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Article: Corporate citizenship: more than a metaphor?
- Article from:
- The Journal of Corporate Citizenship
- Article date:
- June 22, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Greenleaf Publishing. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Corporate citizenship is explored from a starting point of an analogy with concepts of individual citizenship. Reviewing theories since World War II reveals a shifting perspective: from a focus on nation-states and state-centred rights and responsibilities to the broader focus in which social relations, human rights and social responsibilities take precedence. Social contract theory is utilised to illustrate reciprocal relationships between members of society and government; the role of the company in society is developed by analogy. Companies as entities are analogous to individual citizens, but the large, economically powerful company enjoys a position that is also ...