Article: DRMJ vol12 no01 2023 (Article 6)
Publication:
DOI:
doi:10.17708/DRMJ.2023.v12n01a06
Author(s):
Excerpt:
This study presents empirical evidence of the hybridization of the content of codes of conduct in the US and EU. It links the conceptual frameworks of neo‐institutional theory and hybridization of corporate social responsibility (CSR) with current research on codes of conduct. Set within the international context of codes of conduct from the US and the EU, the study adopts a qualitative content analysis using MAXQDA software. Research subjects are the codes of conduct of two multinational companies (MNCs) from the pharmaceutical industry: Bayer AG (EU), and Pfizer (US). The findings show that explicitization within the EU context leads to a strong content alignment between codes of conduct from MNCs of the US and the EU. The contents of the codes in both contexts are aimed mainly at complying with legal requirements. However, codes within the US context still predominantly use explicit CSR, and demonstrate obligations to external stakeholders. To the author’s knowledge, this is the first study to find empirical evidence of hybridization of CSR by examining the content of codes of conduct. Future research should expand the sample both cross‐sectionally and within the pharmaceutical industry to expand the transferability of the results further.
Pages:
87‐105
Keywords: