Corporate Social Responsibility Perspective Research Articles

Social Responsibility and Financial Performance in The Covid-19 era: Support for the Experience of Moroccan SMB

Objective: The objective seems to be to explore the importance of the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a means of crisis management and performance lever allowing companies to withstand current financial and economic shocks. Theoretical Framework: The text mentions the intention to provide a historical overview of CSR, define CSR, financial performance, SMB, the role of SMB on economic growth, and cite organizational theories related to the importance of CSR in times of crisis. This section constitutes the theoretical framework by linking CSR to different economic concepts and organizational theories. Method: this article suggests a theoretical and descriptive approach, analyzing the economic impact of health measures and proposing recommendations, which involves documentary and theoretical analysis. Results and Discussion: The text focuses on presenting the topic and theoretical framework without providing specific results or data analyses. Research Implications: e research aims to highlight the importance of CSR for crisis management and financial performance of companies, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 crisis. The implications could concern strategies business, public policy, and managerial theory. Originality/Value: The originality of this research could lie in its analysis of the impact of CSR during the COVID-19 crisis, a relatively new and current topic. The combination of crisis management, financial performance and health measures from the perspective of CSR can constitute an original contribution to the existing literature on the subject.

Beauty premium: the impact of CEO facial attractiveness on corporate social responsibility

Purpose Face is the most intuitive and representative feature at the individual level. Many studies show that beautiful faces help individuals and enterprises obtain economic benefits and form a high economic premium, but the discussion of their potential social value is insufficient. This study aims to focus on the impact of the personal characteristics of executives. It mainly analyzes the impact mechanism of CEO facial attractiveness on corporate social responsibility (CSR) decision-making, clarifying the social value of beauty from the perspective of CSR. Design/methodology/approach The authors use the regression model to analyze the panel data set, which was conducted by a sample of Chinese publicly listed firms from 2016 to 2018. Findings The study found that CEOs with high facial attractiveness are more active in fulfilling CSR, which can usually bring higher social benefits. CEOs with beautiful faces are prone to overconfidence, are optimistic about their ability and the future development of the enterprise and are more willing to increase their investment in CSR. CEO duality can positively regulate the positive correlation between a CEO’s facial attractiveness and CSR. Originality/value Based on the perspective of upper echelons theory, this paper explores the mechanism of CEO facial attractiveness on CSR. This study enriches the perspective of the upper echelon’s theoretical research and has essential enlightenment for CEO selection and training practice.

CSR perceptions and practices in small hotels in urban cities

PurposeThis study aims to examine the perception and practices related to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) implemented in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), focussing on small hotels in London.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative research design comprising detailed semi-structured interviews was employed with 12 small hotel owner-managers in central London and its outskirts. The study adopts a social constructionist approach to explore CSR perspectives and practices, along with a social capital framework to investigate how CSR is perceived at the individual level and consequently manifested into CSR practices.FindingsThe findings indicate that a small hotel’s implementation of CSR is influenced by long-term versus short-term considerations, as well as socio-economic and socio-political conditions. Individual-level factors, like hoteliers’ CSR conceptualisation and personal and business values, affect CSR adoption in small hotels. Lastly, institutional-level factors, such as ineffective institutional participation and the hotelier’s cultural background against the cosmopolitan context of a big city, have contributed to a muted response to socially responsible issues.Research limitations/implicationsThis study was conducted with a limited sample of 12 participants from small hotels in London and its outskirts, which may limit the generalisability of the findings. Future research could enhance these findings by involving a larger and more diverse group of participants from various urban areas, potentially employing a quantitative research approach for broader applicability. This study’s insights can guide policymakers in educating small business owners on CSR benefits and implementation. It also proposes how governments could encourage sustainable practices among small hotels seeking to enhance their reputation. Moreover, these findings enable small businesses to develop their stakeholder strategies for greater CSR initiatives.Originality/valueThis study integrates social capital theory into investigating CSR in small hotels in London, broadening the literature on CSR perception and integration, particularly in SMEs and the hospitality sector.

