Knowledge acquisition from intra- and inter-organisational relationships, CSR and financial performance

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify how knowledge acquired from intra- and inter-organisational relationships influence corporate social responsibility (CSR) and their impacts on financial performance via the knowledge-based view (KBV). We used the KBV to argue that internal knowledge from employee relationships, external knowledge from partner and customer relationships and CSR practices together contribute to successful firm performance. The KBV can contribute to the analysis of CSR by offering important insights on valuable knowledge acquisition from a wider range of stakeholders. Fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis was employed to explain these causal relationships. Based on 73 firms from six service sectors listed in the Stock Exchange of Thailand, the findings provide support for the hypothesised links between intra- and inter-organisational relationships on CSR, which can result in improved financial performance. This study contributes to the management and CSR literature by investigating intra- and inter-organisational relationships as knowledge-based resources.