Corporate Social Responsibility in Cyberspace: Selling out to Autocratic Regimes: Implications from the Case of Google Corporation in China

Abstract

Purpose – To examine corporate social responsibility in cyberspace within the context of the experience of Google Corporation in China in order to provide greater understanding of the complexities that corporations encounter when operating across cyber borders.Design/methodology/approach – The research is grounded in the theoretical debate: The Internet as democratic and universal space versus the Internet as autocratic and sovereign space. Historical analysis is drawn from the case of Google Corporation in China.Findings – Freedom in cyberspace is more likely to be advanced universally with a collective commitment to corporate social responsibility in the information technology sector.Research limitations/implications – The study provides insights into the appropriate balance between the ethical responsibilities of the firm and its need to compete and survive in the highly competitive information age.Originality/value of chapter – The case of Google Corporation in China offers a venue for further discussion on the ethical role of transnational information technology corporations and their improvements in fostering human rights and free enterprise in cyberspace.

Citation

Morris, S.C. (2013), "Corporate Social Responsibility in Cyberspace: Selling out to Autocratic Regimes: Implications from the Case of Google Corporation in China", Leonard, L. and Alejandra Gonzalez-Perez, M. (Ed.) Principles and Strategies to Balance Ethical, Social and Environmental Concerns with Corporate Requirements (Advances in Sustainability and Environmental Justice, Vol. 12), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 183-204. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2051-5030(2013)0000012013