Germany overcoming the heritage of corporatism

Abstract

Many European neighbours perceive Germany as a "white spot" in the European CSR landscape. In this article we try to highlight the background of that phenomenon, focusing on the tradition of Corporatism. Strong trade unions and business associations, religion-based institutions, professional associations and chambers stick to their traditional roles. They join forces with a strong state which is still expected to solve the structural problems of the country. Against this background it remains difficult for committed citizens, non-institutional organisations and third-sector groups to develop participative structures, thus contributing to a new type of social order. Reflections on civil society as expressed by the Commission of the German Parliament on "Zukunft des bürgerschaftlichen Engagements" 1 are forced back by day-to-day problems (Enquete-Kommission des Deutschen Bundestages, 2002). One "hot spot" has been the German reunification, attracting much political attention and absorbing the countrys creativity over the past 15 years. Another factor of growing importance is the aging population and the resulting challenges in fields such as social security reforms, family policy etc. However, beyond these present political debates there are historical reasons why Germany is reluctant to embrace the concept of CSR. These reasons date back to the times of industrialisation, giving German civil society a very specific shape. We will analyse these historical developments in order to better understand the presence of the quasi monopoly of the state as the omnipotent problem solver of German society. In a second step we will discover the traces of Corporatism in the emerging CSR scene in Germany.