Transnational Networks and Corporate

This paper is concerned with the idea that businesses have social responsibilities, and addresses the impact that globalisation has on how these are defined. Expectations of business change over time and are related to wider political, cultural and economic changes. The research discussed in this paper is part of a wider study of contemporary changes to these expectations, which will particularly focus on who benefits from corporate citizenship and how such concepts affect the treatment of transnational employees. It is suggested that transnational corporations, i.e. those attempting to be global, actively seek to be defined as good corporate citizens, and that a global understanding of business social responsibilities has emerged from a convergence of ideas about the role of transnational corporations. Findings are presented from an early stage in the research, which focuses on the discourse and imagery of good corporate citizenship. To explore this, the websites of Fortune Global 500 companies have been analysed. The research has also included the websites of other transnational stakeholders who offer their own definitions of the responsibilities of transnationals, such as pressure groups and anti-capitalist groups. It is suggested that the diversity of transnational stakeholders and the fact that these groups are themselves globalising, also contributes to convergence in ideas of what the social role of transnational corporations should be.