Corporate Social Responsibility: Impact on Firm Performance for an Emerging Economy

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) was usually referred to as a concept where companies initiate voluntary action towards social and environmental concerns in the context of business operations related to the stakeholders of the company prior to the CSR Act 2013 in India. Post-2013, the voluntary initiative was replaced by regulatory guidelines to address social and environmental concerns. The CSR applicability–investment gap was used as a base concept in this study with instrumental theory; the study offers a strategic perspective of CSR and how organizations emphasized maximizing stakeholders’ value. In order to further investigate the effect of CSR on corporate financial performance (CFP) through the measure of shareholders’ value, i.e., the return on equity (ROE), the study used the sample from the National Stock Exchange (NSE)-Nifty-100 indexed companies of Emerging Economy—India for a span of fourteen years (2009–2023). The vast majority of research in this domain is conducted in developed countries; the research gap is filled by this study by considering India and drawing samples from multiple industries. The empirical model was developed by using panel data regression, where the dependent variable was ROE, and the independent variables were earning per share (EPS), log total income (LTI), CSR applicability/profit after tax (CRSAPPPAT), and CSR investment/profit after tax (CSRIPAT). The findings also highlighted the CSR applicability and investment of the firms during pre- and post-Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) periods. The same was also analyzed for the firms committed to CSR and not committed to CSR. The results indicated that there is no significant impact of the CSR/ESG initiatives (applicability and investment) on the ROE of the firms. The performance could be better if the companies minimize the CSR/ESG promise–performance gap through effective communication with stakeholders.

Fleet sustainability of the liner market—from the perspective of corporate social responsibility

ABSTRACT Amid growing public concerns about the environment, sustainability has become a primary objective for most liner companies, aligning with the tenets of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Drawing on stakeholder and resource-based theories, this study divides CSR into three dimensions—Fleet Development, Governance and Legal, and Environmental and Social—to address the lack of measuring dimensions of CSR activities from multiple stakeholders. We use actual data from various sources, including each company’s development of the three CSR dimensions, as well as the influencing factors of market, operational, and company characteristics. Proposing mutual reinforcement among the three CSR dimensions, we develop a system of simultaneous equations, employing the three-stage least squares estimator to estimate the model. The results confirm the mutual reinforcement of the dimensions of CSR and disclose the synergy effects achieved by liner companies’ simultaneous pursuit of CSR activities and fleet development. It also identifies two virtuous circles between fleet development and vessel scrubber installation, as well as port authorities’ inspection and detention activities. These findings emphasize the relevance of CSR activities for companies pursuing fleet development goals, highlighting the consequential benefits of adopting sustainable measures across multiple dimensions of the firm.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Organizational Results, a Managerial Perspective

Purpose: This study investigates, from a corporate social responsibility (CSR) perspective, the relationships that exist between selected interested publics and the results of the organization from the point of view of its administrator. Design/Methodology/approach: For this purpose, a survey was conducted and analysed using partial structural equations. This study was conducted in four states in the central region of Mexico. The variables under study were: environmental, social, employee and investor’s commitment as perceived by managers and organizational results. First, the validity of the construct was verified, and subsequently, the relationships between the variables for which the results were satisfactory were analysed. Findings: The relationships between environmental, social, employee, and customer commitments were verified. Finally, the relationship between the client's commitment and the results perceived by the administrator is verified. It is concluded that more efforts are being made in this line of research to identify the progress of Mexican organizations’ CSR strategies. Suggested research for future work is also presented, considering new trends in the approach presented. Originality/value: The results confirm the of the manager/director’s commitment is essential to CSR and their results. In the Mexican case, there are few studies related to this important topic. This research could be also helpful for Latin-American business.

