Are Corporate Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility having a role for sustainable Service Business? : An explorative study of IKEA, Starbucks and H&M

Purpose – The aim of this article is to introduce values linked to Corporate Governance (CG) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) through S-D logic by focusing on how values shape actors’ resource integration, value co-creation and the resulting value-in-context. The focus is on how values enables and constrains the creation of value-in-context and thus a sustainable service business. We also focus on the interdependencies between CG and CSR to describe and analyse how core company values are embedded the company’s social and environmental responsibilities, which are aligned with customers’ and other stakeholders’ values. Methodology/approach – Based on a literature review and interpretations of three comparative case studies of values-based companies (IKEA, H&M and Starbucks), the paper draws together a conceptual analysis of how corporate governance and CSR are of great importance in ‘converting’ values into capabilities and value-creating actions. The present exploratory study undertakes an investigation of the role of CG and CSR as resources in S-D logic. Findings – The results show how the integration of corporate governance, social and environmental responsibility, and the norms and values of a dynamic company culture contribute to resource integration, value co-creation and a deeper understanding of value-in-context. The study also shows that mere recognition of the actors viewed as a social resource integrating other actors. This is to allow full integration of resources in the companies’ value networks, especially in the contemporary globalised world. The paper contributes by showing how values linked to CG and CSR shape actors’ resource integration within service and social systems and thus value co-creation and the resulting value-in-context. Research implications – The notion that a service culture, grounded in company core values based on CG and CSR, drives business development has not been empirically examined in any great detail. There