Gourt > Society > Issues > Business > Corporate Accountability
In criminology, corporate crime refers to crimes either committed by a corporation, i.e. a business entity having a separate legal personality from the natural persons that manage its activities, or by individuals that may be identified with a corporation or other business entity (see vicarious liability and corporate liability). This type of crime therefore overlaps with:
- white-collar crime because the majority of individuals who may act as or represent the interests of the corporation will be employees or professionals of a higher social class;
- organized crime because criminals can set up corporations either for the purposes of crime or as vehicles for laundering the proceeds of crime. Organized crime has become a branch of big business and is simply the illegal sector of capital. It has been estimated that, by the middle of the 1990s, the "gross criminal product" of organised crime made it the twentieth richest organisation in the world and richer than 150 sovereign states (Castells 1998: 169). The world’s gross criminal product has been estimated at 20 percent of world trade. (de Brie 2000); and
- state-corporate crime because, in many contexts, the opportunity to commit crime emerges from the relationship between the corporation and the state.
Definitional issues
Legal person
The Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution stipulates that,- "No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."
Function of law
History shows that laws have sometimes been used as instruments of repression, exclusion, and marginalisation; and that certain criminal justice policies may sometimes be intended to serve the interests of particular groups or to undermine other groups. Thus, the definition of crime and the nature of criminal justice policies in society usually reflect the structures of power in that society. Also, while mainstream criminologists tend to focus mostly on street crimes and crimes of marginalised groups, the less obvious crimes of states, corporate organisations, and powerful groups are often ignored or under-emphasised. Lea (2001) argues that whereas crime used to be the exceptional event, disrupting the otherwise normal socio-economic processes, as crime becomes more frequent it lost its status as an exceptional event and became "a standard, background feature of our lives—a taken for granted element of late modernity." (Garland 1996: 446) More on [ Corporate crime ]
Socially Responsible Investing
Ethics :: Management
Goldman Sachs Report: Watered-Down Senate Health Bill a Windfall for Big Insurance | Corporate Accountability | http://bit.ly/3ZyZ44
Brainspirations (Mary MacKay) Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:41:19 -0000
Goldman Sachs Report: Watered-Down Senate Health Bill a Windfall for Big Insurance | Corporate Accountability | http://bit.ly/3ZyZ44
Yes Men take on Dasani with Corporate Accountability International check out coverage on The Huffington Post- http://bit.ly/3QeyCR
kdurquiza (Kristin Urquiza) Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:41:12 -0000
Yes Men take on Dasani with Corporate Accountability International check out coverage on The Huffington Post- http://bit.ly/3QeyCR
So wrong, CSR=framework for measurement+accountability: 'Corporate Social Responsibility is redundant'- http://tinyurl.com/ykja3sr #CSR
imloulo (Louis Lo) Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:36:10 -0000
So wrong, CSR=framework for measurement+accountability: 'Corporate Social Responsibility is redundant'- http://tinyurl.com/ykja3sr #CSR
Corporate Accountability International http://ff.im/bFHR1
rtdos (Woodzy) Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:56:05 -0000
Corporate Accountability International http://ff.im/bFHR1
Corporate transparency and accountability can be powerful tools to promote change & be #Green http://tr.im/FeRT #GlobalWarming #GHG #CnD Ѽ
cuddlendance (Pradeep K.Verma MBBS) Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:26:59 -0000
Corporate transparency and accountability can be powerful tools to promote change & be #Green http://tr.im/FeRT #GlobalWarming #GHG #CnD Ѽ
Prune Your Corporate Top Shoots - http://www.forbes.com/2009/10/26/accountability-authority-control-leadership-ceonetwork-managing.html
RiverLogicInc (River Logic) Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:25:43 -0000
Prune Your Corporate Top Shoots - http://www.forbes.com/2009/10/26/accountability-authority-control-leadership-ceonetwork-managing.html
Campus Sweatshop Protests Spread - Country wide student rallies urge stronger conduct codes for factories that make clothing bearing university logos. Meetings and rallies at most major U.S. universities.
