Power and Size of Firms as Reflected
in Cleaning Subcontractors’ Practices of Social Responsibility |
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Authors: | Sarit Nisim Orly Benjamin |
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Institution: | (1) Sociology and Anthropology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 52900, Israel |
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Abstract: | Recent discussions in the area of corporate social responsibility suggest that organizational size has complex meanings and
thus requires more scholarly attention. This article explores organizational size in the context of relative power in inter-organizational
networks. To shed light on the ways relative power interacts with size we studied social responsibility practices among cleaning
subcontractors in three firms of different sizes. Our focus on the network differentiates these firms on the basis of their
size and sector. Semi-structured interviews were used to trace cleaning subcontractors’ CSR-related practices. We analyzed
subjective reports and discursive practices involved in subcontractors’ self-presentations. While the economic and philanthropic
dimensions of social responsibility were presented by the cleaning subcontractors as independent of network constraints, the
findings show that the legal and ethical dimensions were subject to large client–firm pressures. What we learn from our data
is that the four dimensions of Carroll’s model, the economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic, should all develop from and
be evaluated against a fifth root dimension of inter-personal commitment. |
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Keywords: | corporate social responsibility firm size power relations cleaning subcontractors inter-organization network |
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