Rita Vilkė, Živilė Gedminaitė-Raudonė and Dalia Vidickienė
This paper aims to examine the collaboration of livestock farming business with other three groups of actors and explore the gap between expectations and reality concerning biogas…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the collaboration of livestock farming business with other three groups of actors and explore the gap between expectations and reality concerning biogas production as collaborative innovation for the socially responsible development of rural regions in Lithuania.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is based on the concept of the Quadruple Helix, which focusses on innovation, viewed as a process involving increasingly closer interactions and coordination among the following four groups of actors of the helix: government, academia, industry and civil society. Scientific literature analysis and generalization, expert interview and focus group methods were used to generate data for analysis. Data were collected during the period of July-November 2018 in Lithuania.
Findings
The research results reveal that the greatest gap among expectations and the actual situation in collaboration for socially responsible innovation, biogas production – is observed among non‐governmental organizations as representatives of civil society and all other questioned Quadruple Helix actors, whereas the government had been recognized as a most isolated part of the collaboration for innovation in biogas in Lithuania.
Research limitations/implications
This paper presents empirical findings, based on qualitative data, collected in one EU new member state, i.e. Lithuania. International comparative perspectives are given in other related papers. Research findings are promising for further research in the field of socially responsible development of rural regions using the Quadruple Helix approach to foster collaboration for modern circular economy innovation both from theoretical and empirical points of view.
Practical implications
The methodology might be used for practitioners to research collaboration excellence/gaps in any field of activity.
Social implications
The research takes into account the public interest from a very broad point of view – how to develop rural regions in a socially responsible way by using already established innovations in biogas in livestock farms by giving another dimension of socially responsible collaboration for innovation.
Originality/value
The paper proposes using the original Quadruple Helix approach to foster the socially responsible development of rural regions, thus enlarging the scope of the theory of corporate social responsibility (CSR) with the newly emerged discourse in the field. Socially responsible development of rural regions with the use of collaboration for circular innovations has been absent from theoretical to empirical CSR research.
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This paper aims to explain a conceptual background for an emerging agrarian discourse in corporate social responsibility (CSR) research. Socially responsible provision of public…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explain a conceptual background for an emerging agrarian discourse in corporate social responsibility (CSR) research. Socially responsible provision of public goods is examined by encompassing a shift in paradigms and approaches from the industrial phase of development with economic/profit dimension, emphasized by the theory of public goods, to the post-industrial phase of development with moral dimension, empowered by knowledge-based economy, sustainability and further development of the theory of CSR.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper sets the conceptual foundations for the holistic study of the two confronting conceptions of public goods and CSR by discussing their interconnectivity and distinctions of relevant approaches in the intersecting classical economics and sustainability fields.
Findings
Research results show that provision of public goods is still mainly debated from the classical economic paradigms. Nevertheless, author give promising evidence for the possibility to implement holistic studies on confronting economic and moral dimensions in the field of socially responsible provisions of public goods with use of appropriate theories and approaches from both paradigms depending on the context.
Research limitations/implications
This paper presents exceptionally theoretical insights and sophisticated explanations of the background of emerging agrarian discourse in CSR. It gives implications for further research in the field of socially responsible provision of public goods both from theoretical and empirical point of view.
Originality/value
The study proves the enlarged scope of the theory of CSR by conceptualizing the newly emerging discourse in the field, which has been absent from theoretical to empirical CSR research in agriculture.
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Rita Lankauskienė and Živilė Gedminaitė-Raudonė
This research aims to define the novel attitude toward social responsibility phenomena from a multi-level governance perspective and, based on the Lithuanian case, to illustrate…
Abstract
Purpose
This research aims to define the novel attitude toward social responsibility phenomena from a multi-level governance perspective and, based on the Lithuanian case, to illustrate the territorial perspective concerning the needs and challenges for future responsible governance in rural areas.
Design/methodology/approach
This research is organized according to qualitative research principles. The seven-step Delphi technique was applied to reach the aim. The expert selection was done using the two criteria, based on the Quadruple Helix approach (Carayannis & Rakhmatullin, 2014; González-Martinez et al., 2023) and the Stakeholder Salience model (Mitchell et al., 2017). The complementary expertise was accumulated by involving experts from the ministry (government helix) as holding the highest level of legitimacy in the field of building responsible governance in rural areas; business helix representatives hold high urgency attributes; power attributes varied among the experts in different helixes. In total, 15 experts were selected to implement the necessary Delphi steps, where experts’ involvement is relevant. The research work lasted for four months, starting from December 2022, and finalizing in March 2023. Technical support and funding for this research were organized in parallel with part of the activities of the Horizon 2020 programme’s project “SHERPA – Sustainable Hub to Engage in Rural Policies with Actors” (2019–2023).
Findings
The number of recently observed issues while realizing the increasingly complicated application of multi-level governance mechanisms, both scientific discussions and practical implementation evidence call for a novel attitude in governance. In particular areas, where imperfections are very sensitive and most evident, scientific elaborations are more demanded from the very top, i.e. from the EU. Throughout recent years, the European Commission started employing cocreative consortiums (e.g. SHERPA), which, as found much earlier in scientific discourse, represent the joint multi-level power, involving the most powerful, urgent and legitimate stakeholders, representing the four helixes – government, society, business and academia, in building innovative cocreative and collaborative policy formation and implementation practices in multi-level governance. However, the core component that might add to future responsible governance is the social responsibility phenomenon. In conjunction, the multi-level governance and social responsibility paradigms might propose the desired novel responsible governance concept, which would work for more responsible policy formation and implementation, especially considering the interests of local communities.
