Jan Hendrik Quandt
CSR between Rhetoric and Sustainability
The dissertation project focuses on a sociological analysis of the function of corporate social responsibility (CSR). CSR is a relatively modern topic which is fashionable in scientific discourse. In fact besides uncountable publications on CSR by companies also numerous academic articles and papers exist that deal with this problem. This literature can be roughly divided into three competing schools of thought: a business ethics approach, an organizational theory approach and a rather normative developmental sociological approach. A newer approach which in an interdisciplinary manner tries to connect some of those various concepts is that of Neo-Institutionalism. My approach picks up this interdisciplinarity as it builds on the findings of Neo-Institutionalism. Namely, that organizations are in their action strongly affected by their social environment, and do not function purely rationally. I apply the legal theory of private authorities in order to try and describe CSR as an emerging private regime which is supported by hybrid non-state laws and compacts. Thereby the sociological question of the function of CSR might be explained in a new way which will ultimately lead to a better understanding of the subject.
Curiculum Vitae
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- Since 02/2009
- Member of the Transatlantic Doctoral Academy on Corporate Responsibility (TADA), Université de Montreal, CDN
- Since 10/2008
- PhD Studies in Sociology at Bielefeld Graduate School in History and Sociology (BGHS), Bielefeld University, D
- 07/2008
- Summer School: Consulting Akademie Unternehmensethik 2008 (CA), Plansecur-Stiftung, Kaiserslautern, D
- 01/2005-02/2008
- Research Assistant at the faculty of sociology, Bielefeld University, D
- 08/2006-10/2006
- Internship at German Consulate General Los Angeles, USA
- 02/2006-04/2006
- Internship at "Verband der Deutschen Bauindustrie e.V.", Brussels, B
- 10/2005-07/2006
- Interdisciplinary study program: "Europa Intensiv", Bielefeld University, D
- 07/2005-10/2005
- Visiting Researcher at Universidad Academia de Humanismo Cristiano (UAHC), Santiago de Chile, RCH
- 10/2002-04/2008
- Diploma Studies of Sociology, Law and Political Sciences at Bielefeld University, D
- 10/2001-10/2002
- Alternative civilian service in Glenwood, USA
- 04/2001
- Final secondary-school examinations
References
"Somos pobres porque hay riquezas." Pobreza como construcción social.Un estudio de NGOs en Santiago de Chile. In: Aspectos 6, 2008.
"Diese Kontraste kann man sich als Europäer kaum vorstellen." In: Solidaridad 238-239, S. 31-32, 2005.
