DigitalUM :: Browsing by Subject "Voluntary codes of conduct"

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Open Access
Joining the UN global compact in Spain: an institutional approach
(2012) Garayar Erro, Ainhoa; Calvo Sánchez, José Antonio
The aim of this study is to analyse the incentives for Spanish organisations that have adopted a voluntary code of conduct such as the United Nations Global Compact – GC. In the light of the sociological approach of neoinstitutional theory, we sought to determine the main isomorphic processes that result from joining the GC and factors of the institutional field that might undermine the legitimacy of organisations participating in this voluntary initiative. On the one hand, the main results, while not conclusive, showed that Spanish participants in the GC have more than one reason for joining the initiative. The study’s findings suggest that both institutional processes of mimetic isomorphism and normative isomorphism explain participation in the GC, which emphasizes the improvement in employee satisfaction, an improvement in customer satisfaction and also the fact of being part of sustainable development efforts. On the other hand, it can be asserted that the respondent organisations do not perceive major threats from the institutional environment that might undermine the legitimacy gained by joining the GC. Nonetheless, the Spanish organisations participating in the GC highlight the fact that the main institutional factor that might undermine the organization’s legitimacy is weak governance and corruption.