Институционализированное невежество: невосприимчивость российской нефтяной компании к экологической безопасности

Экономическая социология. 2018. Т. 19. № 1. С. 92–115.

Villo S.

Many companies demonstrate a low level of corporate responsiveness to environmental safety issues. The existing literature indicates egoistic behavior of companies as the main cause. However, these conclusions are based on cases from the developed countries. What determines the low corporate responsiveness to environmental safety in developing and transition economies, for which the very concept of environmental business responsibility is new? Responding to this question, this paper explores the experience of a large Russian oil company in ensuring environmental safety in the development of an oil field located in Russia . Data were collected from the documented sources of information and 15 in-depth interviews with managers who make decisions on the environmental safety of the project as well as with external experts who cooperate with this company in the field of environmental safety. The study showed that the low responsiveness to environmental safety of Russian companies is not due to their selfish behavior, as it is suggested in the existing literature, but due to the illiteracy of their top managers and their lack of understanding of environmental safety issues. Following the approach of Richard Whitley, the author explains this illiteracy as a cognitive derivative of the national business system. The author shows that illiteracy of top managers regarding environmental issues is backed by the Russian culture, education, financial, and political systems. A theoretical explanation is offered for how environmental irresponsibility is formed within a context where the very concept of environmental business responsibility is new. Governmental intervention in decision-making on environmental safety issues and the activities of regulatory authorities are discussed.

Keywords: transition economies, корпоративная восприимчивость, невежество менеджеров высшего звена, институционализированное невежество, экологическая безопасность, corporate irresponsiveness, managerial ignorance