Corporate Social Responsibility Behavior Research Articles

CSR preference, market competition, and corporate financial performance

AbstractAlthough the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate financial performance has been concerned by academia, little is known about how to fulfill CSR. Using a sample of 2111 A‐share public firms in China, this research examines the effects of the way of fulfilling CSR on corporate financial performance and the moderating effects of market competition environments. The results show that firms' CSR behavior of preferred primary stakeholders has a positive effect on corporate financial performance whereas that of preferred secondary stakeholders harms corporate financial performance. Furthermore, this research finds that the stronger the market competition faced by the firm, the more obvious the effect will be, whether it is positive or negative. The findings are helpful to guide the managers on how to better fulfill their CSR, which is of great significance for the sustainable development of CSR.

Can Fulfillment of Social Responsibility Enable Enterprises to Innovate? The Role of Corporate Financialization and Agency Costs

This study constructs a panel model to conduct an empirical analysis on the influence of fulfillment of social responsibility on corporate innovation and its mechanism based on the annual data of A-share listed companies in China from 2010 to 2020. Research results show that (1) fulfillment of social responsibility has a positive effect on corporate innovation. Compared with enterprises with high economic policy uncertainty and low equity balance and non-state-owned enterprises, the implementation of social responsibility has a larger impact on the innovation of enterprises with low economic policy uncertainty and high equity balance and state-owned enterprises. (2) Corporate financialization and agency costs play a mediating role in the relationship between fulfillment of social responsibility and corporate innovation. Fulfillment of social responsibility can promote enterprise innovation by alleviating the capital-crowding effect caused by enterprise financialization and reducing agency costs. (3) Commercial credit has a positive moderating effect on the relationship between fulfillment of social responsibility and enterprise innovation. (4) Institutional investors have a negative moderating effect on the relationship between the fulfillment of social responsibility and enterprise innovation. The results can provide important theoretical guidance and serve as a decision-making reference for standardizing corporate social responsibility behavior and realizing the high-quality development of the Chinese economy.

Role of corporate social responsibility, management practices, organizational behavior in social equity with mediating role of women empowerment: A study of the Islamic banking sector of South Punjab.

The objective of this study was to identify the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR), management practices (MPs), and organizational behavior (OB) in social equity (SE) with the mediating role of women empowerment in the Islamic banking sector of South Punjab. It is a fact that, in the Islamic banking sector, South Punjab is facing a crisis in terms of SE for its employees and customers. This study is based on the quantitative data collected with a five-point Likert scale to identify the relationship between the variables of the framework. Smart PLS 3 software was used in this study to measure the primary data collected by 355 questionnaires. The study concluded that there is an important role of CSR, MPs, and OB in the management of SE in the Islamic banking sector of South Punjab. The theoretical framework of this study is a significant contribution to knowledge as it is based on the significant variables for SE. The study is significant because it provides theoretical as well as practical implications quite useful for the Islamic banking sector of South Punjab to cope with the problem of SE.

Validating and Applying the Mathematical Models for Predicting Corporate Social Responsibility Behavior in Construction Firms: A Roadmap

The prevalence of the sophisticated doctrine of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is increasing, given the perennial environmental concerns and social demands in the construction industry worldwide. Firms’ CSR implementation has been influenced by a broad spectrum of external impetuses and internal motives, yet fragmented assessments of such influences make the prediction and implementation of CSR in construction problematic. This study aimed to validate and apply mathematical models for predicting CSR practices in construction firms. Mobilizing integrated institutional theory, stakeholder theory, and self-determination theory, a questionnaire survey within the top-tier construction contractors was undertaken. Eight mathematical models were developed to predict the key dimensions of CSR practices, such as “government commitment” and “environmental preservation”, and validated by five subjective matter expert interviews. The results demonstrated the comprehensiveness, practicality, and robustness of the CSR prediction models in the construction industry. The results also highlighted the perceived importance of CSR practices; external coercive and normative forces, together with internal organizational culture, were the most influential factors directly enhancing construction firms’ CSR implementation. Conceptually, the findings refined CSR practice prediction in a construction management context. The proposed CSR assessment checklists can help practitioners improve the often-tenuous overall CSR performance and spur competitiveness in the construction market.

STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS CSR IN THE CONTEXT OF DECISIONS RELATED TO TAKING UP A JOB AND REQUIREMENTS FOR EMPLOYERS

The aim of this article is to present the challenge to shape attitudes towards corporate social responsibility (CSR) of future employees and managers. CSR could be an important factor that may influence the career decisions of future employees. The research concentrates particularly on the cognitive and behavioral components of CSR. Therefore, the theoretical part of this paper presents the importance of CSR within the process of an employee applying for a job, and shows how employees need to feel the appreciation from management for their commitment to CSR values. This paper also emphasizes the importance of the education system in shaping CSR attitudes. Within the empirical part of the paper a research problem is presented, which targets the difference between actual CSR knowledge and CSR behaviors and decisions. A survey was conducted among 266 students from the Faculty of Management at the University of Lodz. The findings indicate significant discrepancies between the declared knowledge and choices of students with regard to applying for a job and the requirements for employers. The presented attitudes of the respondents are inconsistent and require further answers.

Corporate Social Responsibility: The Impact of Employees’ Perceptions on Organizational Citizenship Behavior through Organizational Identification

The impact of the employees’ perceptions of CSR activities on the employee-organization relationship has been little explored in the literature. This study aims to analyze the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) perceptions (Environment-related CSR; Employee-related CSR, Customer-related CSR) on organizational citizenship behavior through the mediating role of the organizational identification of employees in the hotel sector. A questionnaire was applied to a sample of 214 frontline employees who work in four- and five-star hotels. Using Model 4 of the PROCESS macro, a mediation model was designed to test the hypotheses. The results indicate that there is a mediation model that uses the effect of organizational identification in the relationship between perceptions of CSR and organizational citizenship behavior. This study concludes that an increase in identification with the organization based on environmental-related activities, employee-related activities, or customer-related activities impact on OCB. The results of this study represent contributions to the literature in the CSR field, as well as to the case of human resources managers who wish to enhance organizational citizenship behavior and identification among hotel staff.

Why do good soldiers in good organizations behave wrongly? The vicarious licensing effect of perceived corporate social responsibility

PurposeWhile most corporate social responsibility (CSR) research has focused on its positive effects, the potential “dark side” of CSR has received scant attention. Grounded in vicarious moral licensing theory and insights from related literature, the current study examines how employees' perceptions of external CSR could result in unintentional negative consequences like unethical pro-organizational behavior via psychological entitlement. The study also investigates the direct and conditional effects of private self-awareness.Design/methodology/approachA two-wave survey of 609 full-time employees from various occupations was conducted to empirically test the hypotheses. Several techniques and remedies were applied to control the quality of the sample data and mitigate the effects of potential common method bias.FindingsThe results demonstrate that unethical pro-organizational behavior can be an unintentional negative outcome of perceived external CSR, and psychological entitlement mediates the relationship.Research limitations/implicationsThis work contributes to the moral licensing literature by examining vicarious moral licensing in the work domain. It offers several new and significant implications for research on CSR, psychological entitlement, and unethical pro-organizational behavior. The results suggest that managers should be mindful of unethical pro-organizational behavior as a potential negative consequence of external CSR engagement.Originality/valueThis study is among the first attempts to examine vicarious moral licensing in the work domain and investigates a largely neglected research area – the negative aspect of external CSR.

Islamic Religiosity and CSR Attitudes—The Case of Egyptian Managers

In this research, we investigated the complex relationship between Islamic religious beliefs and corporate social responsibility (CSR) attitudes and behaviour. We defined four aspects of religiosity, four types of individual attitudes toward CSR, and five types of CSR behaviour. The empirical analysis of the responses of 274 questionnaires showed that there is a very different picture of the Islamic religiosity of the Egyptian managers, with low correlations between the cognitive, intrinsic, extrinsic, and behavioural aspects of religiosity. The results show that there are significant and negative impacts of Islamic religious beliefs on various types of CSR attitudes and behaviour. The joint mediating role of attitudes toward CSR is almost non-existent and Islamic religious beliefs exert a direct impact on CSR behaviour. Our findings offer important implications for CSR scholars to use a multidimensional measure to assess the religious beliefs of managers and their impacts on CSR attitudes. These findings also enhance business managers’ awareness of the interconnection of religiosity and CSR.

