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Papers by Jacqueline Kirk

Responsible business indices have become increasingly important in both academic and empirical fi... more Responsible business indices have become increasingly important in both academic and empirical fields of corporate social responsibility (CSR) with a growing number of organisations purporting to record CSR practice in this manner; FTSE4Good, Dow Jones, Domini and Business in the Community (BITC) to name but a few. The perceived purpose of such indices is extremely diverse. Designed initially as measurement tools for investors or methods of promoting responsible business practice, indices are also used by many organisations to measure progress overtime, benchmark practices against peers or communicate CSR practices. Thus far the main body of literature in this area has explored indices’ financial impact, validity in gaining and conveying legitimacy or social impact in promoting responsible business practices. However, there seems to be little research exploring the dynamic nature of the organisations behind such indices, their various stakeholders and the changes they have undergone...

In recent years there has been an increase in metrics and indices measuring corporate social resp... more In recent years there has been an increase in metrics and indices measuring corporate social responsibility (CSR) (SuatainAbility, 2010; IBE, 2013). In legitimating the premise of these metrics focus has centred on the effects of inclusion, either in regard to financial impact for the firm (Beurden and Gossling, 2008; Griffin and Mahon, 1997), validity in gaining and conveying legitimacy (Chatterji et al, 2007; Agle and Kelly, 2001; Font et al, 2012; Graafland et al, 2004), or social impact in promoting responsible business practices (Slager et al, 2010; Slager, 2012; Adam and Shavit, 2007; Scarlet and Kelly, 2009). Yet, arguably these tools are now institutionalised elements of CSR (Waddock, 2008), and thus focus is no longer centred on gaining legitimacy, but rather on retaining it, as they ‘face the need to evolve…in the context of the changing demands of constituents and environmental change’ (Durand & McGuire, 2005, p.168). However, little is known about how these effects (fina...

Proceedings of the International Association for Business and Society

Research in the Sociology of Organizations, Jun 1, 2017

While the use of the pragmatic sociology of critique has enjoyed increasing academic popularity, ... more While the use of the pragmatic sociology of critique has enjoyed increasing academic popularity, the relationship between justification and broader power relations remains unclear. Recent attention to the concept of 'domination' suggests the need for a greater focus on how employed public goods reinforce prevailing social arrangements. In this article we explore the public debate over the expansion of hydraulic fracturing of shale gas (so-called 'fracking') in the United Kingdom (UK). This technology has generated significant debate and controversy. Through a detailed examination of public inquiries into the technology we explore how different actors employ discursive strategies to justify their claims for the expansion or rejection of fracking. Through this analysis, the article identifies how some of these justifications enjoy precedence over others within the prevailing neoliberal political regime. By explaining how such a political regime is constituted, our

Academy of Management Proceedings

British Journal of Management

This paper investigates the political contestation over hydraulic fracturing of shale gas, or 'fr... more This paper investigates the political contestation over hydraulic fracturing of shale gas, or 'fracking', in the UK. Based on an analysis of four public inquiries, it shows how both proponents and opponents of fracking employed scaling to mobilize interests by connecting (or disconnecting) fracking to spatial and temporal scales. The analysis explains how a fossil fuel hegemony was reproduced by linking local and specific benefits to nationally or globally recognized interests such as employment, energy security and emission reductions. The paper contributes to recent debates on environmental political contestation by showing how scaling enables the linkage of competing interests by alternating between spatial (e.g. local vs. global) and temporal (e.g. short term vs. long term) horizons. The authors argue that scaling allows dominant actors to uphold contradictory positions on climate change, which contributes to explaining the current disastrous political climate impasse.

Organization Studies

Despite scientific consensus on the need to rapidly decarbonize economic systems to limit global ... more Despite scientific consensus on the need to rapidly decarbonize economic systems to limit global warming, the exploitation of fossil fuels continues unabated. This begs the question, why do we continue down this path? We argue that one reason is the way in which fossil fuel expansion is temporally framed. In this article, we examine the disputed development of hydraulic fracturing of shale gas (‘fracking’) in the United Kingdom. Through analysis of a series of public inquiries conducted by the UK Government we show how industry, government and NGOs have engaged in a framing contest in debating the future of fracking. The findings show how the framing of fossil fuel development was solidified over time through processes of certainty, simplicity and familiarity. We contribute by: (a) showing how actors mobilize temporality in constructing persuasive and actionable frames; (b) developing a theory of how frames gain temporal portability – a chronology between a dominant past and a recog...

Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 2014

This paper examines the potential market for natural gas as a transportation fuel in the light co... more This paper examines the potential market for natural gas as a transportation fuel in the light commercial vehicle sector in the United Kingdom. In order to understand this market and identify barriers to growth and possible solutions interviews were conducted with a number of professionals with experience in this market. These interviews were open and exploratory enabling the application of grounded theory techniques in analysis. Clear priorities for potential users were cost and carbon reduction and the main constraint a lack of refuelling infrastructure. Small scale and low cost policy interventions were identified, at national level including maintaining tax differentials; easing payload restrictions; and limited support for refuelling facilities alongside local policy initiatives, for example, restoring the exemption from the London Congestion Charge for gas vehicles, that could help to kick-start the market at least at a niche level.

