Ma`rifat Farhangi Ejtemaei

The core of the theories of instrumental, political, social, and ethical responsible participation in organizations and corporations is the examination of the link between responsible participation and securing the economic interests of actors, the iron law of oligarchy (preserving power), social integration, and the alignment with overarching ethical principles. However, the question remains: is reliance on these core aspects sufficient for explaining responsible participation? The aim of this paper is to examine the challenges within the existing theories concerning responsible participation. The findings indicate that the most significant shortcomings of these theories are as follows: the instrumental theory does not imply a reliable exchange system that secures the interests of all community members; the political theory fails to address the necessity of the four forms of capital, field, and habitus, focusing solely on the iron law of acquiring power; the social integration theory overlooks the socialization of rules, ingrained cultural patterns and customs, obstacles to socialization, and benevolent impulses. Furthermore, the author argues that without religiosity and belief in God, and without arousing the divine, benevolent, and altruistic nature (fitrah), responsible participation faces limitations. It is also noteworthy that the analysis of responsible participation must consider both micro and macro, as well as objective and subjective dimensions simultaneously. This study is a critical content analysis of the theories and perspectives presented in sociological and management sources.