Corporate social responsibility and green behaviour: Towards sustainable food‐business development

AbstractLiterature in the field of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has mainly focused on customers, particularly on their loyalty, behavioural intent and satisfaction. That is, the effectiveness of CSR dimensions has been less considered by scholars. Hence, this research strives to explore the effect of CSR dimensions on the green behaviour among employees of food businesses in Iran. In this vein, the mediating role of green trust and the moderating role of gender in the relationship between the CSR dimensions and the green behaviour of employees have been investigated. The samples of this research included 415 employees of food businesses and companies in Iran. The findings reveal that the CSR dimensions (economic CSR, ethical CSR and philanthropic CSR) directly and indirectly—through the mediating variable of green trust—played an important role in shaping the green behaviour of employees. In this study, the direct and indirect effects of legal CSR on green behaviour among employees were not confirmed. Furthermore, the results represent that the gender variable moderates the effect of the CSR dimensions on the green behaviour of employees, highlighting that economic CSR and ethical CSR played a prominent role in shaping the green behaviour of respectively males and females. In addition, the theoretical and practical implications of the research discussed the impact of green behaviour on producing environmentally friendly products in order to sustainable development in the food business.

Content Analysis of the Corporate Social Responsibility Practices of 9 Major Cannabis Companies in Canada and the US

The cannabis industry has sought to normalize itself and expand its markets in the 21st century. One strategy used by companies to generate positive public relations is corporate social responsibility (CSR). It is critical to understand these efforts to influence the public and politicians given the risks of increased cannabis use. To analyze cannabis industry CSR behaviors, determine their characteristics, and compare their practices with those of the tobacco industry. This qualitative study of CSR activities conducted between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2021, evaluated 9 of the 10 largest publicly traded cannabis companies in the US and Canada. Data were collected from August 1 to December 31, 2021. The 10th company was excluded because it engaged in cannabis-based pharmaceutical sales but not CSR. A systematic review of corporate websites and Nexis Uni was performed, resulting in collection of 153 news articles, press releases, and Web pages. Charitable and philanthropic actions were included. Themes were identified and interpreted using modified grounded theory. CSR activities and spending. Nine major cannabis companies in the US and Canada engaged in CSR activities that encouraged increased consumption and targeted marginalized communities. Companies claimed these activities would mitigate the harms of cannabis prohibition, promote diversity, expand access to medical cannabis, and support charitable causes. They developed educational programs, sustainability initiatives, and voluntary marketing codes and used strategies similar to those used by tobacco companies to recruit public interest organizations as allies. These findings suggest that cannabis companies developed CSR strategies comparable to those used by the tobacco industry to influence regulation, suggesting that cannabis companies should be included when addressing commercial determinants of health.

Environmental Corporate Social Responsibility and Workplace Pro-Environmental Behaviors: Person-Organization Fit and Organizational Identification's Sequential Mediation.

Organizations’ environmental performance has come increasingly under scrutiny given the need for sustainable, low-carbon economies. Workers’ pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) can contribute to greener operations, but research on workplace PEBs is still an emerging field. This study examined how employees’ perceptions of environmental corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies and practices are related to their self-reported voluntary PEBs, including person-organization fit (P-O fit) and organizational identification’s role as sequential mediators. Data were gathered from 178 workers from different organizations via an online survey. The results reveal a positive relationship between perceived environmental CSR practices and work PEBs, which are both directly and indirectly connected through P-O fit and organizational identification. Managers can thus use environmental CSR activities to capitalize on employees’ P-O fit and organizational identification, thereby fostering work PEBS.

