Do environmental CSR practices promote corporate social performance? The mediating role of green innovation and corporate image

Abstract

This article examined how Environmental Corporate Social Responsibility (ECSR) activities directed through green innovation influence corporate image and corporate social performance. The stakeholder theory was used to examine how stakeholders' expectations affected environmental CSR, green innovation activities and how corporate innovation initiatives affected corporate image and corporate social performance. Corporate environmental practices refer to the entire process of adopting technologies and product designs for protecting and sustaining natural resources. Selected companies in Ghana were used for this study. The study employed a cross-sectional quantitative approach where data from employees were collected across six months. This study used structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the effects of environmental CSR on social performance through mediators: green innovation and corporate image. The empirical findings demonstrate that corporate environmental CSR practices have an impact on the development of green innovations that promote companies' social performance. Additionally, evidence from the findings supports that corporate image influences companies’ social performance in Ghana. Furthermore, the findings from the study demonstrate that corporate environmental CSR enhances corporate social performance through green innovation and corporate image. The study recommends green innovation adoption to improve CSR practices, corporate image and corporate social performance.