Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) becomes one of the prerequisites for success of contemporary organizations aimed at humankind's survival by sustainable development. As SR behavior can generate ...significant benefits, more and more organizations are developing SR strategic plans and implementing SR initiatives. In ISO 26000, CSR has three basic concepts: Responsibility for one's influences over society, interdependence and holistic approach. Therefore, authors focus on systemic approach to CSR. The purpose is to demonstrate how combined use of appropriate systems theories can help dealing with CSR. Accordingly, Dialectical Systems Theory (DST) and System Dynamics (SD), as relevant systems theories, i.e. methodologies stemming from different systemic paradigms, were selected. DST helped to identify some relevant aspects and components of CSR which were empirically tested in businesses in the Republic of Serbia. Hence, the following factors, i.e. groups of SR activities are selected as relevant for improving organizational performance: General CSR activities; CSR activities towards consumers; CSR activities towards environmental protection and beneficiaries' health, and Socially responsible after sales activities. In addition, empirical research results indicating the influence of the above factors on performance were the basis for using the tools of SD, such as stock and flow diagrams and causal loop diagrams. SD tools contribute to simulating the system's future behavior, i.e. future performance level after improving these CSR activities. Authors introduce a new, systemic approach to conceptualizing and researching CSR by providing appropriate methodological support for exploring relevant interdependencies of CSR aspects.
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to present a research on how – the extremely necessary – systemic rather than one-sided and short-term behavior can enjoy support from (corporate and individual) ...social responsibility (SR) enhanced by transformational leadership as a source of success.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the previously published empirical research, the authors use qualitative research methodology including desk and informal field research, the Dialectical Systems Theory and its law of requisite holism.
Findings
The entire humankind is in big trouble and facing the danger of the Third World War resulting from the “war against terrorism” proclaimed in USA in 2002 and making close to 100 million persons need relief aid; this situation is because of monopolies in the global economy, both business and government monopolies. Application of knowledge that might be able to solve the problem depends on values, culture, ethics and norms that prevail in all/any entities from families via corporations and other organizations, countries, international entities (such as European Union) to the entire world and humankind (and its United Nations Organization). The most influential of all of them are the corporations, hence, their corporate governance and strategic management. Hence, they should urgently implement SR principles and methods supporting its realization instead of the prevailing short-term and one-sided criteria of right and wrong, for clear and proven economic reasons; satisfied and healthy people are causing much less cost and trouble than strikes, medical care, renewal of safe natural environment, wars, unhappy/abused partners, etc.
Research limitations/implications
The hypothesis is researched to the greatest extent possible, with qualitative analysis in desk and field research. Quantitative methodological approach took place in the cited previous publications.
Practical implications
For humankind and managers, the use of the transformational leadership is very important because of its positive impact on health and well-being of employees and, hence, on humankind’s survival in the current global socio-economic crisis.
Social implications
Good health and well-being of employees reduce many societal troubles and related cost resulting otherwise from the too short-term and narrow-minded behavior of managers and employees, potentially their families as well, all way to tens of millions of homeless migrants, killed and injured people, children with no chance for education, etc.
Originality/value
No similar concept is offered in the available literature.
Background: The contemporary world-wide socio-economic crisis tends to escalate and contribute to the global crisis. Limitation of education to one-sided ‘knowledge management’ rather than socially ...responsible ‘knowledge-cum-values-management’ is one of the crisis’s causes. Objectives: The limitations to current knowledge management should be analyzed with systemic thinking. Which values are prevailing in it now and which values will enable the survival of humankind? Methods/Approach: In the first part, literature is reviewed for analysis and conceptual generalization of knowledge management. The theoretical framework based on ‘system theory’, ‘knowledge management’ and ‘knowledge-cum-values management’, and ‘values of social responsibility’ is introduced. In the second part a new theoretical concept “A potential methodological support for human transition from one-sided to requisitely holistic behavior via social responsibility” is discussed. Results: Knowledge management is a too narrow concept, it tends to leave aside human values, an impact on the natural environment, and extremely growing differences. Humankind needs consideration of responsibility, interdependence and holism in order to minimize detrimental impact of individual behaviour on society, i.e. humans and nature. Conclusions: The research indicates that individuals should attain more requisite holism, and should not be irrational by trying to attain only rationalism in human decision-making and action.
Purpose – Respecting the growing importance of interdependence of knowledge, values and social responsibility, the purpose of this paper is to introduce the concept of knowledge-cum-values management ...and to show how some soft systems approaches can support interdependence of knowledge and human values resulting in socially responsible innovative behavior, hence in success. Design/methodology/approach – The selected soft systems approaches are used to double-check the usefulness of the requisitely holistic approach to knowledge-cum-values management and innovation. The applied methodology for qualitative analysis is the Dialectical Systems Theory. Findings – One-sidedness, unlike the requisite holism, causes oversights and hence disables innovations as a new users’ benefit. Requisitely holistic knowledge-cum-values management prevents one-sidedness and therefore many oversights; hence it is a valuable driver of innovation. It is supported by social responsibility (exposing the systemic behavior by suggesting interdependence and holistic approach to one’s responsibility for one’s influences on society). By including values and by enabling consideration of interdependence of human values and knowledge, some soft systems approaches support innovative behavior with social responsibility. Research limitations/implications – Research is limited to theoretical findings resulting from authors’ previous empirical studies. The novel concept “knowledge-cum-values” erases the human dangerous one-sidedness resulting from the irrational rationalistic division of the two. Social responsibility supports informal use of some soft systems theories and diminishes this danger. Practical implications – The practical application of the selected soft systems approaches and social responsibility offers great possibilities for managers to improve the holism of their innovation processes, driven by knowledge-cum-values management. Fewer oversights are possible and lead to fewer mistakes and more success in the invention-innovation-diffusion processes. No human is rational or emotional only, either as a creator or as a consumer, but this fact is disregarded in the management literature. Social implications – Social responsibility shall be considered as an important novel soft-system approach and part of organizational innovative behavior aimed to replace the one-sided approaches prevailing so far and causing crises: the overseen attributes do not cease, but they still impact life and are out of control. Originality/value – The contribution introduces the new, still insufficiently researched concept of knowledge-cum-values management; it highlights new ways of attaining the requisitely holistic knowledge-cum-values management that enhances enterprise’s innovation capacity by requisite holism, supported by social responsibility.
