Alcohol and gambling industries tend to deny conflict of interests in their talks about corporate social responsibility

What this research is about Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) refers to What you need to know corporate pursuit of social goals. In the alcohol and This study examined Corporate Social gambling industries, CSR can refer to voluntary acts Responsibility (CSR) in alcohol and gambling that aim to promote societal welfare and reduce harms industries. The researchers examined five case related to their products. Sociologists and other social studies in the UK, Italy, and at the EU level. There scientists have raised concerns about CSR. This is were 44 participants including chief executives, because the goods and services that private companies communications and CSR managers of large or corporate offer can harm the public. Yet, these companies associated with alcohol and gambling. harmful goods and services create profits for the The interviews sought to understand their motives companies. Thus, for example, one might question and conflicts of interests with respect to their CSR whether it is possible that the gambling industry be actions. willing to reduce gambling even when a big part of its revenue comes from addicts. In other words, there is a Results revealed that many participants rejected conflict of interest. that there was any conflict of interest. They emphasized that only a small number of people A past research has argued that talks about CSR are would experience harm from their products. These post-political. The term, ‘post-political’, refers to the participants stated that any benefits from sales to a idea that conflict of interests is being hidden. Instead, small number of addicts were outweighed by corporate and public interests are presented as being damage to corporate reputation that addicts could aligned well together. This makes it difficult to contest cause. A few participants did accept that some the dominance of corporate agendas. This study conflicts of interests existed. These participants examined five case studies to learn whether CSR is emphasized that CSR was about finding a common embedded in a post-political industry discourse. These ground between corporate and public interests. case studies involved the alcohol and gambling They stressed that their CSR actions were genuine industries in the UK, Italy, and at the EU level. and distinguished between good from bad self- Specifically, the researchers were interested in interest. exploring the motives to be responsible and conflicts of interests in industry talks about CSR. and conflicts of interest. The researchers did a total of 44 interviews that lasted between 30 minutes to over What the researcher did 2 hours. The researchers examined five case studies about Participants included chief executives, alcohol and gambling CSR in the UK, Italy, and at the EU communications and CSR managers of large companies level. Each case study included public documents and and dedicated trade/CSR bodies. It should be noted interviews. Interviews were semi-structured and that CSR was well established in the UK. It was also an included questions regarding corporate motivations important element of the EU agenda. However, what

CSR entailed was still debated in Italy. The researchers About the Researcher analyzed the interviews for common themes, as well as Ben Baumberg Geiger is affiliated with the University for differences between cases. of Kent in the UK. Valentina Cuzzocrea is affiliated The What the researcher found University of Cagliari in Italy. For more information about this study, please contact Ben Geiger at The researchers found that there was evidence of a [email protected] . post-political discourse in which conflicts of interests were denied. Many interviewees rejected that there Citation was a conflict of interest. While the interviewees did Geiger, B. B., & Cuzzocrea, V. (2017). Corporate social not deny the existence of harm related to alcohol or responsibility and conflicts of interest in the alcohol gambling, they tended to confine the problem to a and gambling industries: A post-political discourse? small number of addicts. Some interviewees stated The British Journal of Sociology, 68 (2), 254-272. that public interest should also take into account doi: 10.1111/1468-4446.12249 pleasure. They presented themselves as simply Keywords working to provide pleasurable products or services to the public. It was claimed that any benefits from sales Conflict of interest, CSR, post-political governance, to a small number of addicts were far outweighed by alcohol, gambling damage to their corporate reputation. Participants also expressed a fear of restrictive legislation because of damage to the industry’s image and reputation. Gambling Research Exchange Ontario (GREO)

However, some of the longer interviews did reveal Gambling Research Exchange Ontario (GREO) has another discourse that accepted some conflicts of partnered with the Knowledge Mobilization Unit at interests. This seemed to be restricted to interviews in York University to produce Research Snapshots. GREO which a certain level of trust had been established. is an independent knowledge translation and exchange These interviewees did not reject the conflict of organization that aims to eliminate harm from interest. Rather, CSR was a matter of finding a common gambling. Our goal is to support evidence-informed ground with respect to corporate and public interests. decision making in responsible gambling policies, These interviewees stressed their CSR activities as standards and practices. The work we do is intended being genuine and based on personal moral for researchers, policy makers, gambling regulators commitments. They distinguished between good, long- and operators, and treatment and prevention service term self-interest to be responsible and make sound providers. business from bad, short-term self-interest that Learn more about GREO by visiting greo.ca or emailing focused on making quick profits. [email protected] .

How you can use this research Policy makers and other stakeholders may find this study useful in addressing the issue of conflicts of interests with respect to CSR in gambling and alcohol industries. More research is needed to understand how industry discourse about conflicts of interests is viewed by other stakeholders. Research is also needed to understand the political and social consequences of CSR.

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 2017 Canada License.