Strategic CSR perspectives hold key to sustainable tourism development in the Society 5.0

The purpose of this paper is to report about research on how Society 5.0 balances Industry 4.0, responsible economic development and resolution of social problems by advancement of perspective corporate social responsibility (CSR) in organizations. Drawing from organisation, sustainable tourism development and social functionalism theories, the author designed an integral model of CSR in the line with goals of a forward looking and socially responsible society. This study includes analysing of present governing principles. The findings of this research paper suggest technology models of Corporate Social Responsibility, a regionally grounded solving of individuals social problems and changing of CSRs environmental, social and economic dimensions according to the circumstances of Society 5.0. Because there is a limit to what people can do, the task of finding s the necessary information from overflowing data and analysing it was a burden and scope of action were restricted due to age factor and degrees of ability. The study was created guidance for improvement of CSR practice in organisations through its responsible operation and behaviour grounded on the governing environmental and social circumstances in modern society. It proposes an integral technology-based model for sustainable economic growth.

The CSR perspective: Interplay of technological innovation, ethical leadership and government regulations for sustainable financial performance.

The financial performance of Chinese public and private sector banks is changing over time. There is no stability in the financial performance of Chinese banks which hurts businesses and the market. The purpose of current research was to determine the influence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on driving the sustainable financial performance of Chinese banks. From methodological perspective, data was collected from 329 banking sector employees from China to partial least square-structural equation model (PLS-SEM) is employed for data analysis. The research used SPSS 24 and Smart PLS 4 as statistical analysis tools. This research confirmed that achieving sustainability in financial performance for Chinese banks can be achieved with CSR influenced by technological innovation, ethical leadership, and government regulations. This research has statistically confirmed that transformational leadership leading to CSR with technological innovation, ethical leadership, and government regulations can make significant improvements in financial performance. The framework developed by current research is a novel contribution to the literature. The findings of this research improve the literature on the banking sector and advanced performance. Furthermore, this research has highlighted significant ways that can help the banking sector employees to improve their financial performance with sustainability.

Interplay Among Responsible Leadership, Corporate Social Responsibility Perspective and Organizational Citizenship Behaviour Towards Environment: A Study of the Indian IT Sector

The environmental degradation and consequent scarcity of resources have compelled organizations to implement strategies and policies that prioritize the attainment of a sustainable environment. The significance of employees’ pro-environment behaviour is increasingly recognized and is being promoted by organizations that focus on preserving the environment. Considering the importance of pro-environment behaviour, this study investigates the relationship among responsible leadership, corporate social responsibility (CSR) perspective and organizational citizenship behaviour towards environment (OCBE). This employee-level study adopted social cognitive theory to examine the context–behaviour framework. The data are collected from information technology (IT) professionals using a stratified sampling technique. The analysis of 503 respondents using PLS-SEM concludes that responsible leadership and CSR perspective have a positive relationship with OCBE. The study also confirms the partial mediating role of the CSR perspective in the relationship between responsible leadership and OCBE. The study identifies organizational-level contextual factors such as responsible leadership and CSR perspective that promote an environment-friendly behaviour among employees, i.e., OCBE. The paper extends the context–behaviour framework literature and highlights the benefits of OCBE in the organization.

Linking Company’s Activity and Human Well-Being from the Perspective of Corporate Social Responsibility

There is growing interest from academic scholars and international institutions in assessing the impact of business activity on human well-being. Business is essential for our lives but it is still unclear what companies’ activities should be to increase standards of living and to contribute better to higher human well-being. What is the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on human well-being, and how can companies be motivated towards more responsible activities? Partly, it is a matter of subjective understanding and, partly, a matter of assessing the phenomena of human well-being and CSR tends to make these relations more complicated and more scientific discussions are needed, therefore, to address these issues. The present study represents a comprehensive analysis of the concept of human well-being from the perspectives of both hedonic and eudaimonic approaches and it also investigates the role of CSR in companies’ economic activities, as well as outlines the theoretical links between CSR and human well-being. A conceptual model of the links between company’s economic activity and human well-being, according to CSR, is provided. The model states that the contribution of a business to human well-being differs depending on whether company’s activity is concentrated on economic results, or rather on sustainable development. The responsible activity of a company that meets the environmental, social, and economic challenges when producing goods and providing services contributes positively to human well-being in the long term. CSR contributes to society by enabling companies to satisfy the expectations of society and it also strengthens the likelihood that a society can achieve higher living standards and sustainable development as well.