Research limitations/implications
This paper presents empirical findings, based on limited qualitative data, collected in one EU new member state, i.e. Lithuania. International comparative perspectives are given referring to other related papers. Research findings are promising for further research in the field of novel responsible multi-level governance framework by using the Quadruple Helix stakeholder approach to foster collaboration for innovation in socially responsible governance both from theoretical and empirical points of view.
Practical implications
The developed theoretical framework and described methodological approach might be applied to practitioners in any area policy formation process. The Quadruple Helix approach might be used in defining the needs and challenges of any unit of analysis, either a small canton or a metropolitan city. The study suggests a meaningful departing point starting with expert views on better and more responsible governance practices. The study envisages the ways and manners to define the best value for stakeholders that is the general public or citizens of a rural setting, and this could be extended to other levels of government or state.
Social implications
The research takes into account the public interest from a very broad point of view – how to develop a political course for rural regions in a socially responsible way by using already established innovative methodology.
Originality/value
The article proposes using the novel combination of the three-pillar and stakeholder perspective of CSR, fulfilled by the original Quadruple Helix innovation approach, for establishing proactive stakeholder needs-based responsible multi-level governance practices, enabling the socially responsible policy formation and implementation mechanisms.
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Rita Vilkė and Živilė Gedminaitė – Raudonė
Continuously changing networked society chiefly takes more active role in ongoing transformations worldwide. Governments are dealing with numerous organized groups which arise…
Abstract
Continuously changing networked society chiefly takes more active role in ongoing transformations worldwide. Governments are dealing with numerous organized groups which arise from seemingly nowhere with particular set of requirements to make social change. In a globalized world quickly moving information flows, expanded physical mobility of people formed a new society with increased demand for better life, which cannot be emphasized without greater social responsibility of every actor in society. And this cannot be minded out, since modern society holds crucially powerful tools, such as media and internet, to fight for justice, values, and believes.
Territorial governments, even in most distanced regions, start facing similar challenges as those in crowded cities due to the call from society for greater social responsibility. Only set of stakeholders insignificantly vary in countryside compared to cities when calling for social change; however, the general body consists of variety actions to live better in a socially responsible way. Lately, farmers in countryside as well as local governments, even in post-soviet countries, are more frequently requested to mind the principles of social responsibility from the general public. Scientific literature proposes that it signalizes about the shift from industrial to postindustrial stage of development—knowledge and information age. However, any scientific evidence to disclose the factors that influence farmer's choice to act as a community citizen had not been provided yet. Authors presuppose that particular farmer's background characteristics, such as age, generation, education, or others, might be among the factors that highly shape the way farmers act with local communities as well as territorial governments from social responsibility perspective.
The main aim of this article is to disclose the factors that define social responsibility of agribusiness in their attitudes toward territorial government and local community.
Scientific literature analysis and generalization, survey, interview, and descriptive statistical analysis methods were applied. Data were collected in spring 2017 and autumn 2018 in Lithuanian farms. Research results helped disclose that age, generation, and education are among important factors in changing social responsibility attitudes of agribusiness. Significant dependency was observed among age and most of agribusiness representatives' social responsibility counterparts when dealing with territorial government and local community development.
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The purpose of this paper is to summarise corporate social responsibility (CSR) development issues by organising critical CSR promoting and hindering factors, and to evaluate CSR…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to summarise corporate social responsibility (CSR) development issues by organising critical CSR promoting and hindering factors, and to evaluate CSR development problems in Lithuania according to organised factors, legal context and previously implemented empirical investigations in new EU member states and Lithuania.
Design/methodology/approach
Analysis and generalisation of various literature sources were applied to organise critical CSR promoting and hindering factors. In order to evaluate the CSR development problems in Lithuania, legal documents and collateral analysis of empirical CSR research in new EU member states and Lithuania methods were applied.
Findings
The antithesis between economic and social firms' objectives has existed for a long time, but the current modern world's construct refuted this concept in economic terms and has highlighted social, ethical and environmental values, taking into account definite quality options for everyone – the public sector, NGOs and society – with great expectations to act in a socially responsible way. The priorities of CSR, as emphasised by the European Union (EU), are relevant not only to old EU member states, but also to new ones. The research results show that despite the Lithuanian CSR development vision and goals, the main problems relate to the lack of understanding of CSR and a systematic CSR implementation approach.
Research limitations/implications
The study is based on previously implemented empirical investigations in new EU member states with particular attention to CSR promoting and hindering factors and deeper insight into Lithuanian CSR development issues, which provide a starting point for further CSR research in the area of transitional economies.
Practical implications
The paper summarises empirical investigations implemented in new EU member states during the last few years and brings a broader understanding of CSR development problems in transitional economies.
Originality/value
The paper attempts to stimulate discussion about CSR promoting and hindering factors in new EU member states with particular insight into Lithuanian problems.