The Hubris Hypothesis of Corporate Social Irresponsibility: Evidence from the Parmalat Case

In the last decade, various accounting scandals have come about (such as Enron, Global Crossing, Tyco, Worldcom and Parmalat), stimulating the burgeoning debate on the drivers and conditions underlying the emergence of financial frauds.

Interorganizational network and innovation: a bibliometric study and proposed research agenda

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the latent structure of the literature on interorganizational network and innovation as well as to map the main themes and empirical advances in this research stream. Design/methodology/approach – Using bibliometric coupling, the authors analyze the citation patterns in 67 management studies regarding innovation networks, published in ISI-journals from January 1996 to October 2012. Findings – The authors identify the conceptual orientations that studies share. Bibliometric analysis allows us to draw an overview of how this field of research has developed, recognizing in essence six main clustered research themes: networks as a framework that sustains fi…

Failures to act responsibly: The role of firm’s competitiveness in the post-scandal phase

Corporate social irresponsibility and stakeholders' support: evidence from a case study

AbstractStakeholders’ decisions regarding whether to continue to support a firm after it has been perceived as culpable for socially irresponsible behaviour is “coin of the realm” in selecting which firms (or which parts of a firm) will be able to survive a corporate social irresponsibility (CSI) scandal. Our empirical setting is an embedded polar case of audience support, the Parmalat case, following a severe CSI scandal. The scandal represented a “trigger event” that ignited an active reevaluation of the firm on behalf of its stakeholders. We show that, while the firm’s cognitive legitimacy was not harmed by the CSI scandal, two dimensions of legitimacy played a key role in stakeholder ev…

La gestione delle relazioni coopetitive quale "fattore abilitante" la crescita delle PMI

Lo studio presenta le strategie di coopetizione quale strategia attraverso cui le PMI possono sviluppare e ottenere le risorse abilitanti per la loro crescita e l’innovazione. Contestualmente, si evidenzia l’esigenza/opportunità di un approccio multilivello al management delle suddette strategie, posto che le opportunità di crescita di una PMI dipendono dalla gestione non solo delle singole relazioni diadiche attivate, bensì anche dell’articolato portfolio di relazioni cooperative dirette da essa avviate e del complesso interagente di relazioni (dirette ed indirette) che compongono l’ecosistema coopetitivo nel quale l’impresa si trova ad operare. Tali diversi livelli e le interazioni che si…

Managing coopetition in diversified firms: Insights from a qualitative case study

Abstract Cooperation among divisions is usually thought to explain the performance of diversification strategies. However, such divisions are also in competition. Through the in-depth analysis of an intraindustry diversified firm operating in the global semiconductor industry, this paper identifies the sources of coopetition and the treatment of coopetitive tensions among divisions in the production allocation process. We find a multipoint origin of cooperation within a competitive setting. Then, we extend a previous study that considers uniquely two substitute views: (a) corporate-centric; and (b) division-centric. Additionally, by employing formal organizational mechanisms, we show that c…

The origin of failure: A multidisciplinary appraisal of the hubris hypothesis and proposed research agenda

The hubris hypothesis complements the extant debate on how people make judgments and decisions in organizations. Drawing on the origin of hubris in Greek mythology, the psychological approach, and finance studies, this paper portrays an informed picture of the current status of managerial hubris literature that develops a more advanced understanding of what is known about hubris. We present a conceptual map that provides a comprehensive appreciation of hubris antecedents-symptoms-strategic choices-feedback performance main cause effect relationships. Our proposed conceptual map draws on the idea that managerial hubris is one of the determinants of CEO judgments, strategic choices, and organ…

Corporate Social Irresponsibility and Legitimacy Maintenance: Lessons from the Parmalat Scandal

Audience decisions regarding whether to continue to support a corporation after it has been perceived as culpable for socially irresponsible behaviour is “coin of the realm” in selecting which firms (or which parts of a firm) will be able to survive a CSI-scandal. Our empirical setting is an embedded polar case of audience support, the Parmalat case, following a severe CSI scandal. Whilst the adaptive strategies taken to maintain the harmed moral legitimacy were a necessary procedural phase to consent the firms’ survival, they could not be considered sufficient to reintegrate the firm with its main constituent audiences. Essential to the maintaining process was the presence of rational effe…

La hubris manageriale quale fonte della irresponsabilità d’impresa: uno studio esplorativo

Obiettivo del paper: L’ondata di scandali etici che ha colpito intensamente il mondo delle imprese a partire dalla fine del XX secolo ha fatto emergere l’esigenza di esplorare i meccanismi istituzionali tesi a evitare nuovi casi di corporate social irresponsibility (CSI). S’intende contribuire a tale dibattito introducendo la trappola della hubris manageriale quale determinante della CSI. Metodologia: Esame qualitativo-longitudinale del caso Parmalat nel periodo in cui è stata sotto la guida del suo fondatore Calisto Tanzi (1961-2003). L’analisi del caso segue i criteri scientifici del campionamento teorico, della triangolazione dei fatti e della periodizzazione della narrazione. Risultati:…