Abstract
Extant research has overlooked the critical role that middle position actors, not directly related to corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, play in the implementation of the sustainable development policy of the organization. In the context of project-based organizations, there is a need for a deeper understanding of the role of project managers' integration of CSR practices when developing and executing their projects. To capture the concrete actions project managers perform when integrating CSR practices into their projects, the authors collected data through semi-structured interviews, opting for a qualitative methodology and a single exploratory case study. They contribute to the CSR literature by opening the black box of intra-organizational CSR dynamics, by bringing forward the relational process triggered by project managers to enact the organizational CSR practices, and by recognizing the importance of project managers' horizontal interactions inside their organization to achieve their project goals while framing them on a sustainable approach.
TopIntroduction
Traditionally, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been analyzed as an organizational lever that responds to the pressure of consumers, non-governmental organizations (NGO), governments, and other stakeholders to adopt responsible practices by integrating social and environmental concerns into business operations (Freeman, 1984; Aguinis & Glavas, 2012; Mellahi et al., 2016). In other words, CSR is the organizations' acknowledgment of these concerns and their responses to assure sustainable development (SD) in a way that organizational actions do not compromise the possibilities for the progress of future generations (Rapport Brundtland, 1987). Consequently, integrating CSR practices into strategic planning contributes to the competitiveness of companies within the national and global economies (Whelan & Fink, 2016). By CSR practices, we mean practices that aim to improve environmental, social, and governance performance and that, at minimum, do not harm people or the planet. Moreover, if we consider the increasing ecological and societal risks1 that will threaten business in the future (World Economic Forum, 2021) and the rising social and environmental questioning that organizations face from their stakeholders (Crilly, Zollo & Hansen, 2012; Helfen, Schüßler & Sydow, 2018), the integration of CSR practices into organizational strategy, and thus into their operations, is imperative for business survival.
Studies have shown the importance of top management's leadership in formulating and implementing organizational strategies and performance (Cha, Abebe & Dadanlar, 2019; Hambrick & Quigley, 2014; Mackey, 2008; Quigley & Hambrick, 2015). Such a top-down approach assumes that CSR practices in a particular organization emanate from top management's motivations, aspirations, and values. As a result, the nature of a company's commitment to CSR appears to be exclusively influenced by top management. Banerjee (2001) indicated that the involvement of top management remains a primary factor and is often even the most determining factor in understanding strategic CSR choices and decisions.
While the current literature underscores the role of top management in the CSR strategic process (Morgeson et al., 2013; Waldman et al., 2006), the delineation of CSR practices is not an exclusive task of top management. Interestingly, some recent work has brought forward the role of middle ranks. For example, Wickert and de Bakker (2018) and Risi and Wickert (2017) analyzed the role of CSR managers, and Birollo, Esper, and Rouleau (2021) studied the role of middle managers in implementing CSR initiatives. Notwithstanding, research has primarily overlooked the critical role of other actors in middle and lower positions. In particular, the role of managers in implementing CSR practices that are not directly related to CSR initiatives is not specifically addressed.
Projects have been recognized as privileged endeavors to execute the organization's business activities (Bredillet, Tywoniak, & Dwivedula, 2015; Geraldi et al., 2008; Loufrani-Fedida & Missonier, 2015). Project-based organizations (PBOs) utilize projects to “coordinate and integrate all their activities in their organizational structure” (Söderlund, 2015, p. 75). These organizations are present in different economic sectors, such as engineering, construction, and public infrastructure (Bakker, 2010; Sydow et al., 2004). Each project executed by the PBOs plays an instrumental role in implementing CSR initiatives by enacting various CSR practices, thus affecting the SD of society (Silvius & Schipper, 2019). In other words, projects, the temporary organizational units that build a PBO (Bakker, 2010), are the arenas in which CSR practices are performed.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Horizontal Interactions: Interactions among organizational actors belonging to the same hierarchical level. It often refers to the middle-rank levels; where project managers, as middle managers, belong.
Sustainable Development (SD): A way to achieve economic development without compromising resources for future generations.
Project Managers: Members of the organization that coordinate, integrate, and oversee all the activities of a particular project. They are responsible for achieving the objectives of a project ( PMI, 2020 ).
CSR Practices: Practices that aim to improve environmental, social, and governance performance and that, at minimum, do not harm people or the planet.
Project-Based Organizations (PBOs): Organizations that utilize projects as the main means to organize the organization’s activities.
Stakeholder: Any actor external to the organization that can be impacted or can impact the organization’s operations.
Intra-Organizational CSR Dynamics: Logics and patterns of action that structure organizational functioning regarding the organizational SD approach to achieve CSR’s goals.