Co-opting capitalism through sneaky social ventures: Possibilities and challenges

My work is based on the premise that capitalism has outlived its utility and society needs new normative frameworks of organizing for building a just, sustainable, and prosperous world. Social ventures offer a vehicle for addressing the grand challenges such as global health, sustainable agriculture, clean technology, and financial inclusion through co-opting capitalism while serving societies. By explicitly and simultaneously focusing on social/environmental impact, underserved markets, and financial sustainability, they disrupt markets, products, and funding models. This has also led to a growth in impact investors and alternative legal forms of incorporation such as the Benefit Corporation, L3C, and Social Purpose Corporation. By co-opting capitalism, these sneaky ventures focus attention on big issues that matter while being financially sustainable. Co-optation also carries with it the danger of being co-opted and requires vigilance on the part of the founders.https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/techtalks/1024/thumbnail.jp

Corporate citizenship: Panacea or problem?

In this paper I examine the dilemma between being a market leader and a corporate citizen in the case of Hindustan Unilever Ltd. Grounded in secondary data collected from various published sources, I uncover the contradictions that underlie the positive picture of Hindustan Unilever\u27s CSR activities. By drawing on corporate social responsibility and stakeholder theories, I highlight how difficult it is to categorise an organisation as solely positive or negative in its impact on its social and physical environment. I conclude by arguing that we need more sophisticated evaluative frameworks to understand and evaluate real-world initiatives in this area

Advaita (non-dualism) as metatheory: A constellation of ontology, epistemology and praxis

Integrating contradictory and mutually exclusive positions is a challenge in building a metatheory. In this paper, I examine how advaita (non-dualism) philosophy is a metatheory. Based on a holistic, non-dualistic ontology, discovery based epistemology, and personal accountability-action-reflection oriented praxis, it provides a useful metatheory for embracing, learning from, and transcending the paradoxes of social life. I use the example of Gandhi as a practitioner of this approach to action and knowledge

Beyond social exchange theory: An integrative look at transcendent mental models for engagement

In this paper, we develop an integrative conceptual framework capturing the underlying mental models that guide engagement in relationships at work and elsewhere. Specifically, we are looking at mental models that go beyond egocentrism and social exchange, which have served as the basis for most frameworks found in research on organizations. The goal of this paper is to present a more complex picture of human cognition and behavior that suggests that egocentrism is not an exclusive motivator. We view this more integrative framework as a set of concentric circles of increasingly inclusive and expansive identities. Although the mental models used by individuals may be static over a shorter time frame, they are thought to be more dynamic over a relatively longer timeframe, in adaptive response to changing conditions. Movement between these mental models can be triggered by changes in cognitions as well as by events that arouse affect

Building grounded theory in action researh through the interplay of subjective ontology and objective epistemology

In this article, I contribute to the discourse on building theory within the context of action research. Specifically, drawing on advaita (non-dualism) philosophy from Hinduism, I describe a holistic framework which views life as holistic, that is, comprising both subjective and objective views of reality and thus promoting interplay between ontological subjectivity and epistemological objectivity. I illustrate with examples, how anchored in a holistic paradigm, I used principles of constant comparison in developing the theoretical category of sacredness in its various dimensions. I also describe two dimensions that characterized this process: researcher as insider-outsider and researcher\u27s affirmations and ambivalences

Advaita (Non-dualism) as Metatheory: A Constellation of Ontology, Epistemology, and Praxis

Integrating contradictory and mutually exclusive positions is a challenge in building a metatheory. In this paper, I examine how advaita (non-dualism) philosophy is a metatheory. Based on a holistic, non-dualistic ontology, discovery based epistemology, and personal accountability-action-reflection oriented praxis, it provides a useful metatheory for embracing, learning from, and transcending the paradoxes of social life. I use the example of Gandhi as a practitioner of this approach to action and knowledge

Sustainability and solidarity in a globalized world: The case of a local network economy in rural India

In this paper, I argue for the case of local solidarity in the \u27globalized\u27 world. By using a critical genealogical approach, I describe the impact of globalization on the marginal communities of India, especially livelihood issues and draw a parallel between globalization and erstwhile colonialism in their impact on social and physical ecologies of the country. I argue that the tradition of locally organized protest movements during colonialism continues today in an attempt to create locally sustainable economic models and present an example of a case study from a village in India and its challenges. I also advocate for scholars to step out of the mainstream to study the margins that are emerging as crucibles of innovative social forms