Assessing impact of consumer perceived CSR on consumer attitude and purchase behaviour in retail segment: a stakeholder theory perspective

PurposeThis study aims to examine the relationship between the perception of consumers about corporate social responsibility (CSR) and consumers’ purchasing behaviour in the retail sector. Specifically, this study investigates the impact of perceived CSR on consumer attitude and behaviour and the influence of attitude on the relationship between perceived CSR and purchase behaviour.Design/methodology/approachIn this study for collection of the data, an online questionnaire was distributed among the Indian retail consumers. From the collected primary data set, 249 data points were found fit for analysis. Further, the direct, indirect and moderating effects were evaluated using the structural equation modelling technique.FindingsIt is identified that while perceived CSR has a significant influence on consumer purchase behaviour, consumer attitude is having an insignificant impact on the relationship between perceived CSR and purchase behaviour. The findings of this study also show that consumer demographics do not have any moderating impact on the relationship between perceived CSR and purchase behaviour.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings of this study are useful to retail managers interested in enhancing CSR. The results of this study suggest that retailers should focus on strengthening consumers’ perceptions about retailers’ CSR initiatives and enhancing co-creation activities. As an extension to this research, further study can include more potential mediators like consumer effectiveness and timing of CSR initiatives.Originality/valueThis study applies stakeholder theory as well as extends the classic theory of planned behaviour model and proposes the establishment of links among consumers’ perceptions about CSR, consumer attitude and behaviour around the retail sector. In addition, this study considers not only overall consumer behaviour but also specific dimensions of consumer behaviour, namely, loyalty, intention and satisfaction.

CSR profiles and innovation in Italian agri-food firms

New business models that integrate sustainability into corporate strategies and combine environmental, economic, and social issues with production practices are on the rise. Implementation of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives may trigger organizational, process, and product changes, thus affecting a firm's innovation pattern. This study explores the relationship between CSR and innovation by considering the multidimensional nature of these concepts and taking account of all components of CSR and different types of innovation. Therefore, our work aims to verify whether the link between CSR and innovation depends on the CSR pattern and whether firms with specific CSR behaviour differ in terms of innovativeness and type of innovation.The analysis refers to Italian agri-food firms and is based on microdata from the first Permanent Business Census carried out by the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT). Our results support a positive relationship between the intensity of CSR dimensions and the implementation of innovation projects, and between specific strategies of social responsibility and innovation. Indeed, the greatest effects on innovation are associated with initiatives aimed at collective and territorial interests, but a relevant effect is also related to more diversified CSR strategies that merge social and environmental actions. This demonstrates the synergistic effect of different CSR practices in fostering innovation. Moreover, CSR activates a change in a firm's organisation that simultaneously affects procedures, processes, and products.

Corporate social responsibility and Chinese employees' creative behavior: Supervisor–subordinate guanxi as a mediator

Although researchers have reported a positive link between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and employee creative behavior, how this connection develops remains an underexplored topic, particularly in the Chinese context. From the Chinese guanxi perspective, we investigated if supervisor–subordinate guanxi plays a crucial role in mediating the relationship between these two variables. We conducted a survey to collect data from 239 subordinate–supervisor dyads employed in a variety of organizations in China. Structural equation modeling was used for data analysis. We observed a positive association between CSR and employee creative behavior, and supervisor–subordinate guanxi partially mediated this link. Our findings will assist in improvement of understanding of CSR and supervisor–subordinate guanxi for enhancing employees' creative behavior in organizations. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

The role of value co-creation in linking green purchase behavior and corporate social responsibility – An empirical analysis of the agri-food sector in China

Green purchase behavior emerges in the agri-food sector with the increasing awareness of the negative environmental impacts of agricultural production intensification. The agri-food sector responds to consumers’ demand for green products by either implementing social responsibility practices, such as environmental protection activities, to construct a “green” image/brand, or using green marketing strategies to boost sales. Amongst all the marketing strategies, value co-creation is regarded as an innovative strategy to incorporate consumer ideas and address consumer needs. To understand the role of value co-creation in the relationship between corporate social responsibility and green purchase behavior, this study employs a structural equation model to test for the inter-correlations of the three using the sample data drawn from an online survey in China. The results show corporate social responsibility influences green purchase behavior through encouraging consumers’ engagement in value co-creation. Food safety concern has a role in positively moderating the impact of corporate social responsibility and value co-creation activities on green purchase behavior. Understanding the role of value co-creation may assist policymakers in designing supporting policy for developing an efficient and innovative channel connecting the agri-food sector and consumers to build consumer confidence in the green food market.

