25 Rating social and environmental performances
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Brigitte Bernard-Rau
Abstract
Social rating agencies (SRAs) use corporate social performance (CSP) metrics to evaluate the way business organizations deal with social and environmental issues. In producing their social ratings, SRAs can operate as ‘economic actors’ or ‘social actors’. As very little is known on how they construct their metrics, this chapter lifts the veil on the rating practices of a well-established social rating agency (SRA), oekom research AG. Key aspects of this SRA’s relationships and interactions with internal and external actors show how the construction process of social ratings becomes standardized, and how the communicative practices around the making of these ratings offer new insights into CSP scholarship, and into management and organization studies. The chapter comprises four sections: 1) an overview of the literature addressing SRAs, 2) the sociogenesis of oekom research AG (oekom), 3) an overview of oekom’s rating practices, and 4) a discussion and conclusion.
Abstract
Social rating agencies (SRAs) use corporate social performance (CSP) metrics to evaluate the way business organizations deal with social and environmental issues. In producing their social ratings, SRAs can operate as ‘economic actors’ or ‘social actors’. As very little is known on how they construct their metrics, this chapter lifts the veil on the rating practices of a well-established social rating agency (SRA), oekom research AG. Key aspects of this SRA’s relationships and interactions with internal and external actors show how the construction process of social ratings becomes standardized, and how the communicative practices around the making of these ratings offer new insights into CSP scholarship, and into management and organization studies. The chapter comprises four sections: 1) an overview of the literature addressing SRAs, 2) the sociogenesis of oekom research AG (oekom), 3) an overview of oekom’s rating practices, and 4) a discussion and conclusion.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Preface to the Handbooks of Applied Linguistics Series V
- Contents VII
- Introducing 1
-
Part I: Practices of management communication
- 1 Speaking 27
- 2 Writing 47
- 3 Deciding 69
- 4 Creating by communicating 87
- 5 Networking 105
- 6 Controlling and resisting 123
- 7 Tweeting 143
- 8 Documenting 161
- 9 Posting 177
-
II. Forms of management communication
- 10 Strategizing 195
- 11 Leading 213
- 12 Planning and designing 231
- 13 Routinizing 247
- 14 Branding 263
- 15 Managing communication 279
- 16 Mentoring 295
- 17 Counseling 313
- 18 Developing organizations 335
- 19 Accounting 355
-
Part III: Contexts of management communication
- 20 Managing communication in multilingual workplaces 373
- 21 Exploring and analyzing linguistic environments 389
- 22 Managing high reliability organizations 409
- 23 Building communities 427
- 24 Managing CSR Communication 443
- 25 Rating social and environmental performances 459
- 26 Managing in hospitals 477
- 27 Crowdsourcing 493
- 28 Managing and being managed by emotions 511
- 29 Changing through communication 529
- About the contributors 549
- Index 559
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Preface to the Handbooks of Applied Linguistics Series V
- Contents VII
- Introducing 1
-
Part I: Practices of management communication
- 1 Speaking 27
- 2 Writing 47
- 3 Deciding 69
- 4 Creating by communicating 87
- 5 Networking 105
- 6 Controlling and resisting 123
- 7 Tweeting 143
- 8 Documenting 161
- 9 Posting 177
-
II. Forms of management communication
- 10 Strategizing 195
- 11 Leading 213
- 12 Planning and designing 231
- 13 Routinizing 247
- 14 Branding 263
- 15 Managing communication 279
- 16 Mentoring 295
- 17 Counseling 313
- 18 Developing organizations 335
- 19 Accounting 355
-
Part III: Contexts of management communication
- 20 Managing communication in multilingual workplaces 373
- 21 Exploring and analyzing linguistic environments 389
- 22 Managing high reliability organizations 409
- 23 Building communities 427
- 24 Managing CSR Communication 443
- 25 Rating social and environmental performances 459
- 26 Managing in hospitals 477
- 27 Crowdsourcing 493
- 28 Managing and being managed by emotions 511
- 29 Changing through communication 529
- About the contributors 549
- Index 559