ESG Performance, Auditor Choice, and Audit Opinion: Evidence from an Emerging Market

This study examines the effect of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance on auditor choice and audit opinion for Egyptian-listed firms. We use univariate and multivariate analyses of 612 firm-year observations for a sample of 68 firms listed on EGX100 over 2014–2022 using binary logistic regression models. Consistent with the ethical perspective of corporate social responsibility, we found that firms listed in the ESG index are more likely to assign one of the Big4 auditors, and less likely to receive a qualified opinion. Through an additional analysis, we found that COVID-19 moderates the relationship between ESG performance, auditor choice, and audit opinion. Our results confirm the value of ESG performance for audit practices in emerging economies. This research indicates that ESG performance can enhance financial reporting quality. Further, it ensures that binding guidelines and regulations are crucial to oversee corporate ESG performance, especially during crisis times, and enhance investors’ protection and firms’ sustainability.

Beyond the business case? Retracing the walk of Corporate social responsibility and financial performance relationship in the Oil and Gas sector

AbstractThe relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and financial performance (FP) has not been thoroughly investigated in the literature. In particular, the nature of the relationship between the two constructs has not been investigated in depth. Therefore, drawing on the resource‐based view and Stakeholder theory, this study theoretically and empirically examined the relationship between economic perspective of CSR and FP analyzing the mediating role of competitive advantage under the empirical settings of the downstream Oil and Gas companies of Pakistan. Based on the 178 responses from the managerial level employees of these firms, the empirical outcomes stands with the assumption of the study that the implementation of CSR in the Oil and Gas industry is economically driven and have a positive relationship with FP, while competitive advantage partially mediates the relationship between economic CSR and FP. The outcomes of the study carry the important managerial and practical implications for Oil and Gas firms which are fallen in the business case.

Selection of Sales Mode for E-Commerce Platform Considering Corporate Social Responsibility

From the perspective of corporate social responsibility (CSR) of the e-commerce platform, this paper investigates the choice of e-commerce platform for wholesale sales, agency sales, and hybrid sales modes when the manufacturer has both an offline retail channel and an e-commerce platform channel. Taking the e-commerce platform as the dominant player and considering factors such as the potential market size of the e-commerce platform, consumers’ sensitivity to CSR input level, and the CSR input cost coefficient, we constructed a Stackelberg game model under the wholesale sales, agency sales, and hybrid sales modes. We explored the impact of the e-commerce platform’s CSR behavior on the choice of its sales modes as well as on the members of the supply chain. The findings indicate that, irrespective of the consumers’ sensitivity to CSR level and CSR input cost coefficient, the e-commerce platform tends to adopt the hybrid sales mode when its potential market size is smaller. Moreover, when the potential market size is larger, the wholesale sales mode is preferred; only when the potential market size is moderate, and consumers are less sensitive to CSR input level or CSR input cost coefficient is higher, the e-commerce platform will choose the agency sales mode. The increase in the potential market size of the e-commerce platform and the consumers’ sensitivity to CSR input level is conducive to the rise in the profits of the e-commerce platform, and the increase in the CSR input cost coefficient makes the profits of the e-commerce platform decrease. At the same time, the demand for the e-commerce platform increases as consumers become more sensitive to CSR input level or as the potential market size of the e-commerce platform increases. In contrast, the reduction in the CSR input cost coefficient negatively affects the demand for the e-commerce platform.

