Title of Dissertation:
The Political Role of Multinational Corporations
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Ingo Pies
University: Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg
Scholarship: KSG Scholarship
Cohort: 4. Cohort, 2017-2020
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Short Abstract
The phenomenon of corporations assuming a political role has become an intensely debated topic in the fields of business ethics and political science alike. Particularly in developing countries, international corporations have the potential to further political and social causes by measures under the headline of “Corporate Social Responsibility” (CSR), however, these measures may also constitute acts of illegitimate foreign intrusion with potential backlashes on the country’s development. In my dissertation, I examine in how far the creation of political fora, particularly multi-stakeholder initiatives, can help to overcome the lack of legitimacy of CSR measures and how such fora must be shaped.
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PhD Related Publications
- Gombert, Adrian; Kirner, Benedikt; Ng, Raphael; Reese, Alexander & Pies, Ingo (2020): EDEKA & WWF – Moral Commitments in a Joint Sustainabiltiy Partnership Between a Business Firm and a Civil Society Organization. In: The Case Center (https://www.thecasecentre.org/main/products/view?id=168978)
- Schmid, Stefan & Gombert, Adrian (2018): McDonald's: Is the Fast Food Icon Reaching the Limits of Growth? In: Schmid, Stefan (ed): Internationalization of Business. Cases on Strategy Formulation and Implementation. Springer International Publishing AG, Basel, 2018 (MIR Series in International Business), pp. 155-171.
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Awards
- 2022, Academy of Management (AOM): Winner of the "SIM Division Best Paper Award" for "Deliberation without Romance (nor Cynicism): The Role of Corporations in Deliberative Democracy".
- 2021, Corporate Responsibility Research Conference (CRRC), Winner of the "Best PhD-Paper" Award for "The Legitimizing Power of Contestation—Grounding Multi-stakeholder initiatives in the Rawlsian Theory of Justice".
- 2021, Academy of Management (AOM): Finalist of the "SIM Best Student Paper Award" for "Three Dimensions of Legitimacy and their Meaning in the Context of Multi-stakeholder Initiatives" (with Rebecca Ruehle)