Personalia
Luc Fransen. Born in Grave, The Netherlands, in 1979. Ph.D. from University of Amsterdam. Assistant Professor of Political Science at University of Amsterdam.
Fellow (1 Sept – 31 Dec 2016)
Corporate Social Responsibility and the State in Europe: The National Embeddedness of Transnational Flows
Research Question
Studies show variation in the degree to which Corporate Social Responsibility practices are taken up by firms, also across countries. This project explains this national variation among EU member states, examining the degree to which governments influence business decisions through both their domestic and foreign policies.
Project Description
The term Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) describes a firm’s actions to mitigate social and environmental negative externalities. Effective governance through CSR requires a critical mass of businesses willing to engage in CSR practices. Studies show variation in the degree to which CSR practices are taken up by firms, also across countries. The literature explaining variation in CSR practices across countries so far produces contradictory arguments on why one country would have more “CSR-minded” firms than the other. This project explains the national variation in business adoption of voluntary labor standards among EU member states, examining the degree to which governments influence business decisions through both their domestic and foreign policies. It combines qualitative comparative case-study with quantitative tests, strengthening our understanding of causal mechanisms. The project produces precise, robust and generalizable results that move thinking about the relationship between CSR and governments, and variation in business uptake of CSR forward.
Selected Publications
• Fransen, L. 2013. The embeddedness of responsible business practice: Exploring the interaction between national-institutional environments and Corporate Social Responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics, DOI: 10.1007/s10551-012-1395-2.
• Fransen, L. and Burgoon, B. 2011. A market for worker rights: explaining business support for international private labour regulation. Review of International Political Economy, 19 (2): 236-266.