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This case study paper has the purpose of showing that both processes of hardwiring and soft wiring together is essential for embedding corporate responsibility across a global organisation to achieve lasting change.

The approach taken in this paper is first to describe the experiences in the Shell Group in terms of tools and approaches. In Shell, governance and business processes are being aligned, “hardwired”, while communications, leadership development programmes and competency frameworks reach the “hearts and minds” of Shell people – “soft wiring”. Informal networks tap into the enthusiasm of people, developing intrinsic motivation. These experiences of Shell are then compared with the sense making model of Cramer et al.

The findings show a high level of alignment.

The practical implication of this finding is that hardwiring and softwiring processes appear to be a vital combination for changing the way business do things.

The value of this paper lies in making the business efforts of embedding corporate responsibility into business practice more effective by focussing on hardwiring and softwiring at the same time.

To discuss organizations’ approaches to company values and ethics, an important aspect of which should be finding out from employees what their perceptions are – asking them “What do we stand for?”

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

If you are a big company like Shell, getting front‐page news and mentions on prime‐time TV for all the wrong reasons, it's understandable why you make massive efforts to give priority to ethical strategies and to make sure they're well understood and accepted both externally and internally. The fact that Shell was already working on the studies and actions which crystallized into its present stakeholder approach to management well before it was rocked by the Ken Saro‐Wiwa and Brent Spar controversies did nothing to lessen the negative impact, but few would doubt that the vociferous criticism hurried the process along.

The experiences noted in the articles provide a basis of discussion for organizations to decide the values, ethics and principles that they will adhere to as they go about their business.

This paper seeks to discuss the sustainability of the global economy.

The approach takes the form of a discursive narrative based on practitioner experience.

It was found that a sustainable economy can be encouraged by thinking in terms of green innovation.

The paper offers original insight into the direction of a major global technology corporation.

The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the multinational oil companies' (MOCs) corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in Nigeria. Its special focus is to investigate the scepticism of stakeholders in the producing communities about the long‐term effect and the beneficiaries of the oil companies' CSR/community development initiatives.

This paper employs a qualitative methodology, drawing on semi‐structured interviews conducted in Nigeria and London. The field work was carried out in Nigeria (Abuja, Lagos and Port‐Harcourt) and in London, UK. Visits were made to the head offices of the MOCs; Ministry of Petroleum and the Nigeria National Petroleum Commission; and the office of The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People in the Niger Delta. In London, Shell International Office was visited.

The study found that expectations of host communities in the Niger Delta for CSR/community development initiatives are greater. The communities above all want social development projects that provide hope of a stable and prosperous future. The companies, on the other hand, have embraced development initiatives primarily in order to demonstrate that they are socially responsible.

If the host communities do not feel that the CSR projects will create a sustainable economic development, they will keep agitating for change and create an hostile environment for multinational enterprises (MNEs).

This research adds to the literature on MNEs' CSR initiatives in developing countries and rationale for demands for social projects by host communities. It concludes that business has an obligation to help in solving problems of public concern.