Perceived corporate social responsibility and pro-environmental behaviour: Insights from business schools of Peshawar, Pakistan.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and environmental sustainability have become urgent concerns for contemporary businesses. This study focuses on the interplay between corporate social responsibility perceptions and pro-environmental behaviour (PEB) in response to experts’ call for research on the micro-foundations of corporate social responsibility. In addition, it reveals the mechanism underpinning how perceived CSR shapes pro-environmental behaviour in an understudied developing context. Empirically, a qualitative multiple-case research design is utilised by selecting three business schools from Peshawar, Pakistan. Fourteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with senior management and faculty to collect data. Besides primary data, a qualitative documentary review is used to enhance the research. Data analysis is done through the thematic network technique. Plantation, cleanliness, waste reduction, and energy conservation are the environmental aspects of CSR as regarded by employees. In addition, perceived CSR shapes pro-environmental behaviour via environmental knowledge and awareness, eco-civic sense, environmental values, personality traits, religious perspective, and perceived organisational support for the environment. This study provides original additions to the CSR literature by suggesting eco-civic sensibility and religious perspective as new CSR drivers for pro-environmental conduct. Incorporating stakeholder salience into the context of the present study also advances CSR research. The findings are also valuable for management to make the CSR agenda of business schools more strategic, comprehensive, and centred on the priorities of salient stakeholders.

Environmental corporate social responsibility and pro-environmental behavior: The effect of green shared vision and personal ties

• Examine the effect of environmental corporate social responsibility (ECSR) on pro-environmental behavior. • Use green shared vision as a mediator and personal ties as a moderator. • ECSR drives actual pro-environmental behavior via green shared vision. • Business ties strengthen the relationship between ECSR and green shared vision. • Political ties weaken the connection between ECSR and green shared vision. • Provide implications for policymakers and practitioners in developing countries. Environmental corporate social responsibility (ECSR) has recently gained traction among academics, practitioners, and policymakers as a critical driver of sustainable development. However, the impact of ECSR on actual pro-environmental behavior remains unclear in the literature, particularly in the context of developing countries. Grounded in the social exchange and social network theories, this study examines the effect of ECSR on pro-environmental behavior via the mediation of a green shared vision and the moderation of two types of personal ties (business ties and political ties). Data was collected and analyzed from 375 manufacturing sector employees in Pakistan at two time periods. The results show that ECSR (at time 1) drives actual pro-environmental behavior (at time 2). Specifically, implementing ECSR can significantly enhance an employee's pro-environmental behavior via its green shared vision. In addition, business ties were found to strengthen the relationship between ECSR and green shared vision. In contrast, political ties were revealed to weaken the connection between ECSR and green shared vision, thus affecting sustainable development objectives. Our findings provide implications for policymakers and practitioners to promote ECSR in developing countries.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Customer Behavior Associated with Hotels in Zanzibar

As part of their market segmentation, chain branding, and or the wider issue of customers’ increasing attention in the context of a low-carbon economy, hotels seem to be increasingly engaged in Corporate Social Responsibility activities to better capture their customer reaction, Yet there are limited studies at a micro-level examining the impact among various categories of hotels in Zanzibar. With the emphasis on environmental dimensions, this study focuses on investigating the impact of the existing Corporate Social Responsibility practices on customer behavior perspective targeting visitors, hoteliers and employees. Primary data using survey questionnaires were collected and involved tourists or visitors and hotels’ employees sample-sized of 140. The study adapts sequential mixed methods with quantitative and qualitative patterns and with purposive sampling technique the study takes 100 from the 140 respondents of selected hotels’ employees to provide information on the problem area and 40 tourists were selected randomly at different hotels as customers and by employing various multivariate analysis techniques results were achieved. At the 0.05 level of confidence, the study revealed that all of the four predictors: green promotion, recycling, friendly products and waste management have significant impact on the customer behavior in a positive direction. The results show that customers who have positive attitudes on green promotion, recycling, friendly products and waste management tend to be influenced in their behavioral change positively which then provide rooms and opportunities for stakeholders in the hospitality industry such as hotels in Zanzibar to attract more customers by improving issues like green promotion, recycling, friendly products and waste management in their surroundings. as a dynamically developing sector of the economy, tourism sector and in particular, hotel management should meet society’s expectations within the framework of minimizing negative effects on the natural environment and focus on corporate social responsibility as business strategy for long-term business vision.

