Corporate Social Responsibility Practices in the Retail sector: a Multiple Case Study Analysis of US Retailers

Abstract

Over the last few years, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become a central theme in corporate management and is a relevant element of competitiveness for businesses. However, it is difficult to find a sustainable business model that fits perfectly to all companies, therefore, the aim of this study is to analyze the social responsibility balances of some of the major American companies in the retail sector through a multiple case study analysis, to verify similarities and differences in their approach to defining a socially responsible strategy. The methodology used is a multiple case study analysis that compares the Social Reports of 5 American companies selected as a sample as they are leaders in the Retail sector, considering the Deloitte rankings. The commitment on the social and environmental front of companies considered is aimed at producing long-term collective benefits and is not reduced to formal and facade interventions adopted in the short term mainly for opportunistic purposes. Sometimes companies consider sustainability as a goal to be achieved, but from the results of the study, analyzing the different time period 2012-2018, it can be seen that it is not an achievable goal, but a prolonged path, during which the company and its stakeholders try to improve each other continuously.