Responsible business indices have become increasingly important in both academic and empirical fi... more Responsible business indices have become increasingly important in both academic and empirical fields of corporate social responsibility (CSR) with a growing number of organisations purporting to record CSR practice in this manner; FTSE4Good, Dow Jones, Domini and Business in the Community (BITC) to name but a few. The perceived purpose of such indices is extremely diverse. Designed initially as measurement tools for investors or methods of promoting responsible business practice, indices are also used by many organisations to measure progress overtime, benchmark practices against peers or communicate CSR practices. Thus far the main body of literature in this area has explored indices’ financial impact, validity in gaining and conveying legitimacy or social impact in promoting responsible business practices. However, there seems to be little research exploring the dynamic nature of the organisations behind such indices, their various stakeholders and the changes they have undergone...

In recent years there has been an increase in metrics and indices measuring corporate social resp... more In recent years there has been an increase in metrics and indices measuring corporate social responsibility (CSR) (SuatainAbility, 2010; IBE, 2013). In legitimating the premise of these metrics focus has centred on the effects of inclusion, either in regard to financial impact for the firm (Beurden and Gossling, 2008; Griffin and Mahon, 1997), validity in gaining and conveying legitimacy (Chatterji et al, 2007; Agle and Kelly, 2001; Font et al, 2012; Graafland et al, 2004), or social impact in promoting responsible business practices (Slager et al, 2010; Slager, 2012; Adam and Shavit, 2007; Scarlet and Kelly, 2009). Yet, arguably these tools are now institutionalised elements of CSR (Waddock, 2008), and thus focus is no longer centred on gaining legitimacy, but rather on retaining it, as they ‘face the need to evolve…in the context of the changing demands of constituents and environmental change’ (Durand & McGuire, 2005, p.168). However, little is known about how these effects (fina...

Proceedings of the International Association for Business and Society

Research in the Sociology of Organizations, Jun 1, 2017

While the use of the pragmatic sociology of critique has enjoyed increasing academic popularity, ... more While the use of the pragmatic sociology of critique has enjoyed increasing academic popularity, the relationship between justification and broader power relations remains unclear. Recent attention to the concept of 'domination' suggests the need for a greater focus on how employed public goods reinforce prevailing social arrangements. In this article we explore the public debate over the expansion of hydraulic fracturing of shale gas (so-called 'fracking') in the United Kingdom (UK). This technology has generated significant debate and controversy. Through a detailed examination of public inquiries into the technology we explore how different actors employ discursive strategies to justify their claims for the expansion or rejection of fracking. Through this analysis, the article identifies how some of these justifications enjoy precedence over others within the prevailing neoliberal political regime. By explaining how such a political regime is constituted, our

Academy of Management Proceedings

British Journal of Management

This paper investigates the political contestation over hydraulic fracturing of shale gas, or 'fr... more This paper investigates the political contestation over hydraulic fracturing of shale gas, or 'fracking', in the UK. Based on an analysis of four public inquiries, it shows how both proponents and opponents of fracking employed scaling to mobilize interests by connecting (or disconnecting) fracking to spatial and temporal scales. The analysis explains how a fossil fuel hegemony was reproduced by linking local and specific benefits to nationally or globally recognized interests such as employment, energy security and emission reductions. The paper contributes to recent debates on environmental political contestation by showing how scaling enables the linkage of competing interests by alternating between spatial (e.g. local vs. global) and temporal (e.g. short term vs. long term) horizons. The authors argue that scaling allows dominant actors to uphold contradictory positions on climate change, which contributes to explaining the current disastrous political climate impasse.

Organization Studies

Despite scientific consensus on the need to rapidly decarbonize economic systems to limit global ... more Despite scientific consensus on the need to rapidly decarbonize economic systems to limit global warming, the exploitation of fossil fuels continues unabated. This begs the question, why do we continue down this path? We argue that one reason is the way in which fossil fuel expansion is temporally framed. In this article, we examine the disputed development of hydraulic fracturing of shale gas (‘fracking’) in the United Kingdom. Through analysis of a series of public inquiries conducted by the UK Government we show how industry, government and NGOs have engaged in a framing contest in debating the future of fracking. The findings show how the framing of fossil fuel development was solidified over time through processes of certainty, simplicity and familiarity. We contribute by: (a) showing how actors mobilize temporality in constructing persuasive and actionable frames; (b) developing a theory of how frames gain temporal portability – a chronology between a dominant past and a recog...

Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 2014

This paper examines the potential market for natural gas as a transportation fuel in the light co... more This paper examines the potential market for natural gas as a transportation fuel in the light commercial vehicle sector in the United Kingdom. In order to understand this market and identify barriers to growth and possible solutions interviews were conducted with a number of professionals with experience in this market. These interviews were open and exploratory enabling the application of grounded theory techniques in analysis. Clear priorities for potential users were cost and carbon reduction and the main constraint a lack of refuelling infrastructure. Small scale and low cost policy interventions were identified, at national level including maintaining tax differentials; easing payload restrictions; and limited support for refuelling facilities alongside local policy initiatives, for example, restoring the exemption from the London Congestion Charge for gas vehicles, that could help to kick-start the market at least at a niche level.