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We examine how digital transformation of the economy may affect the field of corporate responsibility (CR) and whether some of its foundational assumptions need to be re-examined. Grounding our analysis in the relevant theory, we identify five key digital economic phenomena from a CR-relevant perspective, outline their associated ethical opportunities and threats, and map those opportunities and threats against three core questions that define the domain of the CR field: responsible for what, responsible towards whom, and who is responsible? We find that while there are foreseeable changes required of the field in relation to all three questions, it is the third one that poses the biggest challenges, questioning foundational assumptions on the allocation of responsibility (notably, that responsible entities are clearly identifiable and are human agents only). We develop a research agenda to address the concerns raised and conclude with a discussion of our contribution and its implications.

Highlights • NFIRS data identified 3405 CO incidents in the U.S. lodging industry. • Lodging industry CO incidents occur at far greater rates than previously realized. • There is a larger public health risk associated with lodging industry CO exposure., Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisonings in the U.S. lodging industry have become a regular occurrence, however there is no current mandatory national reporting, tracking, or surveillance mechanism for CO incidents in the U.S. lodging industry. As such, the problem is largely invisible. The objective of this study was to utilize the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) data to better understand the public health risk from Carbon Monoxide (CO) incidents in the U.S. lodging industry. The NFIRS datasets for years 1999 through 2018 were assessed to identify CO incidents occurring at U.S. hotels and motels. The results of the analysis identified 3405 incidents. Incidents were strongly correlated with increased fire department participation in NFIRS (R = 0.82). The number and frequency of CO incidents in the U.S. lodging industry are underreported. Previous efforts relying on news media identified only 10% of the incidents reported in the NFIRS data. This indicates a greater public health risk associated with CO exposure in the U.S. lodging industry than previously realized.

Wheat yield was obtained over nine years (2007–15) of a long term experiment in a Mediterranean-type climate, to understand the effects of rotation and residue retention on rainfed wheat establishment, yield and gross margin under a no-tillage system. The three treatments were based on increasing levels of diversity in the rotation, from ‘monoculture wheat’, ‘cereal rotation’ and ‘diverse rotation’. These treatments, except monoculture wheat, were based on three phase (year) rotations with every phase presented every year. Any winter/spring cereal may be grown in the ‘cereal rotation’ treatment, while the diverse rotation was based on a wheat–legume–brassica sequence. For the period 2007–2010, residue was spread across the plot behind the harvester. The plots were split after 2010 with residue spread on half of each plot, and the other half having the residue windrowed and burnt prior to seeding, which reduced residue levels by 40–66%. This reduction in residue level had a positive effect on wheat yield in years with high levels of cereal residue and had negative, or no effect, when residue levels were relatively low ( −1 ). By contrast, the effect of windrow burning of canola residue on following wheat yield was negligible, even at high residue levels. Therefore the effect of crop residue on wheat yield depended on the type and amount of material. Monoculture wheat and cereal rotation had the highest cumulative 9-year average gross margins, despite the diverse rotation showing higher grain protein concentration in most years and improved wheat yield over time. Lower gross margins in the diverse rotation were associated with poor legume performance in many years and low canola yields in dry seasons. Improving the reliability of these break crops in this growing environment is the key to increasing their uptake by farmers. Cover crops in the rotation negatively impacted gross margins, without any observed yield benefits in the following years, therefore should not be recommended to replace the one cash crop per year in this low rainfall Mediterranean-type environment.

When 10 million Polish workers united to form the Solidarity movement in 1980, it became the first domino to fall in a chain of events that led to the collapse of the Soviet Empire. Within Poland, Solidarity created a social contract for rebuilding Polish society with the values of justice, dignity and freedom. Yet the actual transformation that Poland underwent emphasized mainly freedom, of those three values. Leaders implemented “shock therapy” to transform the economic system into a free market economy—with scant regard to the effects on human welfare. Today, Poland is regarded as one of the success stories of the post-Soviet transformation. But many Polish workers and consumers have felt excluded from the gains in living standards. Critics complain that the values of dignity and justice were ignored in the process of bolstering Poland’s economic freedom. Illustrating this at the level of the firm are cases on a labor strike and a consumer protest that also show Polish citizens challenging the terms of the social contract under which businesses operate in Poland. The discussion concludes that, in newly established democracies, social contracts must continually evolve as the population awakens to the challenges of creating a free and inclusive society.

