Drawing Lines and Taking Sides: How National Context Shapes International Private Governance Engagement

Companies increasingly engage in CSR internationally yet little is known about the drivers and constraints that shape the design and membership of international private governance initiatives. This paper builds on extant literature about CSR variation between National Business Systems (NBSs) by using the concept of organizing to propose a framework for explaining how international private governance arrangements reflect the nation systems from which they originate. It then uses the case of the Accord and Alliance – parallel private governance arrangements created by European and North American brands in response to the Rana Plaza tragedy – to empirically deploy the framework. The paper argues that home NBSs are reflected in international CSR private governance arrangements, regardless of country host. Overall, this study contributes to our knowledge of the drivers and constraints of CSR practices abroad and offers a more nuanced understanding of the role of NBSs in shaping companies’ international CSR engagement.