Territorial agglomerations and corporate social responsibility: the role of science and technology parks

Abstract

This paper is framed within the stream of research that investigates the factors that explain corporate social responsibility and analyses the role played by the immediate area in which a company operates. Its purpose is to examine the impact of science and technology parks on the social responsibility of companies physically located in territorial agglomerations. Using reasoning derived from institutional theory, the study examines the effects of the sense of belonging to a park, the involvement of institutions with links to a park, and the know-how that exists within a park. An analysis of a sample of 239 companies in high tech sectors in Spanish science and technology parks showed that all three aspects have a significant positive influence on the implementation of corporate social responsibility, although know-how was proved to be of secondary importance compared to a sense of belonging and the role played by institutions interrelating with parks.