Social regulation of European transnational companies

1. Social regulation of European transnational companies • Comparative and pluridisciplinary european research project • June 2004 - June 2007 • Coordination : CNRS Comptrasec (I. Daugareilh) • Consortium composition : • Université Bordeaux IV, LARE-EFI (J.M. Cardebat, P. Cassagnard) • Univ. Libre de Bruxelles (M. Dispersyn) • Univ. Toulouse 2 CERTOP (F. Cochoy) • Hamburger Universität, HWP (E. Kocher, R. Koepke, U. Zachert) • Univ. de Trento, UNITN-DES (S. Scarponi, S. Gherardi) • Univ. Castilla La Mancha, UCLM, (J. Aparicio Tovar, M. Baranano Cid) • Utrecht University, (T. Jaspers, P.L.M. Leisink) • Essex University (S. Leader, B. Watt, P. Regibeau, I. Barankay)

2. Workpackage number 1Status report • Objectives : • To produce a status report on the social practices of European transnational companies • To produce an expertise in this field in each of the member states. • Description of work : • Identifying a panel of firms and business sectors that will be analysed using various techniques • Designing, producing, and conducting questionnaires and interviews • Establishing a data set for each country

3. Workpackage number 2Typology Objectives : • To produce a multidisciplinary, European typology of social practices in European transnational companies and their normative references (national, regional, or global). The classification should make it possible • To distinguish between social responsibility and other, similar concepts (social governance, social or sustainable development, social ethics, etc.). • Description of work : • Describing the internal normativeness induced by social responsibility, identifying the players and media, and measuring the return on investment in social standards outside Europe. • Classifying the social practices from all three disciplines (law, economics, sociology) in a multidisciplinary perspective work. • Classifying the social practices with comparative methodology.

4. Workpackage number 3Regulation • Objectives : • To explore and measure the hypothesis of a "codification" of social ethics in the economic exchanges of European transnational companies. • To analyse how law – European community law – can integrate specific corporate standards and create a shared (articulated) space for (public/private) management of social rights outside Europe. • Description of work : • Proposing by law specialists assessments of the legal nature of existing regulations on systems for monitoring application of standards and sanctions. • Analysing three aspects by sociologists experts, the mercantilisation of law, the proximity of the rule of law to its subjects, and the value and representation of rules. • Measuring the adequate level for a legal instrument to provide a framework for social practices.

5. Workpackage number 4Modelling • Objectives : • To test the hypothesis that European transnational companies have developed a model of labour relations and social practices originating in the European social model. • To propose European social and economic indicators usable by these companies, as well as by the relevant European authorities. • Description of work : • Describing the distinctive characteristics of a European model for social responsibility in companies operating outside the European community. • Testing the indicators that will be presented and will serve as a basis for a final evaluation of the regulation of practices observed. • Evaluating the risks and advantages of a change from spontaneous corporate normativeness to a legal framework.