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Researching the Drivers of Socially Responsible Purchasing: A Cross-National Study of Supplier Diversity Initiatives

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Abstract

What drives organisations to engage in socially responsible purchasing initiatives? To investigate this important question, this article uses a case-study approach to examine the context within which supplier diversity programmes have emerged in both the U.S. and U.K. The analysis identifies legislative and policy developments, economic imperatives, stakeholder pressures and ethical influences as forces shaping organisational responses. It reveals important contextual differences between U.K. and U.S. experience and offers an empirical and theoretical explanation of corporate behaviour.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Strategy and Management, De Montfort University, The Gateway, Leicester, LE1 9BH, UK

    Ian Worthington, Monder Ram, Harvinder Boyal & Mayank Shah

Authors
  1. Ian Worthington
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  2. Monder Ram
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  3. Harvinder Boyal
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  4. Mayank Shah
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ian Worthington.

Additional information

Dr Ian Worthington is a Reader in Corporate Social Responsibility at the Leicester Business School, De Montfort University, Leicester, UK.

Professor Monder Ram is Professor of Small and Ethnic Businesses at the Leicester Business School, De Montfort University, Leicester, UK.

Harvinder Boyal is a Research Assistant in the Leicester Business School, De Montfort University, Leicester, UK.

Mayank Shah is a doctoral student in the Leicester Business School, De Montfort University, Leicester, UK.

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Worthington, I., Ram, M., Boyal, H. et al. Researching the Drivers of Socially Responsible Purchasing: A Cross-National Study of Supplier Diversity Initiatives. J Bus Ethics 79, 319–331 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-007-9400-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-007-9400-x

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