The DOI matches its Crossref record; 78 of the 80 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Talking the Talk, Moral Entrapment, Creeping Commitment? Exploring Narrative Dynamics in Corporate Responsibility Standardization
Open accessAbstract
This paper examines the type and temporal development of language in the process of corporate responsibility (CR) standardization. Previous research on CR standardization has addressed the proliferation and organizational embedding of material practices but neglected the analysis of underlying ideational dynamics. Departing from this practice, we introduce a narrative perspective that illuminates the trajectory a CR standard follows, from being formally adopted to becoming collectively accepted as a valid solution to a problem of societal concern. We argue that this perspective helps scholars explore the dynamic interplay between symbolic and material aspects of standardization and understand better the discursive antecedents of coupling processes in organizations. Drawing on the case of the Equator Principles standard in international project finance, we empirically study how narratives create meaning shared by both business firms and their societal observers, thereby exemplifying the analytical merit of a narrative approach to CR standardization.
Overview
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“In their analysis of corporate responsibility standardization Haack et al. (2012) similarly illustrate that increased public scrutiny makes decoupling between words and action a transitory phenomenon because organizations talk themselves into”
From Timely hypocrisy? Hypocrisy temporalities in CSR communication (2020) · cites this paper as Haack et al. (2012)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“Research has indicated that this is possible provided internal and external audiences play along with the ambitions, take the goals seriously while demanding follow-up action (e.g., Haack, Schoeneborn, & Wickert, 2012;Livesey & Graham, 2007; see also Bromley & Powell, 2012).”
From Timely hypocrisy? Hypocrisy temporalities in CSR communication (2020) · cites this paper as Haack, Schoeneborn, & Wickert, 2012
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“This is so, they claim, not only because external stakeholders enforce compliance, but also because the new way of talking shapes how management and other organizational members see themselves and their roles in a new light.”
From Timely hypocrisy? Hypocrisy temporalities in CSR communication (2020) · cites this paper as Haack et al. (2012)
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Citations
Cites
Institutionalized Organizations: Formal Structure as Myth and Ceremony
Meyer, J. W., & Rowan, B. (1977) · American Journal of Sociology · doi:10.1086/226550 · Cited by 28,308
Managing Legitimacy: Strategic and Institutional Approaches
Suchman, M. C. (1995) · The Academy of Management Review · doi:10.2307/258788 · Cited by 19,903
Reassembling the Social: An Introduction to Actor-Network-Theory
Latour, B. (2005) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780199256044.001.0001 · Cited by 16,778
The social construction of reality : a treatise in the sociology of knowledge
Simpson, G., Berger, P. L., & Luckmann, T. (1967) · American Sociological Review · doi:10.2307/2091739 · Cited by 16,462
Gioia, D. A., Mehra, A., & Weick, K. E. (1996) · Academy of Management Review · doi:10.2307/259169 · Cited by 15,616
Reassembling the social: An introduction to actor‐network‐theory
Turnbull, J. (2008) · New Zealand Geographer · doi:10.1111/j.1745-7939.2008.00151_4.x · Cited by 7,646
Matten, D., & Moon, J. (2008) · Academy of Management Review · doi:10.5465/amr.2008.31193458 · Cited by 4,567
The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge
Gustafson, J. M., Berger, P. L., Luckmann, T., & Luckmann, T. (1968) · Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion · doi:10.2307/1385127 · Cited by 4,311
WHY COMPANIES GO GREEN: A MODEL OF ECOLOGICAL RESPONSIVENESS.
Bansal, P., & Roth, K. (2000) · Academy of Management Journal · doi:10.2307/1556363 · Cited by 4,020
Evolving sustainably: a longitudinal study of corporate sustainable development
Bansal, P. (2004) · Strategic Management Journal · doi:10.1002/smj.441 · Cited by 3,106
Institutions and Organizations: Ideas and Interests
Scott, W. R. (2008) · Digital Commons - USU (Utah State University) · Cited by 2,970
KEEPING AN EYE ON THE MIRROR: IMAGE AND IDENTITY IN ORGANIZATIONAL ADAPTATION.
