Invitation to a guest lecture by Prof. Daniel Kinderman

You are invited to attend the lecture of Prof. Daniel Kinderman, Director of European Studies and Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Delaware, USA.

Renowned for his expertise in the field of right-wing populism and democracy, Prof. Kinderman's lecture will focus on "Responsible Business in the Context of Right-Wing Populism and the Decline of Democracy".

Date: Wednesday, 07/05/2023

Time: 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.

Location: IHI - Zittau, Markt 23, Room 1.10

Please note that the lecture will be held in German.

Abstract

The worldwide wave of autocratization and democratic backsliding has intensified in recent years. Can business and CSR/responsible business play a meaningful role in helping to defend democracy against these threats? My presentation aims to help advance our understanding of these issues. I argue that there is potential for business to defend democracy, particularly in Hobbesian moments of acute crisis when democracy itself is acutely threatened. However, this potential is limited by the fact that right-wing populists are often business-friendly and democratic backsliding is often a slow-moving process. I theorize the multidimensional tensions between CSR and right-wing populism and distinguish between three principal responses of responsible business to right-wing populism: loud voice, loyalty, and avoidance/silence. The empirical part of my presentation is qualitative and interview based. Case studies reveal loud CSR voice against right-wing populist governments in the US, Brazil, and Germany. In India, there is some voice, but also loyalty and state capture of CSR by the Hindu nationalist government. CSR voice tends to diminish as right-wing populists gain strength, and everywhere, the default strategy of CSR toward right-wing populism is silence and avoidance. Loud CSR voice against right-wing populism is less likely when it is most needed: right-wing populism is too hot to handle, and most responsible businesses perceive confrontation to be more costly than beneficial. In addition, engagement faces a spatial/geographical challenge: in many if not most cases, businesses preach to the converted, rather than address those who are hostile to liberal democracy and who tend to live in smaller towns and rural areas.