Abstract
Different stakeholders pressure companies to innovate and to include Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in their strategy. This article examines how innovation and CSR relate in some Brazilian companies. We conducted a multiple case study with five companies that claim to be highly innovative and to include social and environmental responsibility in their strategic agenda. Results indicate that CSR is mainly employed in a reactive way and cannot be considered strategic in these cases. CSR has a secondary position for these companies, while innovation is prioritized, since it is perceived as a source of value and competitiveness. We found a unilateral relation between the constructs, according to which innovation can generate CSR benefits, but CSR does not generate benefits in terms of innovation. CSR and innovation also exist independently, in a way that not every innovation generates CSR benefits. The paper presents implications and future studies suggestions.
Highlights
Diferentes stakeholders pressionam as empresas a inovar e a adotar práticas de Responsabilidade Social Corporativa (RSC)
In Brazil, according to a project1 conducted in Rio Grande do Sul, there is a significant number of companies that consider themselves to be highly innovative and to include social and environmental responsibility in their strategic guidelines, indicating that in these cases there could be a relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and innovation
This study investigates the relationship between socio-environmental practices and innovation in Brazilian companies
Summary
Diferentes stakeholders pressionam as empresas a inovar e a adotar práticas de Responsabilidade Social Corporativa (RSC). Este artigo examina a relação entre inovação e RSC em empresas brasileiras. Realizamos um estudo de caso múltiplo com cinco empresas brasileiras que afirmam ser altamente inovadoras e incluir responsabilidade social e ambiental em sua pauta estratégica. Os resultados indicam que a RSC é empregada, principalmente, de maneira reativa e não pode ser considerada estratégica. A RSC ocupa uma posição secundária nas empresas estudadas, enquanto a inovação é priorizada, já que é considerada fonte de valor e competitividade. Encontramos uma relação unilateral entre os construtos, na qual a inovação pode gerar benefícios de RSC, mas a RSC não gera benefícios de inovação. A RSC e a inovação também existem independentemente, de modo que nem toda inovação gera benefícios em termos socioambientais.
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