Dutton, J. E., & Dukerich, J. M. (1991) · Academy of Management Journal · doi:10.2307/256405 · Cited by 2,931
“Let's Argue!”: Communicative Action in World Politics
Risse, T. (2000) · International Organization · doi:10.1162/002081800551109 · Cited by 2,535
Loosely Coupled Systems: A Reconceptualization
Orton, J., & Weick, K. E. (1990) · Academy of Management Review · doi:10.5465/amr.1990.4308154 · Cited by 2,473
Managerial Fads and Fashions: The Diffusion and Rejection of Innovations
Abrahamson, E. (1991) · Academy of Management Review · doi:10.5465/amr.1991.4279484 · Cited by 2,338
The SAGE handbook of organizational research methods
Buchanan, D., & Bryman, A. E. (2009) · Cited by 2,123
Handbook of Organization Studies
Hubbell, L., Clegg, S. R., Hardy, C., & Nord, W. R. (1997) · Public Productivity & Management Review · doi:10.2307/3380686 · Cited by 1,983
Scherer, A. G., & Palazzo, G. (2007) · Academy of Management Review · doi:10.5465/amr.2007.26585837 · Cited by 1,820
INDUSTRY SELF-REGULATION WITHOUT SANCTIONS: THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY'S RESPONSIBLE CARE PROGRAM.
King, A. A., & Lenox, M. J. (2000) · Academy of Management Journal · doi:10.2307/1556362 · Cited by 1,673
Phillips, N., Lawrence, T. B., & Hardy, C. (2004) · Academy of Management Review · doi:10.5465/amr.2004.14497617 · Cited by 1,670
The Institutionalization of Institutional Theory
Tolbert, P. S., & Zucker, L. (1996) · SAGE Publications Ltd eBooks · doi:10.4135/9781446218556.n6 · Cited by 1,623
Organizational responses to environmental demands: opening the black box
Delmas, M. A., & Toffel, M. W. (2008) · Strategic Management Journal · doi:10.1002/smj.701 · Cited by 1,584
Bitektine, A. B. (2011) · Academy of Management Review · doi:10.5465/amr.2009.0382 · Cited by 1,426
Corporate Social Responsibility: A Process Model of Sensemaking
Basu, K., & Palazzo, G. (2008) · Academy of Management Review · doi:10.5465/amr.2008.27745504 · Cited by 1,409
Yates, J., & Orlikowski, W. J. (1992) · Academy of Management Review · doi:10.5465/amr.1992.4279545 · Cited by 1,391
Building Process Theory with Narrative: From Description to Explanation
Pentland, B. T. (1999) · Academy of Management Review · doi:10.5465/amr.1999.2553249 · Cited by 1,311
Management Fashion: Lifecycles, Triggers, and Collective Learning Processes
Abrahamson, E., & Fairchild, G. B. (1999) · Administrative Science Quarterly · doi:10.2307/2667053 · Cited by 1,129
The Symbolic Management of Strategic Change: Sensegiving Via Framing and Decoupling
Fiss, P. C., & Zajac, E. J. (2006) · Academy of Management Journal · doi:10.5465/amj.2006.23478255 · Cited by 984
Boli, J., & Thomas, G. M. (1999) · Stanford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1515/9781503617681 · Cited by 977
MADE TO FIT: HOW PRACTICES VARY AS THEY DIFFUSE.
Ansari, S. M., Fiss, P. C., & Zajac, E. J. (2010) · Academy of Management Review · doi:10.5465/amr.2010.45577876 · Cited by 936
Hallett, T. (2010) · American Sociological Review · doi:10.1177/0003122409357044 · Cited by 905
ORGANIZATIONAL PATH DEPENDENCE: OPENING THE BLACK BOX.
SYDOW, J., SCHREYÖGG, G., & KOCH, J. (2009) · Academy of Management Review · doi:10.5465/amr.2009.44885978 · Cited by 884
Corporate Greening Through ISO 14001: A Rational Myth?
Boiral, O. (2007) · Organization Science · doi:10.1287/orsc.1060.0224 · Cited by 783
Ideologically motivated activism: How activist groups influence corporate social change activities
den Hond, F., & de Bakker, F. G. A. (2007) · Academy of Management Review · doi:10.5465/amr.2007.25275682 · Cited by 777
Managerial Fads and Fashions: The Diffusion and Rejection of Innovations
Abrahamson, E. (1991) · Academy of Management Review · doi:10.2307/258919 · Cited by 773
Constructing World Culture: International Nongovernmental Organizations since 1875
Hampson, F. O., Boli, J., & THOMAS, G. M. (1999) · International Journal Canada s Journal of Global Policy Analysis · doi:10.2307/40203433 · Cited by 753
Christmann, P., & Taylor, G. (2006) · Journal of International Business Studies · doi:10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8400231 · Cited by 745
Christmann, P. (2004) · Academy of Management Journal · doi:10.2307/20159616 · Cited by 706
Institutional Sources of Practice Variation: Staffing College and University Recycling Programs
Lounsbury, M. D. (2001) · Administrative Science Quarterly · doi:10.2307/2667124 · Cited by 699
A Rhetorical Theory of Diffusion
Green, S. E. (2004) · Academy of Management Review · doi:10.5465/amr.2004.14497653 · Cited by 686
Communication, Organizing and Organization: An Overview and Introduction to the Special Issue
Cooren, F., Kuhn, T., Cornelissen, J. P., & Clark, T. (2011) · Organization Studies · doi:10.1177/0170840611410836 · Cited by 585
Isomorphism, Diffusion and Decoupling
Boxenbaum, E., & Jonsson, S. (2008) · SAGE Publications Ltd eBooks · doi:10.4135/9781849200387.n3 · Cited by 581
Racing to the Bottom? Trade, Environmental Governance, and ISO 14001
Prakash, A., & Potoski, M. (2006) · American Journal of Political Science · doi:10.1111/j.1540-5907.2006.00188.x · Cited by 569
The Typical Tools for the Job: Research Strategies in Institutional Analysis
Schneiberg, M., & Clemens, E. S. (2006) · Sociological Theory · doi:10.1111/j.1467-9558.2006.00288.x · Cited by 520
Hardy, C., & Maguire, S. (2010) · Academy of Management Journal · doi:10.5465/amj.2010.57318384 · Cited by 442
Correspondence Analysis in the Social Sciences.
