of products (17), followed by “beverage, drink and juice” (6), and “candy and sweets” group (6). Conceptual consumption (people are as interested in consuming ideas, information, and concepts as they are physically consuming things) was used as the main strategy (76.2%) for advertising food, while only 7% focused on physical consumption (fiber, energy and vitality). The majority of food advertisement used human models (78.5%), adults only (38%) and about half used both sexes. White models were used twice as often as Black models. Other advertisement strategies included claims to having fun (majority), being perceived of a higher status, acquiring a superior of products and adding social worth to the quality of person who consume the products. A few claims related to the physical benefit to the consumer, such as high fibre, whole grain, and weight loss.     

家庭功能和生存质量对学生社会责任心的影响：普高生与职高生的比较

采用回归分析和结构方程建模技术探讨了708名普通高中和职业高中学生的家庭功能、生存质量和社会责任心的差异及其关系。结果发现：（1）普通高中学生的家庭功能、生存质量和社会责任心均显著优于职业高中学生;（2）普高、职高学生的家庭功能和生存质量对其社会责任心的预测效应不尽一致,普高学生社会责任心受家庭功能亲密度和适应性两维度及生存质量心理功能和社会功能两维度的复合影响,而职高学生社会责任心主要受家庭功能亲密度及生存质量的社会功能维度的影响;（3）普高学生的家庭功能通过中介变量生存质量间接影响社会责任心,而职高学生的家庭功能直接影响社会责任心和生存质量。     

Social Ethics between Universality and Specificity: Outline of a Chalcedonian Social Ethic1

Abstract : In Lutheran ethics the Chalcedonian notion of the communication of properties (communicatio idiomatum) plays an important role in understanding the paradoxical relation between the reality of God and the reality of the world. This motif also plays an important role for Martin Luther and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. In a contemporary context the Chalcedonian understanding substantiates a differentiated unity between universality and specificity with regard to the foundation of a Lutheran social ethic.     

医院的社会责任:伦理学视角

讨论了评价医院管理行动的伦理框架,严峻的卫生形势,医院的社会责任,其中着重讨论参与全面建设小康社会;向社会提供公平的卫生保健服务;重建医患信托关系以及调整与企业关系防止利益冲突.     

幼儿责任心维度构成的探索性与验证性因子分析

责任心维度构成的研究是幼儿责任心发展及其影响因素研究的基础.本研究依据国内外有关文献和已有的研究经验,编制了幼儿责任心问卷,对120名4-5岁中班幼儿的教师进行问卷词查,在此基础上采用探索性因素分析和验证性因素分析探讨幼儿责任心的维度构成.结果表明,幼儿责任心由自我责任心、他人责任心、集体责任心、任务责任心、承诺责任心和过失责任心六个维度所构成.     

Power and Gender Influences on Responsibility Attributions: The Case of Disagreements in Relationships

Abstract

In a sample of 156 college students (74 men and 82 women), the authors examined the influences of power status and gender on responsibility attributions and resolution choices during disagreements in personal relationships. The participants read vignettes in which relationship partners disagreed; then the participants placed themselves in the situations depicted and reported their perceived responsibility and resolution choices. The participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 power-status conditions (you have/your partner has greater power in the situation). Power status was based on resource power (i.e., a monetary inheritance) or on perceived power (i.e., financial knowledge). The authors tested 2 alternative power-status hypotheses (justified benefits/rights and ability/accountability) and 1 gender hypothesis. The results supported both power-status hypotheses. In addition, the men's and the women's responsibility attributions and resolution choices (i.e., adhering to their own wishes or deferring to their partner's wishes) revealed differential dependence on the type of power held by the person with greater situational power. The authors suggest issues further research concerning how situational differences in socially based expectations (e.g., power status and gender) may affect conflicts within relationships.     

同伴团体对儿童青少年学业成就和社会功能关系的影响

运用同伴评价、教师评估和学校记录等多种渠道收集关于同伴团体、社会功能、同伴接纳以及学业成就的资料,旨在考察同伴团体与儿童青少年学业成就和社会功能的关系。研究发现：绝大多数儿童青少年都有自己的同伴团体。这些同伴团体在学业成就上有很高的同质性。学业成就与社会适应无论在团体内的个体水平还是在团体水平上都密切相关。而且,团体的学业表现是个体学业成就和社会适应间的重要调节因素,表明团体学业规范对个体水平上学业成就与社会功能的关系有增强或是减弱的作用。这项研究再一次证明同伴团体在儿童个体发展中的重要意义。     

Unity and Diversity in American Political Culture: An Exploratory Study of the National Conversation on American Pluralism and Identity

Drawing on participant observation and quantitative analysis, this paper investigates the National Conversation on American Pluralism and Identity, a series of local conversation projects organized by the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1995 and 1996. After linking this program to debates about American political culture, the paper analyzes the observational and survey data in light of five hypotheses about the conversations. The conversations reveal fundamental, unresolved dilemmas regarding the compatibility between American identity and ethnic pluralism, although the participants sometimes cope with these dilemmas in culturally creative ways.