Corporate Watch - An online magazine and resource center designed to provide activists, journalists, students, teachers and policy makers with an array of tools to investigate and analyze corporate activity. Documents the social, political, economic and environmental impacts of large transnational corporations.
Green Shareholders' Groups - Descriptions and contact information for several Australian nonprofits whose aims are to make corporations accountable.
Meta Description: [ Concern not only for financial returns, but also for environmental and social issues, are the reasons for existence of these groups. ]
A Resolution on a Modern Myth - It is resolved that Wal-Mart conduct a short-term study to disprove the modern myth that Sunday work maximizes profits.
Meta Description: [ A Resolution That Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Disprove the Modern Myth That Sunday Work Maximizes Profits and Subsequent Correspondence ]
Adbusters Organization - Creative, counter revolution in progress in Canada but about the world. Visual activism about corporate operations.
Meta Description: [ The Culturejammer's website, Adbusters magazine ]
Airline On-Time Statistics - U.S. Bureau of Transportation figures on airline's tardinesses.
Anti-Scofflaw Regulation - This proposal would prevent the federal government from entering into contracts with companies that are chronic violators of consumer, environmental, labor, tax, antitrust and employment laws.
As You Sow - Organization promoting corporate accountability - holding corporations accountable for complying with consumer, workplace and environmental laws.
Meta Description: [ As You Sow is promoting corporate accountability through shareholder action and toxics
reduction using innovative legal strategies and community grantmaking. We are transforming corporate behavior and creating a more socially and
environmentally just society. ]
Better Business Bureau of Mainland British Columbia - Regional example of BBB that focuses on ethical matters of business members for the public.
Meta Description: [ Better Business Bureau of Mainland B.C. - Setting the Standards of Ethics and Integrity ]
Boycott Action News - Co-op America's tell it like it is information about corporations that need to be made more accountable.
Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) - Provides information, tools, training and advisory services to make corporate social responsibility an integral part of business operations and strategies.
Meta Description: [ Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) is the world leader in corporate social responsibility (CSR) research and consulting. In-depth reports, news summaries, best practices and links are available from our online resource center. Topic areas include: Corporate Social Responsibility; Business E... ]
Business in the Community - A movement of businesses committed to continually improving their positive impact on society through corporate social responsibility.
Meta Description: [ Business in the Community is a unique movement of over 800 of the UK's top companies committed to improving their positive impact on society. ]
C-SPAN: Corporate Accountability - Highlights recent video and news pertaining to accounting reform, SEC and FTC actions and Congressional oversight, and related issues.
CensorShip Kills - Anti-Corporate advertisers and underwriters. Supports competition to them by citizen-based Low Power FM radio stations.
Meta Description: [ So-Called ]
CERES Principles - Formerly the Valdez Principles, the CERES Principles for environmentally sound business practices were drafted by the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies.
Meta Description: [ Ceres, Investors and Environmentalists for Sustainable Prosperity, Ceres Coalition and Companies, Industry Engagement, Sustainability Reporting, Investor Engagement, climate change. ]
Corporate Accountability Project - Researching Corporations section provides links to numerous resources to investigate publicly traded corporations.
Corporate America: The Land of the Greed - Personal commentary by Evan Stair on the effects of corporate values on small town life.
Corporate Culpability - C.M.V.Clarkson, Law Professor at University of Leicester has published numerous scholarly papers on corporate accountability. This is one of them.
Corporate Governance - Facilitates the movement to enhance wealth creation by transforming corporations into more democratic entities through shareholder activism and empowering boards of directors.
Meta Description: [ The Corporate Governance site facilitates the movement to enhance wealth creation by transforming corporations into more democratic entities through shareholder activism and empowering corporate boards. News, library, links, NetWork, and other resources. ]
Corporate Social Accountability Handbook - An unofficial international standard for social accountability initiated by CEPAA (now Social Accountability International) and provided by Ellipson Ltd, a consulting service linked with sustainability. [Document is 17 pages in size]
CSR Europe - European business reference point for social responsibility issues. Includes case studies, publications, current activities and databank search.