SW, Greenacre, M. J., & Blasius, J. (1995) · Journal of the American Statistical Association · doi:10.2307/2291110 · Cited by 427
Meaning Structures in a Contested Issue Field: A Topographic Map of Shareholder Value in Austria
Meyer, R. E., & Höllerer, M. A. (2010) · Academy of Management Journal · doi:10.5465/amj.2010.57317829 · Cited by 368
Accountability in a Global Economy: The Emergence of International Accountability Standards
Gilbert, D. U., Rasche, A., & Waddock, S. A. (2011) · Business Ethics Quarterly · doi:10.5840/beq20112112 · Cited by 360
From Ritual to Reality: Demography, Ideology, and Decoupling in a Post-Communist Government Agency
Tilcsik, A. (2010) · Academy of Management Journal · doi:10.5465/amj.2010.57318905 · Cited by 330
Ubiquity and Legitimacy: Disentangling Diffusion and Institutionalization
Colyvas, J. A., & Jonsson, S. (2011) · Sociological Theory · doi:10.1111/j.1467-9558.2010.01386.x · Cited by 323
Narrative Temporality: Implications for Organizational Research
Cunliffe, A. L., Luhman, J. T., & Bøje, D. M. (2004) · Organization Studies · doi:10.1177/0170840604040038 · Cited by 317
Applied correspondence analysis : an introduction
Clausen, S.-E. (1998) · Cited by 282
From Fashion to Virus: An Alternative Theory of Organizations’ Handling of Management Ideas
Røvik, K. A. (2011) · Organization Studies · doi:10.1177/0170840611405426 · Cited by 281
Applied Correspondence Analysis
Clausen, S.-E. (1998) · Sage eBooks · doi:10.4135/9781412983426 · Cited by 274
Aravind, D., & Christmann, P. (2011) · Business Ethics Quarterly · doi:10.5840/beq20112114 · Cited by 273
Discourse ethics and social accountability: The ethics of SA 8000
Gilbert, D. U., & Rasche, A. (2007) · Business Ethics Quarterly · doi:10.5840/beq200717230 · Cited by 270
Green, S. E., Li, Y., & Nohria, N. (2009) · Academy of Management Journal · doi:10.5465/amj.2009.36461725 · Cited by 255
Delmas, M. A., & Montes-Sancho, M. J. (2011) · Business Ethics Quarterly · doi:10.5840/beq20112115 · Cited by 249
Tempel, A., & Walgenbach, P. (2006) · Journal of Management Studies · doi:10.1111/j.1467-6486.2006.00644.x · Cited by 243
Wright, C., & Rwabizambuga, A. (2006) · Business and Society Review · doi:10.1111/j.1467-8594.2006.00263.x · Cited by 222
Distinguishing Adoption and Entrenchment of Management Practices: A Framework for Analysis
Zeitz, G., Mittal, V., & McAulay, B. J. (1999) · Organization Studies · doi:10.1177/0170840699205003 · Cited by 213
Where Is the Accountability in International Accountability Standards?: A Decoupling Perspective
Behnam, M., & MacLean, T. L. (2011) · Business Ethics Quarterly · doi:10.5840/beq20112113 · Cited by 183
Institutional maintenance as narrative acts
Zilber, T. B. (2009) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511596605.008 · Cited by 179
International Encyclopaedia of Organization Studies
Clegg, S. R., & R.Bailey, J. (2008) · Research Publications (Maastricht University) · Cited by 159
O'Sullivan, N., & O'Dwyer, B. (2009) · Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal · doi:10.1108/09513570910955443 · Cited by 154
An Analysis of Corporate Social Responsibility at Credit Line: A Narrative Approach
Humphreys, M., & Brown, A. D. (2007) · Journal of Business Ethics · doi:10.1007/s10551-007-9426-0 · Cited by 135
King, A. A., & Toffel, M. W. (2009) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511627170.006 · Cited by 86
The Handbook of Communication Ethics
(2011) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780203890400 · Cited by 58
Clegg, S. R., & Bailey, J. R. (2008) · International Encyclopedia of Organization Studies · doi:10.4135/9781412956246.n541 · Cited by 56
Institutionalism and Globalization Studies
Drori, G. S. (2009) · SAGE Publications Ltd eBooks · doi:10.4135/9781849200387.n19 · Cited by 53
Standardization and Uniformity
Brunsson, N. (2002) · doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199256952.003.0010 · Cited by 40
Communication and Corporate Social Responsibility
Wehmeier, S., & Schultz, F. (2011) · doi:10.1002/9781118083246.ch23 · Cited by 36
The Equator Principles: a promise in progress?
