Trade Unions and Corporate Social Responsibility: Longitudinal Analysis of the Strategies of French Trade Union Confederations

Over the last twenty years, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become a major subject of public debate and research in social sciences. The development of CSR strategies has an impact on trade unions, which have to adapt and react, or even use the opportunities offered by CSR. The aim of this article is to shed further light on the way trade unions develop their strategies in the field of CSR.

Two works are used to analyze these strategies and their development: the work of Boxall (2008) in the field of industrial relations and that of Whittington (2006) on “strategies as practice”. The article presents an analysis grid to study how five representative trade union confederations in France developed their CSR strategies between 2006 and 2016.

The results of this longitudinal study reveal three kinds of strategies: 1- Confederations that have formulated a strategy in favour of CSR very early on; 2- Confederations that have committed themselves more recently to CSR; and, 3- one Confederation that remains very critical of CSR. The major drivers of these strategies are, on the one hand, the external relations trade unions develop with NGOs and public authorities, and, on the other, the resources trade unions dedicate to CSR and the actions put in place. At the theoretical level, this article broadens the potential of the selected theories and opens up new perspectives for research. At the practical level, it allows for a better understanding of trade unions’ strategies and, if appropriate, better adaptation and even influence.