The Role of Consumers in the Achievement of Corporate Sustainability through the Reduction of Unfair Commercial Practices
Author(s)
Borko MihajlovićKeywords
unfair commercial practicescorporate sustainability
corporate social responsibility
csr claims
sustainability claims
corporate sustainability codes of conduct
Environmental effects of industries and plants
TD194-195
Renewable energy sources
TJ807-830
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Show full item recordAbstract
The subject of this article is a determination of the potential of the prohibition of unfair commercial practice, as an institution of consumer law, established to strengthen consumers’ protection, to contribute to the achievement of corporate sustainability. The main objective of the paper is the identification of situations in which certain companies’ actions may at the same time be considered as unsustainable and socially irresponsible behavior, as well as unfair commercial practice. There are three such characteristic situations that were the subject of thorough analysis in the paper: (1) company’s constantly invoking to the concepts of corporate sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in its marketing activities, which is essentially incorrect because the company in practice breaches some of the basic postulates of these concepts, (2) breach of company’s code of conduct which contains the principles of corporate sustainability and CSR, and which the company has undertaken to be bound, (3) conducting many concrete acts which represent unfair commercial practice, and simultaneously have negative impact on the corporate sustainability and CSR. From the analysis of these three situations arises the conclusion that there is a possibility for indirect legal sanctioning of the unsustainable and socially irresponsible behavior of companies through the application of the consumer law rules on the prohibition of unfair commercial practice.Date
2020-01-01Type
ArticleIdentifier
oai:doaj.org/article:b5f9ac52180a40a797abc3a8e66465bf2071-1050
10.3390/su12031009
https://doaj.org/article/b5f9ac52180a40a797abc3a8e66465bf