Boards are key to unlocking substantive action by firms on sustainability. We clarify their potential role and show how and why they are failing to deliver on that role and what can be done about it. We start by highlighting the importance of board engagement as a driver of sustainability and then report research evidence of limited board attention to the topic. This is short-sighted given the significance of sustainability but also as a matter of good corporate governance. Nonetheless, recent survey research provides encouraging evidence to suggest that many boards have the right aspirations when it comes to sustainability—they are convinced it is a strategic necessity. Often, however, they do not have what is required in terms of the people, knowledge and tools to turn those aspirations into meaningful action. Our in-depth interviews with board directors examined the obstacles to board attention to sustainability from inside the boardroom, including the characteristics of board members themselves. We identified five board sustainability archetypes: The Deniers, The Hard-headed, The Well-Meaning, The Complacent, and The True Believers. We characterize each archetype and explain how they can be identified by executives or consultants working with the board or by board members themselves. We offer recommendations for how to respond to the different archetypes and how more generally boards can advance the sustainability agenda.

ObjectivesWe hypothesized that, although the effects of dipyridamole and dobutamine on myocardial blood volume (MBV) and mean microbubble velocity (VEL) are different, the magnitude of perfusion deficit during both forms of stress is the same because both drugs unmask abnormal myocardial blood flow (MBF) reserve.BackgroundBoth dipyridamole and dobutamine are used clinically as pharmacologic stress agents to induce reversible perfusion defects in patients with chronic coronary artery disease (CAD), but the basis for doing so for dobutamine is not clear.MethodsEleven chronically instrumented closed-chest dogs with multivessel coronary stenosis were studied. Hemodynamics, radiolabeled microsphere-derived MBF, and myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE)-derived myocardial perfusion were measured at rest, after dipyridamole infusion (0.56 mg·kg−1), and at peak dobutamine dose (either 30 or 40 μg·kg−1·min−1). Abnormal beds were defined as those demonstrating an MBF reserve

In chronic coronary artery disease, resting myocardial dysfunction can exist despite normal resting transmural myocardial blood flow (MBF). We hypothesized that this phenomenon occurs because of diminished endocardial MBF reserve. MBF (measured with radiolabeled microspheres) and wall thickening (WT) (measured with echocardiography) were assessed in 7 dogs after the development of severe left ventricular dysfunction caused by placement of ameroid constrictors on the left anterior descending (LAD) and left circumflex arteries and 3 weeks after selective bypass surgery to the LAD. Before surgery, the mean transmural MBF at rest and at peak dobutamine dose in the LAD bed were 1.1 +/- 0.5 and 3.0 +/- 1.5 mL/min per gram, respectively, and were not significantly changed after LAD bypass. The resting endocardial-to-epicardial MBF ratio (EER) was also normal before bypass (1.5 +/- 0.6) and remained unchanged after surgery. The prebypass EER at peak dobutamine dose, however, was markedly diminished in the LAD bed (0.7 +/- 0.3) and improved significantly (1.3 +/- 0.8, P.01) after surgery. Resting WT in the LAD bed also improved to normal levels (36% +/- 4% versus 13% +/- 6%, P =.0001) and no longer demonstrated a biphasic response to dobutamine. In comparison, the nonbypassed left circumflex bed continued to show reduced resting WT (12% +/- 6%), a biphasic response to dobutamine, and abnormal EER during rest and dobutamine (0.7 +/- 0.3). We conclude that persistent myocardial dysfunction in the presence of normal resting transmural MBF can occur as a result of diminished endocardial MBF reserve, with transmural MBF reserve remaining normal.

The spray application of cryo-based fibrin sealant was evaluated for reducing hemorrhage in a complex, anticoagulated canine model of knee joint arthroplasty. Nine heparinized dogs underwent bilateral knee arthroplasty under tourniquet control with each animal having 3 mL of fibrin sealant sprayed onto one joint and the other joint serving as control. The fibrin sealant significantly reduced total and incremental bleeding as compared to the control side (P < .05). In addition, the hemostatic effectiveness of the fibrin sealant increased as bleeding propensity increased (P < .05). This study suggests that fibrin sealant may reduce bleeding from orthopedic joint replacement in human patients undergoing routine operations as well as those receiving forms of anticoagulation to reduce the incidence of deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolus.

