The 7th International Conference on Social Responsibility, Ethics and Sustainable Business
Theme: Value(s) and Corporate Responsibility in the 21st Century
Norwegian Business School, Oslo, Norway| 12 and 13 of October 2018


Call for papers
In a time where there are important emerging business and society trends, such as the climate agenda, disparities in wealth and persistent global poverty, the rise of a sharing economy, overconsumption, economic insecurity, and uncertain benefits and risks from technology, discourse about business values and indeed how business creates value, have flourished. These social and business trends are resulting in a challenge to the legitimacy of firms, especially large corporations as the focus of how societal resources are organized and distributed. Corporations must now respond with actions that regain the trust and respect of important stakeholders. Understanding value creation or co-creation, value delivery and value measurement in corporate responsibility, and connecting these with corporate and societal values, offers a chance to re-legitimize businesses.
This year’s conference calling for submissions that explore the intersections between and ramifications of “value(s) and corporate responsibility”. Defining value is a strenuous effort. In business studies, especially in marketing, the concept of value is most commonly understood as a subjective measure of the perceived utility of a product or service, and can be reduced to cost benefits calculations (Ravald and Gronroos, 1998). Elsewhere, however, values are the principles of behaviour or one’s judgement of what is important in making a decision. Although business might be about the generation of value, ethical issues in business are therefore also tied to the moral values held by individuals (Forsyth, 1992). Porter and Kramer (2011) suggest that the purpose of organisations need to be redefined so that there is a focus not just on profit and value for money, but on creating shared value, such that economic value can also create value for society. This view brings together company’s success and social progress and opens the possibility of new discourses on what are the new sources of value that can be obtained by connecting business and society. Beyond shared value, what concepts and practices might better explain and align both the value and values of corporate responsibility and offer solutions to individuals who are making corporate responsibility happen.

We invite contributions that (re)connect value(s) and corporate responsibility. Articles that include current thinking and developments by both academics and practitioners, combine theoretical foundations on value and corporate responsibility with practical insights, and help managers in decision-making processes are particularly welcomed. Additionally, we are keen to encourage engagement with value themes across all aspects of business theory and practice. Below is an indicative (but not exclusive) list of possible submission topics:

How is value created in corporate responsibility and by whom?
Added-value corporate responsibility
Value co-creation in corporate responsibility
Shared value and corporate responsibility
What are new sources of value for corporate responsibility?
The value of values in corporate responsibility
Value systems in corporate responsibility
Moral values in corporate responsibility
Value and morality in corporate responsibility
Exploring, creating, delivering and measuring value in corporate responsibility
Applicants should submit an abstract of 300 words in a Word document format via email to georgiana.grigore@csrconferences.org by 15 of June 2018. Please add the following information : (i) full title, (ii) all author names, (iii) affiliations of each author, (iv) abstract of the paper, (v) 3-5 keywords of the paper, and (vi) acknowledgements or disclosure notices (if any).

No more than two papers will be accepted from any author. Only the abstracts will be published in the conference proceedings. Acceptance of papers for the conference will be based on a peer- review of a 300 words abstract.

Offers to run workshops, symposia, poster sessions, themed tracks or alternative events are especially welcome. Please contact ‪Professor Caroline Ditlev-Simonsen (caroline.d.ditlev-simonsen@bi.no) with suggestions.