Purpose - Development or existence of human society depends on innovations and the end of one-sidedness of behavior. The complexity of innovative processes has been widely studied, yet the success ...rate is still low. The purpose of this paper is to identify by the dialectical systems approach how some concepts, important for development of inventions into innovations can better support requisitely holistic innovative behavior.Design methodology approach - System theory, theory of innovations and social responsibility are used to understand diffusion of innovations as part of the innovative processes.Findings - Many established theories, methods, procedures and standards support innovation management, but its economic success remains poor. Invention-innovation-diffusion processes (IIDP) remain poorly managed, especially the non-technological. The usual approach is too one-sided. Invention and innovation phases received more attention than the requisitely holistic consideration of the diffusion phase. Social responsibility can help.Research limitations implications - The paper adds to requisite holism of IIDP management. It focuses on diffusion and its link with social responsibility.Practical implications - The new approach to IIDP is widely applicable for requisitely holistic rather than one-sided political or strategic decisions and actions. ISO 26000 can increase success of IIDP.Originality value - The concepts presented here are not detected in literature and offer great value for further research and understanding, designing and managing of IIDP. The selected dialectical system of viewpoints is original.
Purpose
– This paper strives for stressing the need for tourism enterprises' (TEs') policy/governance innovation towards more social responsibility for stimulating their competitiveness. The purpose ...is to develop suggested content-related guidelines for developing social responsible TE policy and to show the practical implementation guidance for implementation of the theoretical research. According to the authors' knowledge, this has not yet been researched in the field of tourism industry (TIN).
Design/methodology/approach
– The MER model of integral management has been upgraded by Mulej's Dialectical Systems Theory. The authors considered all relevant and only the essential aspects needed for a requisitely holistic approach towards developing the guidelines for innovating the TEs' policy/governance.
Findings
– Innovation of TEs' policy/governance is possible only with the requisitely holistic and dialectical approach. TEs that will be able to track the suggested guidelines of tourism policy/governance innovation towards holism, systemic thinking, social responsibility, and sustainable tourism are more likely to succeed. Therefore, the stimulating of competitiveness and innovation of the TIN can be achieved through enterprises' policy/governance innovation that the authors suggested.
Practical implications
– The TEs can establish socially (and otherwise) responsible enterprise policy/governance in accordance with the recommendations developed here.
Originality/value
– The given suggestions are not known in available literature. The paper exposes the need for holism and consistency of TEs' development potential and interdependently examines the overlaying areas of TEs' policy/governance, social responsibility, and holism/wholeness. The Dialectical Systems Theory systemic approach exposes the need to innovate enterprise policy/governance, if humankind is to survive.
Purpose
– Socially responsible innovative behaviour should reduce the incidence of one-sidedness in the behaviour of persons employed or active in tourism organizations. People with disabilities are ...often poorly integrated, even in the advanced societies. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
– With a requisitely holistic approach in dialectical systems theory and an overview of relevant literature, the common characteristics of tourists with disabilities are briefly described. A dialectical systemic analysis was used to determine whether people with disabilities want to travel and what their requirements are. A questionnaire was used to identify their recent travelling experiences; tourism organizations were interviewed about their experiences, too. A model of a travel agency, specialized for people with disabilities, is presented.
Findings
– The usual approach to people with special needs is too one-sided. A more requisitely holistic approach to understanding their needs in tourism, based on existing literature and an empirical analysis, is presented. A more innovative management of tourism organizations is proposed, increasing social responsibility (SR).
Research limitations/implications
– The authors contribute to the integration of people with disabilities in society, focusing on innovation in the management of tourism organizations.
Practical implications
– This new, more systemic and socially responsible innovative management in tourism is widely applicable. Tourists with disabilities, their family members, and their travelling companions could become more included in tourist activities and represent a potentially significant share of the market. A requisitely holistic approach can provide advantages for tourists with disabilities and tourism organizations.
Originality/value
– The concepts were not found in available literature neither is the selection of viewpoints of dialectical systems thinking and SR in tourism. They support understanding, designing and managing activities in tourism for people with various limitations or specific needs.
Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to provide a new non-technological innovation to manage socio-economic crises. Economic theory, which is one-sided and fails, cannot manage these crises; the ...model suggests that crises should be solved using social responsibility (SR), human requisite holism (RH), and well-being (WB).Design methodology approach - A qualitative analysis using SR, Human RH, and WB, as well as dialectical systems theory, is applied. Field research involved Slovenian mid-sized enterprises.Findings - The current global socio-economic environmental crisis reflects decision makers' one-sidedness and resulting oversights. SR supports their holism and honesty and fights their abuse of impact. SR can help solve crises by reducing human one-sidedness better, if SR is upgraded with increasing WB, not welfare alone. Both SR and WB support RH behavior. The innovative synergy between WB and SR leads to a solution of crises. Dialectical systems theory supports WB and SR.Research limitations implications - The hypothesis is researched to the greatest extent possible, with qualitative analysis in desk and field research.Practical implications - Findings support new requisitely holistic approach to managing socio-economic crises in politics and business.Originality value - Available literature offers no similar concept.
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