More Social, More Socially Responsible? The Impact of CEO Social Media Use on Corporate Social Performance

AbstractNowadays, more and more firm chief executive officers (CEOs) are using social media to join online conversations and interact with stakeholders. As this social media presence shows their social participation tendencies, such CEOs have been described as ‘social CEOs’. Building on an upper‐echelon perspective of corporate social responsibility (CSR), this study examines whether social CEOs and the implications of their social media engagement have an impact on corporate social performance by developing a needs–affordances–consequences approach. Our approach explores the motives and ability of social CEOs, suggesting the positive influence of CEO sociability on CSR and also the moderating effect of CEOs’ social evaluation. Using data on Chinese publicly listed firms from 2009 to 2020, we find that firms with social CEOs have a higher level of social performance than firms without, and higher CEO status or better CEO reputation can further amplify the positive impact of CEO sociability on corporate social performance. This work makes important contributions to research on the determinants of CSR, as well as the social media and leadership literature.

Business and Human Rights in Ethiopia: The Status of the Law and the Practice

Business activities in Ethiopia by both multinational and national companies are under growing scrutiny. Ongoing court cases in Kenya against Meta (formerly Facebook) for allegedly helping fuel the two-year deadly conflict in northern Ethiopia, increased reports of alleged poor labour conditions in apparel factories in industrial parks, and allegations of land grabbing by commercial agribusiness are some examples. The existing research and practice approaches the issue of private sector accountability predominantly from corporate social responsibility (CSR) perspective. The CSR landscape itself is regulated in a fragmented manner. In contexts lacking well-developed CSR frameworks, a growing body of research examines the promise of a newly evolving Business and Human Rights (BHR) paradigm. To date, there is a dearth of scholarly and policy discussion employing the term ‘business and human rights’ in Ethiopia, attesting the status of the field in academic and public discourse. This article presents a modest attempt at exploring the status of business and human rights law and practice in Ethiopia. By analysing relevant laws and reviewing selected practical cases, the article identifies salient issues, opportunities, and challenges toward developing and enforcing business and human rights standards.

From CSR to Impact; How to Integrate CSR in a University Strategy

Wageningen University & Research (WUR) has a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) agenda, which was drawn up in 2020, after the adoption of the Strategic Plan. The topic “Research and education to contribute to societal challenges” is at the top of the CSR agenda, because we assume that WUR will have the greatest societal impact through its education and research activities. CSR is all about Impact and impact is a key term in the current strategy. Because CSR, Impact and Strategy are so closely related, especially in a university, it is important to develop new perspectives on how CSR can best be integrated into the strategy. This fits in well with WUR as an organization with a great social responsibility: at an organization like WUR you would expect CSR to be anchored in the core of the organization, so that no separate CSR strategy is needed. The article explores the various ways to embed the CSR perspective in the new Strategic Plan of the organization, describes the strengths and weaknesses of the various approaches and concludes which approach would be the most suitable for a future-proof sustainable university.

