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Combining CSR and Political Activities of MNCs Through Meta-Organizations: The Case of Plastic Pollution in Emerging Countries
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Researchers analyzed five case studies from West Africa and Southeast Asia showing how multinational corporations use collective meta-organizations to simultaneously pursue CSR goals and shape Extended Producer Responsibility regulation, finding that the success of these hybrid corporate-political strategies depends heavily on national governance quality and the involvement of international organizations.
This chapter examines how multinational corporations (MNCs) collectively address plastic pollution in emerging economies through meta-organizations (MOs). While existing literature highlights the limitations of voluntary corporate action, the authors analyze how MNCs leverage collective platforms to promote Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and influence regulatory processes. Drawing on five case studies from West Africa and Southeast Asia, the authors show that subsidiaries of MNCs create MOs that combine corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts with political action. At the inter-organizational level, these platforms support a specific form of mandatory regulation that the authors define as ‘hybrid’. Their effectiveness is contingent on national political dynamics and the involvement of international organizations. The authors contribute to the literature on political CSR, MOs and grand challenges by highlighting how firms pursue regulatory solutions through collective structures under conditions of weak governance.
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Researchers studied big companies in Ghana, Ivory Coast, Thailand, and Vietnam that joined forces in groups to help manage plastic waste. The study found these company groups used rules combining government and industry regulation to gain official recognition, which helped them grow membership, gain more resources, and operate with more independence.
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This article reconceptualizes plastic pollution regulation in Nigeria, the United States, and the United Kingdom through a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) framework. The analysis examines how CSR principles can be applied to advance corporate accountability for plastic pollution across different regulatory contexts.
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This study examines how Coca-Cola's World Without Waste initiative functions as a form of political corporate social responsibility that influences global plastics waste governance. The researcher found that the initiative employs delay tactics similar to those used by corporations in the climate debate, framing solutions in ways that hinder comprehensive policy action. The analysis suggests that such corporate involvement can exacerbate the plastics pollution crisis by promoting inequitable waste management approaches.
Meta-Organizations for Transformative Change
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This book brings together eleven studies on "meta-organizations," groups made up of other organizations, examining how they address issues like plastic pollution, tobacco regulation, and social inequality. It explores how these groups can either support or block large-scale changes toward sustainability and fairness in society.
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This article argues that the emergence of hybrid institutional governance in global plastics policy—centered on voluntary, industry-led multistakeholder initiatives orchestrated through UNEP—risks entrenching corporate-friendly arrangements that undermine meaningful regulation. The authors contend this hybrid governance model legitimizes weak rules and sustains corporate dominance rather than driving systemic transformation toward sustainable plastics management.
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