Limits to Stakeholder Influence. Why the Business Case Won't Save the World - Michael L. Barnett

Using arguments built from two decades of highly cited and award-winning published scholarship, Michael L. Barnett uses strong theoretical building blocks and a well-vetted critical perspective to chart the boundaries of the business case for corporate social responsibility. The original introduction organizes and integrates this world-class research into a coherent and convincing story, while the original concluding chapter takes the reader beyond the current literature and provides a path forward that can build a better business case. A multifaceted mix of conceptual and empirical work across levels of analysis (individual, firm, and industry) provides a comprehensive perspective, warts and all.

This critical and approachable collection will be a key resource for management scholars, from doctoral students to senior professors, whether they seek to gain a foothold on the core topic of the relationship between business and society or wish to find a way to add to this rich literature. The book would fit as a resource in doctoral seminars and university libraries. Consulting firms and practitioners may also take interest, as they prepare for, and prepare others for, leadership roles in corporations.