What Do Corporations Want?: Communicative Capitalism, Corporate Purpose, and a New Theory of the Firm

Corporate purpose has become a battleground for stakeholders with competing desires. Timothy Kuhn offers a Communicative Theory of the Firm to highlight the authority that creates corporations' identities and activities, providing a roadmap for navigating the battleground and producing more responsive corporations.

Format: Hardback
Length: 258 pages
Publication date: 26 June 2024
Publisher: Bristol University Press

Corporate purpose has emerged as a contentious issue, with stakeholders vying for different desires. Some argue that corporations should prioritize profit-making, while others advocate for their involvement in social change.
Leading organization studies scholar Timothy Kuhn challenges this binary mindset, suggesting that corporations must be multifaceted and adaptable. In his book, "Communicative Theory of the Firm," Kuhn presents a bold new perspective that emphasizes the authority that shapes corporations' identities and activities.
The theory offers a comprehensive roadmap for navigating the complex terrain of competing desires, aiming to create more responsive and responsible corporations.
Drawing on communicative and new materialist theorizing, along with three insightful case studies, this book thoroughly redefines our understanding of what corporations are "for."
By embracing a broader perspective, Kuhn's Communicative Theory of the Firm provides valuable insights for policymakers, business leaders, and scholars alike, as they strive to navigate the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781529214277