Transforming Realities—Making the Improbable Possible: Reclamation of Sacredness as a Source of Generative Capacities

Understanding the nature and source of generative capacities for radical change has been an enduring concern for researchers of organizations and social movements. However, the role of spirituality as a resource in social movements is an undertheorized area. Based on the field study of a successful, long-term social movement in India and drawing on the emerging discourse on spirituality in organizational literature, the author describes how in a community reclamation of the sacred came to be a source of generative capacities for transformation. This article describes a dynamic model of change that begins with recognition of the sacred and positive action that has the potential to spiral to escalating levels of positive change. The article also describes how the sacred in this community is manifested as a socioecological, relational ethic. The author concludes by discussing the implications of this framework for social movements and organizational change theories

Beyond Social Exchange Theory: An Integrative Look at Transcendent Mental Models for Engagement

In this paper, we develop an integrative conceptual framework capturing the underlying mental models that guide engagement in relationships at work and elsewhere. Specifically, we are looking at mental models that go beyond egocentrism and social exchange, which have served as the basis for most frameworks found in research on organizations. The goal of this paper is to present a more complex picture of human cognition and behavior that suggests that egocentrism is not an exclusive motivator. We view this more integrative framework as a set of concentric circles of increasingly inclusive and expansive identities. Although the mental models used by individuals may be static over a shorter time frame, they are thought to be more dynamic over a relatively longer timeframe, in adaptive response to changing conditions. Movement between these mental models can be triggered by changes in cognitions as well as by events that arouse affect

The dark side of water: Struggle for access & control - a case

The discredit of a certain brand of capitalism – and the managers that practice it – continues apace. The increasing lack of tolerance for short-term thinking and a systematic neglect of the social, regulatory, and economic conditions in which business ought to operate means we are entering a time of trouble and questions – an era of economic, social, and environmental turbulence.There is a critical need for business educators and trainers to expose students and managers to these issues to examine, explore, and understand the different multifaceted, complex phenomena of our late capitalist era. There is also a need to foster a climate for future and current business managers to reflect, feel, and think differently both ethically and cognitively. The 16 innovative case studies in The Dark Side: Critical Cases on the Downside of Business are designed for this very purpose: to provoke reflection and debate; to challenge and change perceptions; and to create responsible managers.The cases are innovative in two ways. First, in terms of content they acknowledge the diversity of actors and interests in and around organizations. They contain different levels of analysis, and propose different points of view and logics. They recognize that decisions that seem sound when they are made may actually contain the seeds of their later failure. Second, these cases are innovative in terms of format. Whereas most cases are formatted around decision-making situations, these are more diverse and open-ended. This stimulates the use of judgment – the capacity to synthesize, integrate, and balance short- and long-term effects, appreciate effects on different groups, and learn to listen and evaluate. Whereas decision-making is the key skill when confronting complicated issues and situations, judgment-making relies on experience and is a far better tool in the complex, murky, gray areas typical of business ethics.The cases included here are all finalists or award-winners from the first seven years of the Dark Side of Business Case Competition, a joint event of the Academy of Management\u27s Critical Management Studies Section and Management Education Section. In many areas of management, case studies are almost exclusively devoted to best practice cases or difficult decisions faced by basically well-managed firms. When educators look for resources to illustrate to students the more typical cases, let alone the really scandalous practices of the worst firms, the cupboard is almost entirely bare. From the beginning, the Dark Side competition aimed at encouraging case studies that integrate socio-political issues with organizational dynamics, thus contextualizing organizational and management problems within the broader system of capitalism.These cases comprise a diverse and rich collection from a range of countries, continents, and issues and focus on interactions in business organizations as well as between business organizations and groups and societies. The Dark Side: Critical Cases on the Downside of Business is divided into four sections. The first sheds light on gray areas in the behavior of businesses. The second concerns the interactions between business and local communities in diverse countries. The third concerns crises, and specifically how firms may create or manage them. Finally, the fourth section concerns gray areas in business behavior in the global context