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

在全球经济和社会治理的背景下，将公共部门和私营部门作为权力结构进行审查时，我们看到的是一枚硬币的两面。企业和政府各自都拥有影响政策、制定业务标准和创造共享价值的巨大权力--对人和环境的影响之大，可以说是其他实体无法比拟的。他们还分享了设计和执行多方面战略的重大能力，这些战略服务于他们自己的短期和长期目标，往往对一些人有利，对另一些人不利。因此，理解能力、权力和影响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。这项博士研究将探索这三个概念如何影响企业与政府的责任和角色，这在危机时期是否有所不同，并考虑对公共产品交付和公司治理结构的影响。这项研究的目的是为正在进行的商业伦理和政治企业社会责任(CSR)领域的学术对话做出贡献。这份报告将寻求一种实用框架的形式，供学者、商界领袖和公务员在评估公司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关于如何更好地利用私营部门假定的能力、权力和影响来实现民主政府的意图的可能发现。

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.