Schepers, D. H. (2011) · Corporate Governance · doi:10.1108/14720701111108871 · Cited by 35
Christensen, L. T., Morsing, M., & Thyssen, O. (2011) · CBS Research Portal (Copenhagen Business School) · Cited by 35
The Polyphony of Corporate Social Responsibility
Christensen, L. T., Morsing, M., & Thyssen, O. (2015) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780203890400.ch27 · Cited by 26
Leveraging Green Power: Environmental Rules for Project Finance
Schaper, M. (2007) · Business and Politics · doi:10.2202/1469-3569.1184 · Cited by 13
Corporate communication and corporate social responsibility: A storytelling perspective
Wehmeier, S., & Schultz, F. (2011) · VU Research Portal · Cited by 12
Clegg, S. R., & Bailey, J. R. (2008) · International Encyclopedia of Organization Studies · doi:10.4135/9781412956246.n326 · Cited by 1
Cited by
Sorted by citations
From smoke and mirrors to walking the talk: Decoupling in the contemporary world
Bromley, P., & Powell, W. W. (2012) · Academy of Management Annals · doi:10.5465/19416520.2012.684462 · Cited by 1,656
The “Macro” and the “Micro” of Legitimacy: Toward a Multilevel Theory of the Legitimacy Process
Bitektine, A. B., & Haack, P. (2014) · Academy of Management Review · doi:10.5465/amr.2013.0318 · Cited by 1,098
Self-citationSimilar But Not the Same: Differentiating Corporate Sustainability from Corporate Responsibility
Bansal, P., & Song, H.-C. (2017) · Academy of Management Annals · doi:10.5465/annals.2015.0095 · Cited by 1,042
Organizing Corporate Social Responsibility in Small and Large Firms: Size Matters
Baumann-Pauly, D., Wickert, C. M. J., Spence, L. J., & Scherer, A. G. (2013) · Journal of Business Ethics · doi:10.1007/s10551-013-1827-7 · Cited by 688
Self-citation“More than words”: Expanding the taxonomy of greenwashing after the Volkswagen scandal
Siano, A., Vollero, A., Conte, F., & Amabile, S. (2016) · Journal of Business Research · doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.11.002 · Cited by 696
Metadata
- Authors
- Haack, P., Schoeneborn, D., & Wickert, C.
- Affiliations
- University of Zurich (CH)
- University of Lausanne (CH)
- Corresponding author
- Haack, Patrick
- Venue
- Organization Studies
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2012-05
- Volume
- 33
- Issue
- 5-6
- Pages
- 815-845
- ISSN
- 0170-8406 (ISSN-L)
- 1741-3044
- OpenAlex
- W2099150154
- Cited by
- 303
- References
- 80
- Citations by year
- 2026: 27 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 33 · 2021: 26 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 40 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 24 · 2016: 16 · 2015: 22 · 2014: 13 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 34.46
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.zora.uzh.ch
- Locations
- Organization Studies (publishedVersion)
- VU Research Portal (publishedVersion)
- Alexandria (UniSG) (University of St.Gallen) (acceptedVersion)
- Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (acceptedVersion, other-oa)
- IRIS (submittedVersion)
- Alexandria (UniSG) (University of St.Gallen) (submittedVersion)
- Multilingual Matters (Channel View Publications) (submittedVersion)
- SERVAL (Université de Lausanne) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
- Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich)
- Funders
- National Science Foundation
- Universität St. Gallen
- Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (129995)
- Freie Universität Berlin
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Management and Organizational Studies
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Strategy and Management › Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Strategy and Management › Global trade, sustainability, and social impact
- Keywords
- narrative dynamics, Equator Principles, corporate social responsibility, language change
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
