Responsibility Theory: An Examination of the Inherent Role of Corporations versus Government

在审查作为全球经济和社会治理中的权力结构的公共和私营部门时，我们看到的是同一枚硬币的两面。企业和政府都拥有影响政策、制定商业标准和创造共享价值的巨大权力--它们对人和环境的影响力可以说是其他实体无法比拟的。它们也有很强的能力来设计和执行多方面的战略，为自己的短期和长期目标服务，往往使一些人受益，而另一些人则受到损害。因此，了解能力、权力和影响力的特征如何塑造公共和私营部门的责任，（以及它们之间的关系）是一个有价值的研究领域。本博士研究将探讨这三个概念如何影响企业与政府的责任和作用，无论这在危机时期是否不同，并考虑对提供公共产品和公司治理结构的影响。该研究的目的是促进正在进行的学术对话在商业道德和政治企业社会责任（CSR）领域。本文将力求以一个实用框架的形式，供学者、商界领袖和公务员在评估企业的适当角色及其与政府活动的关系时参考。另一个有价值的成果是可能发现如何更好地利用私营部门的假定能力、权力和影响来实现民主政府的意图。

When examining the public and private sectors as structures of authority in the context of global economic and social governance, we are viewing two sides of the same coin. Corporations and governments each hold an impressive amount of power to influence policy, set business standards, and create shared value - impacting people and the environment on a scale that is arguably unmatched by other entities. They also share a significant capability to design and execute multifaceted strategies that serve their own short and long-term goals, often to the benefit of some and the detriment of others. Consequently, understanding how the characteristics of capability, power, and impact might shape public and private sector responsibilities (and the relationship between them) is a valuable area of study.This PhD research will explore how these three concepts affect the responsibility and role of corporations versus government, whether this differs in times of crisis, and consider implications for the delivery of public goods and corporate governance structures. The aim of the research is to contribute to ongoing academic dialogue in the areas of business ethics and political corporate social responsibility (CSR). This contribution will seek to take the form of a practical framework that scholars, business leaders, and civil servants can reference when evaluating the appropriate role of a corporation and its relationship to government activities. Another valuable outcome is a possible finding on how to better leverage the presumed capability, power, and impact of the private sector to implement the intent of democratic government.