Conscientious Business-to-business Organizations: Status Quo and Future Research Agenda

Stefan Markovic*, Oriol Iglesias, Nicholas Ind

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalEditorial

Abstract

Nowadays, manifold business-to-business (B2B) organizations are embracing corporate social responsibility (CSR) to contribute to society. However, and largely due to several bad past practices, stakeholders are increasingly skeptical of CSR initiatives, often perceiving them as insincere and manipulative. This skepticism has been further accentuated during the COVID-19 pandemic, and stakeholders have started to demand organizations for a broader and more holistic approach to contributing to society. In this editorial, we present ‘conscience’ as such broader and more holistic approach, and describe how the papers included in our special issue examine organizational conscience in the B2B context from different angles, including identity, leadership, relationships, communication, activism, social impact, corporate purpose, and co-creation. Finally, we propose several future research opportunities that can further advance knowledge in relation to conscientious organizations.
Original languageEnglish
JournalIndustrial Marketing Management
Volume112
Pages (from-to)A8-A11
Number of pages4
ISSN0019-8501
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2023

Bibliographical note

Published online: 1 June 2023.

Keywords

  • Business-to-business
  • Business ethics
  • Conscientious brands
  • Conscientious organizations
  • Organizational conscience
  • Corporate social responsibility

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