Ending the Wall Street Walk: Why Corporate Governance Now? - Although published several years ago, James McRitchie's report presents certain minimum standards with specific corporate examples of doing what's right.
Meta Description: [ Highlights corporate governance reforms needed to enhance wealth creation, Corporate Governance: enhancing wealth
creation through increased accountability ]
Essential Action - Site for alerting and organizing efforts in corporate accountability.
Meta Description: [ Essential Action is involved in a variety of projects to encourage citizens to become active and engaged in their communities. ]
Ethical Performance - Newsletter for professionals concerned with corporate social responsibility or for investors. Covers Europe, Americas and Asia Pacific regions.
Meta Description: [ the independent global newsletter on corporate social responsibility and socially responsible investment ]
European Corporate Governance Institute - Non-Profit Network for European and Comparative Corporate Governance Issues.
Meta Description: [ The European Corporate Governance Institute is a pan-European not-for-profit organisation established to improve corporate governance through fostering independent scientific research and related activities. ]
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Focus on the Corporation - Focus on the Corporation, a close look at corporate power and monopolization as it effects contemporary society. (via San Francisco Bay Guardian online edition)
Hands-On Corporate Research Guide - Step-by-step interactive guide to researching corporations on the Internet.
Initiative Against Economic Globalization PRAGUE 2000 - Aims to help citizens' democratic rights to publicly demonstrate in order to bring accountability to bear upon large, multinational corporations.
Meta Description: [ INITIATIVE AGAINST ECONOMIC GLOBALISATION - PRAGUE 2000 ]
International Corporate Environmental Reports - Corporate Accountability vis a vis the environment. English link, site name, Milieujaarverslagen.
Meta Description: [ The International Corporate Sustainability Reporting Site ]
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Loka Institute - Begun in 1987, enables information and organizing about worldwide concerns with science, technology and society. Genetic engineering by corporations, for example, has been a focus here.
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Max Havelaar Switzerland - Swiss firm promoting and enabling fair trade actions.
News for McDonald's Franchisees - News, links and articles concerning the impact of poor or questionable management of McDonald's on its franchisees around the world.
Meta Description: [ Cases of the McDonald's Corporation poor business ethics and corporate governance to its restaurant franchise owners ]
One Market, Under God - Thomas Frank, 35, contends that behind the go- go stock market and the feel-good atmosphere, the American economy that bloomed in the 1990's is sick, and that the divide between rich and poor has widened. To read this NY Times interview of him, requires free registration.
Profit vs. Social Responsibility - Cyber College asks students to calculate the costs / benefits of socially responsible business decisions.
Meta Description: [ Profit vs. Social Responsibility - Class Assignment ]
Shareholder Action Network - Nonprofit group hosted by Coop America which informs and coordinates shareholder activism toward corporations which are behaving unethically.
The Fair Labor Association - Nonprofit network which gets major footwear and clothing manufacturers to agree to disclose specific factory names, where in the world their products are manufactured.
Meta Description: [ The Fair Labor Association is a non-profit organization combining the efforts of industry, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), colleges and universities to promote adherence to international labor standards and improve working conditions worldwide. ]
The International Labor Rights Fund (ILRF) - ILRF, founded in 1986, is a nonprofit action and advocacy organization focused on human rights necessary for life and dignity Excellent information but graphics and frames may not load well.
The MacBride Principles - Principles of conduct for firms doing business in Northern Ireland.
Watered Stock Pyramid Analysis - Links to articles by Bill Parish about Citicorp, Cisco Systems and Microsoft printing stock with abandon.
Meta Description: [ Investment research and management services, Investment research and management services ]
What is the OECD? - Paper on overarching issues affecting corporate accountability. Discusses the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Meta Description: [ Globalisation and corporate accountability. The 'ethics' of the OECD, IMF, World Bank and WTO. ]
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