The effect of institutional CSR on brand advocacy during COVID-19: the moderated mediation effect of CSR expectancy and value-driven motivation

PurposeThis research aims to understand consumer responses to corporate social responsibility (CSR) during an unprecedented public health crisis. Specifically, two studies were conducted to investigate how companies’ different CSR initiatives in the early stage of COVID-19 would influence consumers’ advocacy intention according to their focus (i.e. targets of institutional CSR). The first study examined the moderating role of individuals’ CSR expectancy on the effects of companies’ CSR initiatives on consumers’ brand advocacy intention. The second study further extends the findings of Study 1 by examining the mediating role of perceived brand motive.Design/methodology/approachTwo between-subject online experiments were conducted to explore the impact of three types of institutional CSR initiatives (i.e. community, employee and consumer-centered CSRs) on brand advocacy. Study 1 (N = 380) examined the moderating role of CSR expectancy in influencing consumer responses to institutional CSR initiatives. Study 2 (N = 384) explored the underlying mechanism through examining the mediating role of a company’s value-driven motivation in the process.FindingsStudy 1 indicated that institutional CSR, regardless of type, was more effective in generating a more significant brand advocacy intention than a promotional message, measured as a baseline. The impact of different kinds of institutional CSR on consumers’ brand advocacy intentions was significantly moderated by their CSR-related expectations. Specifically, individuals with moderate to high CSR expectancy showed higher brand advocacy intentions in both consumer- and employee-centered CSR initiatives than the promotional message. In comparison, those with low CSR expectancy only showed higher brand advocacy intentions in the community-centered CSR initiative. In addition, as individuals’ CSR expectations rose, the mediation effect of the perceived value-driven motivation became stronger.Research limitations/implicationsThe current study includes guiding principles to help companies effectively respond to COVID-19 as corporate citizens by demonstrating the importance of individuals’ CSR expectancy across three CSR initiatives. This study used real-life examples of how leading companies were stepping up CSR efforts and suggested an approach that aligns CSR behaviors with the urgent and fundamental human needs of COVID-19.Originality/valueIn line with the CSR goal of maximizing benefits for stakeholders, this study’s findings signal that situational changes determine CSR expectations and that companies must be highly susceptible to the changes in consumers’ expectations of CSR and their appraisal process of CSR motives to maximize its CSR value.

Psychological improvement in Employee Productivity by Maintaining Attendance System using Machine Learning Behavior.

For a very long time, researchers, educationists, practitioners, and psychologists have tried to conduct extensive research on employee productivity at the workplace. It was firmly believed that positive traits of the employees positively affect the performance of employees at the workplace and, at the same time, increase the productivity of the organization. A few organizations have changed their organizational policies to improve employee performance by identifying individuals' positive traits. Positive psychology (PS), unlike traditional psychology, focuses on the positive traits of the individuals rather than on their negative aspects. Hence, this paper intends to analyze the important role of PS in improving employee productivity as well as analyze the psychological improvement in Employee Productivity by Maintaining Attendance Systems, Implementing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR activities), Entrepreneurial Intentions (EI), and Machine Learning Behavior (MLB). This study paper investigates the role of attendance systems, CSR, EI, and MLB in enhancing the employees' productivity in a positive manner, which will eventually increase organizational productivity. This study proposes a research framework and hypothesis that explains the relationship between employee productivity and organizational attendance system, CSR, EI, and MLB. For this study, a questionnaire was prepared and distributed among the employees working in the selected organizations. These data verify the validity of the proposed hypothesis and research framework. Statistical approaches were employed to analyze the results of the proposed hypothesis. Results of the study found that by maintaining an attendance system, implementing CSR, EI, and MLB, employee performance can be improved positively, thereby increasing organizational productivity.