Case Abstract
Royal Dutch Shell has started to assume social and political responsibilities that go beyond legal requirements and fill the regulatory vacuum in global governance and a public responsibility gap in Nigeria. Which implications does this engagement have for the firm, governance and democracy? And which public responsibility strategies can a multinational company (MNC) like Shell employ in a complex operating environment such as Nigeria to be sustainable?
This case explores the implications of Shell’s politicized role in a context where a regulatory governance framework is missing at the local and the global level. Additionally, the case discusses different public responsibility strategies that MNCs such as Shell can employ in a complex operating environment such as Nigeria. This case study is interesting as it fleshes out what constitutes Shell’s role under the conditions of globalization and a local public responsibility gap and what are the consequences of the company’s engagement in global governance and self-regulation. It also creates an understanding of the challenges which organizations in controversial industry sectors face in a context of increasing demands for sustainability.
Authors: | Esther Hennchen, Josep Maria Lozano |
Institution: | ESADE Business School, Spain |
Competition Year | 2012 |
Place | 1st place |
Track | Corporate Sustainability |
Key Words | Corporate Social Responsibility, Political Role of MNCs, Public Responsibility Strategies, Corporate Legitimacy, Democratic Control of Corporations, Developing Countries, Globalization, Sustainability |
Courses | Strategic Management, International Management, Legal Ethics, Business and Society |
Target Audience | MBA, Graduate Students |
Permission Rights | An inspection copy of this case is available here. Please contact Esther Hennchen and Josep Maria Lozano for permission rights. |
Download | Inspection Copy |