Human Value Management. The Influence of the Contemporary Developments of Corporate Social Responsibility and Social Capital On Hrm**

Zusammenfassung

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In both practice-oriented and academic discourses the concepts of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and human resource management (HRM) are often treated separately. It is argued here that this is an outdated approach. Starting from the observation that organisations develop towards open systems, it becomes obvious that CSR and HRM are intertwined. In open systems cooperative action is based on the willingness of humans to bring in and develop their talents as part of communities of work. The proper functioning of organisations becomes dependent on shared values between networks of people. At the same time these networks broaden the perception of what (new) roles and functions organisation should fulfil. This brings in the notion of CSR. Organisations are expected to encompass a broadening range of responsibilities combining the delivery of added value in the market place with broadening responsibilities. These developments require a repositioning of the role and perception of HRM towards a new strategic approach labelled here as Human Value Management. This paper offers an exploration of this HVM approach by comparing it to HRM and linking it to CSR. As such it offers a conceptual framework enabling the formulation of a series of questions for future research.

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Auszug

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Human Value Management. The Influence of the Contemporary Developments of Corporate Social Responsibility and Social Capital On Hrm**

1. Introduction

The position and function of the business enterprise in contemporary society is changing. On the one hand business is still focused on the customer and the market place. Consequently, much attention needs to be paid to how emerging issues are internally organised to deliver added value(s) to the customers. Parallel to this more internally-oriented development, organisations have to function in a more and more complex societal context. Doing business is no longer only making profits; organisations also have to behave in a way we have gradually started to call "socially responsible". This quest for new and expanding responsibilities - often called Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) - implies taking into account issues beyond the conventional business scope. CSR refers to a growing appeal asking organisations to take a broader "social responsibility" into account, behaving accordingly in a accountable manner thus behaving as "good corporate citizens". CSR can thus be seen as internalising externalities in the broader societal context. In the worldwide quest for developing an ISO-standard for CSR many parties consider the following definition of CSR (ISO 26000:13):

"Social Responsibility refers to the activities of an organization aimed at contributing to a sustainable society and environment, as well as maintaining the organization's continued existence, by minimizing negative impacts and maximizing positive impacts on the society and environment through proactive stakeholder communications and engagement throughout the organization's sphere of influence. Social responsibility is about organizational initiatives that start with, but go beyond, meeting legal requirements and that contribute to social acceptance. An organization only obtains its social acceptance by observing national laws and applicable international agreements and by responding to an ever-changing society that has constantly changing expectations".

The central underlying notion is that organisations should act beyond their classic "business" boundaries, not only generating profit but also (and at the same time) contributing to the "glue" and "cohesion" of society, taking into account the social and ecological environment. This challenges the belief, most established in Anglo-Saxon economies, that social issues are peripheral to the challenges of corporate management. A fundamental reason for the emergence of the CSR debate is the interconnectivity, interdependence and increasing transactivity of the org...

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