Affirmation of Principles and Improved Corporate Governance in Serbia - Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility

2012
Authors
Pržulj, ŽivkaRadovanović, Bojana
Contributors
Andrade Sousa, JoãoSimões, Marta C. N.
Stošić, Ivan
Erić, Dejan
Hanić, Hasan
Book part (Published version)

Faculty of Economics of the University of Coimbra
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The aim of this chapter is to examine whether corporate governance in Serbia is
based on affirmation of responsible and ethical conduct. The concept of corporate
governance refers to the system by which companies are managed and controlled in
order to generate long term economic value for its shareholders, while respecting the
interests of stakeholders and society as a whole. Companies’ responsibility towards
their stakeholders is recognized as a principle of good corporate governance. In this
chapter, we present results of the poll on the managers’ attitudes towards business
ethics and corporate social responsibility in Serbian business environment. We found
out that managers are uniformed in the belief that companies have responsibilities
towards their stakeholders: employees, business partners, suppliers, customers,
community and environment. In addition, they are of the opinion that ethical
behaviour and business success could go along, and also that immoral conduct is n...ot
justified in business. Nevertheless, most of examined managers see current business
environment in Serbia as an uncompromising struggle. We can conclude that while
managers’ attitudes towards business form a solid basis for the affirmation of
principles and improved corporate governance, the perception of business
environment as an uncompromising struggle indicate that current business practice
in Serbia, in fact, hinder ethical and responsible conduct and reflect its opposite.
Keywords:
corporate governance / business ethics / corporate social responsibility / management attitudes / SerbiaSource:
Managing Structural Changes: Trends and Requirements, 2012, 346-359Publisher:
- Coimbra : Faculty of Economics of the University of Coimbra
Projects:
- Challenges and Prospects of Structural Changes in Serbia: Strategic Directions for Economic Development and Harmonization with EU Requirements (RS-179015)
- European integrations and social and economic changes in Serbian economy on the way to the EU (RS-47009)