This paper examines the Shareholder Primacy Norm (SPN) as a widely acknowledged impediment to corporate social responsibility and explores the role of business schools in promoting the SPN but also potentially as an avenue for change by addressing misconceptions about shareholder primacy and the purpose of business. We start by explaining the SPN and then review its status under US and UK law and show that it is not a legal requirement, at least under the guise of shareholder value maximization. This is in contrast to the common assertion that managers are legally constrained from addressing CSR issues if doing so would be inconsistent with the economic interests of shareholders. Nonetheless, while the SPN might be muted as a legal norm, we show that it is certainly evident as a social norm among managers and in business schools — reflective, in part, of the sole voting rights of shareholders on corporate boards and of the dominance of shareholder theory — and justifiably so in the view of many managers and business academics. We argue that this view is misguided, not least when associated with claims of a purported legally enforceable requirement to maximize shareholder value. We propose two ways by which the influence of the SPN among managers might be attenuated: extending fiduciary duties of executives to non-shareholder stakeholders and changes in business school teaching such that it covers a plurality of conceptions of the purpose of the corporation.

Marking up to mark down and referring to a fictitious “regular” price in retail advertising can deceive consumers and cause consumer injury. The practice, known as high-low pricing, has become widespread in the intensely competitive retail environment. Consumers respond to this practice by drawing one of several inferences about the value of the product and the prevailing competitive price. Whether the consumer is deceived depends on the inference drawn. This paper integrates legal, public policy, consumer behavior, and retailing perspectives to examine the issue and propose retailer and regulatory solutions. To date, regulators have attempted to impose a “per se” approach. Through analysis of retailer motivations, consumer behavior and the May D&F case, a “Rule of Reason” approach is suggested as an alternative solution to this issue of significant concern to retailers and public policymakers alike.

The performance of the National Health Service is assessed in part by an Efficiency Index (EI) which is applied to the service as a whole as well as to individual health authorities. The El relates increases in the amount of patient care activity to increases in total expenditure. The index can give a misleading impression of performance, creates perverse incentives and is at odds with the overall strategy of the health service which is to place greater emphasis on the promotion of health and to provide more care in primary and community-based settings. The philosophy, validity and appropriateness of the El are discussed.

Charges of labor rights abuses and environmental harm are increasingly common for major brands sourcing in today’s globally expanded supply chains, often presenting major reputational risks at minimum. However, the standard response of attempting to police supply chains by emphasizing compliance standards is often unlikely to be a sufficient or effective long-term solution. Apparel retailer Gap Inc. went from a typical compliance-oriented approach to develop instead a genuine, comprehensive and much more effective stakeholder engagement strategy. Developing strategic stakeholder engagement involves five key steps: 1) stakeholder mapping to get internal engagement; 2) identifying the material issues; 3) defining objectives; 4) resolving issues collaboratively; and 5) embedding engagement. Our research with Gap Inc. management and its external stakeholders shows how this approach proved to be more effective by contrasting two comparable child labor incidents in the company’s supply chain. However, it took time to develop and required a different mindset, including a shift from risk aversion to partnership, from “quick fixes” to sustainable solutions, and an expanded conception of supply chain responsibility going beyond attention to first tier suppliers. As well as solving if not averting problems in the supply chain (and elsewhere), strategic stakeholder engagement helps management see the future, facilitates trust, and can improve the company’s public image. More fundamentally, it provides a deeper understanding of a company’s obligations to its stakeholders and thus is consistent with authentic commitment to corporate social responsibility.

* INSEAD Chaired Professor of Ethics and Social Responsibility at INSEAD , Boulevard de Constance, 77305 Fontainebleau Cedex, France Ph : 33 (0)1 60 72 41 45 Email: craig.smith@insead.edu ** Professor at University of Lausanne, Department of Business Economics 619-Internef 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland ph: +41 21 692 3373 Email: guido.palazzo@unil.ch *** Professor at European School of Management and Technology GmbH, Schlossplatz 1, 10178 Berlin, Germany Ph : +49 (0) 30 21231 1528 Email : cb@esmt.org A working paper in the INSEAD Working Paper Series is intended as a means whereby a faculty researcher's thoughts and findings may be communicated to interested readers. The pape r should be considered preliminary in nature and may require revision. Printed at INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France. Kindly do not reproduce or circulate without permission.

The focus of my comments is on Shelby’s research on marketing ethics, with particular attention to the Hunt-Vitell theory (or model) of ethics. However, it is important to place this research in the broader context of his work, not least because this informs our understanding of his more specific contributions in marketing ethics. So, for example, not only do we find the same careful craftsmanship, from conceptualization through to execution of his papers, we also find Shelby’s approach guided by his perspective on the philosophy of science. While for some it might be characterized as overly positivist, for others it is an approach that brings clarity and greater certainty to an uncertain domain.

Despite significant ethical advances in recent years, including professional developments in ethical review and codification, research deception continues to be a pervasive practice and contentious focus of debate in the behavioral sciences. Given the disciplines’ generally-stated ethical standards regarding the use of deceptive procedures, researchers have little practical guidance as to their ethical acceptability in specific research contexts. We use social contract theory to identify the conditions under which deception may or may not be morally permissible, and formulate practical recommendations to guide researchers on the ethical employment of deception in behavioral science research.