Vodafone Ghana – being good by doing good under Patricia Obo-Nai’s leadership

Social implications Case explains how female leaders are more concerned about social issues the industry in which they operate could resolve. Obo-Nia, CEO of Vodafone Ghana, showed concern for resolving the digital divide in Africa and offered a collaborative solution. The case also suggests how female CEOs invest in strategic corporate social responsibility (CSR) that could create a competitive advantage for firms. The case also discusses gender diversity issues in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) field and how Vodafone Ghana’s CEO tried to enhance gender diversity in the telecommunication sector and Vodafone. Obo-Nai did not emphasize gender diversity from a CSR perspective but believed in a business case for gender diversity, as an increase in participation of women in the STEM workforce could help the telecommunication sector innovate faster and resolve the digital divide challenge while also empowering women working from the informal sector. Learning outcomes What is the significance of a digital divide and the societal role of the telecommunication sector; Why female CEOs are more concerned about CSR and how CSR makes not charity but business case; Why female CEOs are more inclined toward collaborative strategies and how stakeholders are involved in collaborative strategies for reducing the digital divide; Exploring various strategies for enhancing gender diversity in the STEM field and the significance of gender diversity in the STEM field. Case overview/synopsis The case is about the challenges faced by Patricia Obo-Nai, the first female CEO of Vodafone Ghana, to bridge the digital divide in Africa while doing so in a profitable manner. Obo-Nai was an engineer by profession and won several awards as she rose to the post of CEO in Vodafone Ghana in 2019. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she took several corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, such as making internet service freely available in certain schools and universities so that education could continue. Obo-Nai also emphasized gender diversity within Vodafone and urged other telecommunication players to focus on gender diversity from a social responsibility perspective because it was essential for innovation. Under Obo-Nai’s leadership, Vodafone itself launched several new products. She called for a multistakeholder collaborative approach to bridge the digital divide and to make 4G internet affordable in Africa. Obo-Nai collaborated with competitors like MTN Ghana to enhance Vodafone Ghana’s roaming services. Complexity academic level This case is intended for undergraduate or graduate-level business and management courses, especially international business and society, CSR and leadership courses. Graduate students in public policy may also find the case compelling. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject codes CCS5: International Business; CCS10: Public Sector Management

Examining the Interactive Effect of Advertising Investment and Corporate Social Responsibility on Financial Performance

This article explores the interactive effect of advertising investment and corporate social responsibility (CSR) on financial performance by selecting 2431 listed companies that participated in the professional evaluation of Hexun.com as the research sample, with a total of 12,471 observed values. The panel regression, analysis and hypotheses tests were conducted to examine the interactive effect of advertising investment and CSR on financial performance. There are four empirical findings. First, an advertising investment plays a significant role in improving corporate financial performance. Second, actively fulfilling CSR can effectively upgrade the financial performance of an enterprise. Third, different functional mechanisms will not change the positive impact of CSR on financial performance. Fourth, the interaction between advertising investment and CSR has a significant positive correction on financial performance. Combining the advertising investment with CSR they have a remarkable complementary effect on financial performance. Based on these findings, this article claims that to maximize the advertising effect, company managers should actively carry out business activities and conduct appropriate advertising investments from the perspective of CSR. In other words, to enhance the return on marketing activities and strengthen the promotion of financial performance by advertising investment, company managers should pay more attention to fulfilling CSR and take advantage of the reputational and social images generated by CSR to bring greater market value and financial growth.

A Resource Allocation Perspective of Corporate Social Responsibility

A Resource Allocation Perspective of Corporate Social Responsibility

Electricity in Romania: Production, Imports and Sponsorship – a CSR Perspective

Abstract The current concern for power is justifiable in light of both the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and the world’s concern over climate change and environmental conservation. The objective of this paper is to quantify changes in Romania’s electricity productions and imports, moreover, to identify and classify the types of sponsorship activities of Romanian electricity companies. In this paper, based on data from Eurostat and BP we analyze the import of electricity in Romania between 2011 and 2020, but also the electricity generation from all sources between 1989 and 2021. We also did an analysis of contribution for improving the life of local communities, of few important Romanian companies from the electricity area: Hidroelectrica, Nuclearelectrica and Transelectrica based on their sustainability reports for the year 2021. During the communist period in Romania, between 1985 and 1989, there was an increase of electricity produced, but after the communism, more precisely after the year 1989 there was a huge decrease, more specifically from 1989 to 2021 decreased by 22%, while imports of electricity increased by 2.42 times from 2011 to 2020. From the sustainability reports of the companies analyzed results that the Romanian electricity companies offer a high support to the local communities especially for health area. This paper is unique because it’s the first paper where the sponsorship of the Romanian electricity companies was analyzed from a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) perspective.