Poverty Alleviation as Business Strategy? Evaluating Commitments of Frontrunner Multinational Corporations

Posted: 2 May 2006

See all articles by Ans Kolk

Ans Kolk

University of Amsterdam Business School

Rob van Tulder

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) - Rotterdam School of Management (RSM)

Abstract

In the debate on how to combat poverty, the positive role of MNCs is frequently mentioned nowadays, although doubts and criticism remain. Facing this societal debate, MNCs feel pressure to formulate a position. This paper analyzes MNCs' policies on their poverty-alleviating potential. "Frontrunner" MNCs turn out not to be very outspoken, especially not on those issues that have the largest potential to help alleviate poverty. Placed in the context of other MNCs' behavior, a sector-coordinated morality seems important, which means that a meso approach to poverty alleviation needs to complement the current global (macro) and individual company (micro) focus.

Keywords: poverty, Multinational Corporations, corporate social responsibility, international organizations, social policy, showcase companies

JEL Classification: F23, G38, J50, L2, M1, M14, O19, O20

Suggested Citation

Kolk, Ans and van Tulder, Rob J.M., Poverty Alleviation as Business Strategy? Evaluating Commitments of Frontrunner Multinational Corporations. World Development, Vol. 34, No. 5, pp. 789-801, 2006, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=899843

Ans Kolk (Contact Author)

University of Amsterdam Business School ( email )

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Amsterdam, 1018 TV
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HOME PAGE: http://www.anskolk.eu

Rob J.M. Van Tulder

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) - Rotterdam School of Management (RSM) ( email )

P.O. Box 1738
Room T08-21
3000 DR Rotterdam, 3000 DR
Netherlands

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