While consumers are often identified as a driver of the “business case” for corporate social responsibility, little is known about the precise impact CSR has on consumers. It has been widely speculated that socially responsible behavior will be subject to a halo effect whereby consumer awareness of one set of CSR actions (e.g., recycling) will influence their perceptions of CSR performance in other areas (e.g., eco-friendly production) about which they have little or no information. Two studies provide support for a halo effect within domain (e.g., environment) and across domains (e.g., environmental action influences perceptions of CSR performance in relation to the local community). Our research suggests that consumers may well make inferences about company CSR performance on the basis of very limited information. This has implications for company CSR strategy and for public policy where companies attempt to use the CSR halo to manipulate consumer perceptions of CSR performance.

Shareholder primacy is considered a major impediment to corporate social responsibility. This paper examines the status of the Shareholder Primacy Norm under US and UK law and shows that it is no longer legally enforceable, but remains a powerful social norm among managers, in part because of the sole voting rights of shareholders. Accordingly, we apply Rawls’ social contract theory to evaluate the legitimacy of shareholder primacy as manifest through the voting rights of shareholders and assess whether this principle of governance would be endorsed or the Stakeholder Equality Norm, a competing norm proposed here as an operationalization of stakeholder theory. Contrary to expectations, we find that a Rawlsian analysis is more supportive of shareholder primacy than stakeholder theory because it dictates that economic efficiency would determine the best governance principle and shareholder primacy would likely be more efficient. However, shareholder primacy would not be unfettered because justice considerations of Rawls’ theory impose exogenous constraints, primarily in the form of legislation. We conclude by showing that the on-going debate between shareholder primacy and stakeholder theory is in many respects about the choice between exogenous vs. endogenous constraints and essentially a debate between political liberalism and libertarianism.

During the past half century, in general, marketers have heeded Levitt's (1960) advice to avoid “marketing myopia” by focusing on customers. In this article, the authors argue that marketers have learned this lesson too well, resulting today in a new form of marketing myopia, which also causes distortions in strategic vision and can lead to business failure. This “new marketing myopia” stems from three related phenomena: (1) a single-minded focus on the customer to the exclusion of other stakeholders, (2) an overly narrow definition of the customer and his or her needs, and (3) a failure to recognize the changed societal context of business that necessitates addressing multiple stakeholders. The authors illustrate these phenomena and then offer a vision of marketing management as an activity that engages multiple stakeholders in value creation, suggesting that marketing can bring a particular expertise to bear. They offer five propositions for practice that will help marketers correct the myopia: (1) map the company's stakeholders, (2) determine stakeholder salience, (3) research stakeholder issues and expectations and measure impact, (4) engage with stakeholders, and (5) embed a stakeholder orientation. The authors conclude by noting the implications for research.

Major criticisms of pharmaceutical marketing are summarized and industry responses identified. Analysis of this industry case study highlights ethical issues in marketing and the broader problem of harnessing enterprise to ensure quality of life and public good. A social control of business model is presented and the limits of corporate social responsibility delineated.

Defaults have such powerful, pervasive and unrecognized effects on consumer behavior that in some settings they may be considered 'hidden persuaders'. Looking at defaults from the perspective of consumer welfare, consumer autonomy and marketing ethics, this paper shows that ignoring defaults is not an option. It identifies three theoretical causes of default effects-implied endorsement, cognitive biases, and effort-to guide thought on the appropriate marketer response to the issues posed for consumer autonomy and welfare. We propose the concepts of "smart defaults" and "adaptive defaults" as welfare-enhancing and market-oriented alternatives to the current practice of generally ignoring default effects, in addition to other remedies. Our analysis highlights how an ethical market orientation would consider the process of consumer decision making as well as its outcomes: marketers bear responsibility for consumer buying mistakes arising from the marketer's inept neglect or misuse of defaults. As well as recommendations for marketing practice, we also identify policymaker and research implications of defaults and consider, more broadly, the ethics of using techniques that influence consumer choice without consumer awareness.

s / Can J Diabetes 36 (2012) S24eS76 S62 glucolipotoxicity and chronic ER stress. Interestingly, double BaxBak knockout resulted in an acute and transient up-regulation of the islet ER stress response. Together, these data suggest that Bax and Bak, both separately and in combination, are important for beta-cell loss in diabetes and have novel roles in the regulation of beta-cell organelle stress upstream of apoptosis execution.